An Indian man’s fortunes have suddenly changed after he discovered a diamond worth US$95,000.00 while mining in India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh. The 19.22-carat diamond is estimated to garner approximately 8 million rupees at a government auction.
Mr Raju Gound stated that he has been excavating in his leased mine from the government’s National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) in Panna city for almost ten years in the hopes of discovering a diamond.
Panna city in India is famous for its diamond riches, and people frequently rent cheap, shallow mines from the government to mine for the precious stones.
The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) rents shallow mines to individuals, families, and cooperative organisations looking for diamonds, typically using simple tools and equipment. Any finds are sent over to the government diamond office, which assesses the stones.
According to the state government’s diamond office, these mines can be leased for between 200 and 250 rupees [for a set length of time].
According to the BBC, in 2018, a labourer discovered a diamond worth 15 million rupees (US$179,000) in a mine in Panna. However, such finds are rare.
Mr Gound stated that his father leased the mine in Krishna Kalyanpur Patti hamlet near Panna around two months ago. He said that his family typically leases mines during the monsoon season, when agricultural and masonry labour is scarce.
“We are really destitute with no other source of money. So we do this in the hopes of getting money,” he explained.
On Wednesday morning, told Outlook India that he went to the spot to do his usual chore of manually searching for the valuable stones, and that afternoon, all of his efforts paid off and his luck changed.
“As I was sorting among the stones, I noticed something that looked like a piece of glass. I raised it up to my eyes and noticed a slight sparkle. “That’s when I knew I’d found a diamond,” he explained.
He stated that he subsequently took his treasured find to the government diamond office, where it was inspected and weighed. The diamond weighed 19.22 carat.
Mr Gound stated that he planned to use the money to create a better home for his family as well as pay for his children’s education. But first he wants to repay his 500,000 rupee debt.
He claims he is not concerned about anyone finding out about the diamond since he intends to distribute the money among 19 relatives who reside with him. For the time being, he is comfortable with the knowledge that the money will come to him.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the mine again to look for diamonds,” he told me.
Source: BBC
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