An Indian laborer’s life has dramatically improved after discovering a massive diamond in a mine in Madhya Pradesh.
The 19.22-carat gem is anticipated to sell for around 8 million rupees ($95,570; £74,000) at a government auction.
Raju Gound, who had been leasing mines in Panna city for over a decade in search of a diamond, finally struck gold.
Panna, renowned for its diamond reserves, is a popular location for individuals who lease inexpensive, shallow mines from the government in pursuit of precious stones.
The federal government’s National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) runs a mechanised diamond mining project in Panna.
It also leases out shallow mines to individuals, families and co-operative groups who look for diamonds, usually with basic tools and equipment.
Any finds are handed over to the government diamond office, which then evaluates the stone.
“These mines can be leased for about 200-250 rupees [for a specific period],” Anupam Singh, an official at the state government’s diamond office, told the BBC.
In 2018, a laborer from Bundelkhand discovered a diamond valued at 15 million rupees in a mine in Panna. Such significant finds are uncommon.
Mr. Singh noted that although smaller stones have been discovered by many, Mr. Gound’s find was exceptional due to its size.
Mr. Gound informed the BBC that his father had leased the mine in Krishna Kalyanpur Patti village near Panna roughly two months prior.
He explained that his family typically leases mines during the monsoon season when agricultural and masonry work is less available.
“We are very poor and have no other source of income. So we do this in the hope of making some money,” he said.
He had heard stories of others stumbling upon diamonds and hoped that he might be fortunate enough to experience the same.
On Wednesday morning, he went to the site to carry out his daily routine of manually searching for the precious stone.
“It’s tedious work. We dig a pit, pull out chunks of soil and rock, wash them in a sieve and then carefully sift through thousands of dried, tiny stones to look for diamonds,” he said.
And that afternoon, all that hard work paid off and his luck turned.
“I was sifting through the stones and saw something that resembled a piece of glass. I held it up to my eyes and saw a faint glint. That’s when I knew I had found a diamond,” he said.
Mr. Gound then took his valuable find to the government diamond office, where it was evaluated and weighed.
According to Mr. Singh, the diamond will be sold at the next government auction, and Mr. Gound will receive his payment after the deduction of government royalties and taxes.
Mr. Gound hopes to use the proceeds to build a better house for his family and fund his children’s education. However, his immediate goal is to settle his debt of 500,000 rupees.
He is not concerned about people discovering the diamond since he plans to share the proceeds with 19 relatives who live with him.
For now, he is simply satisfied knowing that the money will eventually come his way.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the mine again to look for diamonds,” he said.