A pair of siblings from a tribal family have unearthed an 11.19-carat diamond in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, marking their second major discovery in two years, reports TOI. The uncut gemstone, found on Monday at the Ahirgawan diamond mine, is estimated to fetch around Rs 30 lakh when it is auctioned by the government.
The diamond was discovered by brothers Rakesh and Raju, whose leased mining pit had also yielded a 19.22-carat diamond in 2024. That gem earned the family nearly Rs 93 lakh at a government auction.
Second major diamond discovery in two years
Rakesh obtained a mining lease from the Panna Diamond Office on April 27 this year. He had been excavating the leased mine for nearly two months along with his elder brother Raju, brother-in-law Ratan and the owner of the farmland where the mine is located before finding the diamond.
The latest discovery comes after the family's earlier success in 2024, when the same mining pit produced a 19.22-carat diamond.
Diamond deposited for government auction
The newly found diamond has been deposited with the Panna Diamond Office, where experts examined and accepted it according to the prescribed procedure. The gemstone will now be offered for sale at the next government auction.
Family plans to continue diamond mining
Rakesh said the money received from the upcoming auction would be used to obtain another mining lease so the family can continue searching for diamonds.
Panna remains India's only operational diamond-producing region
Panna is the country's only operational diamond-producing region, where individuals can obtain government mining leases to search for diamonds.
(With inputs from TOI)
