Luck strikes in Panna: 7 workers find 17.96-carat diamond worth Rs 50 lakh

A stroke of luck has transformed the fortunes of seven daily-wage workers in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district, who discovered a 17.96-carat diamond while working at a leased mine in Sarokha village. The diamond was found by Akhilesh Pal and six other workers, who had taken the shallow mine on lease around two years ago. After working for months without finding anything valuable, the group eventually abandoned the mine and left it untouched for nearly a year.

The workers later began operating another mine nearby. Following heavy rains, they returned to inspect the old site and spotted a stone lying near the surface. The stone was subsequently examined by diamond officials, who confirmed that it weighed 17.96 carats and was of gem quality.

Diamond official Ravi Patel described the discovery as a valuable find and said the quality of the stone made it particularly significant. The diamond is expected to be put up for Government auction, possibly in October, with buyers from India and abroad likely to participate.

The stone could fetch around Rs 50 lakh at auction, according to officials. Under the applicable arrangement, the Government will deduct 12 per cent royalty from the sale proceeds, while the remaining amount will be divided equally among the seven workers. The discovery adds to a series of significant diamond finds reported from Panna, where people working leased mining areas have occasionally struck valuable stones.

In June, a tribal family found an 11.19-carat diamond in the district, estimated to be worth around Rs 30 lakh. The same family had earlier discovered a 19.22-carat diamond in 2024, which fetched Rs 93 lakh at a Government auction.