Diamond Mining In India

DIAMOND MINING IN INDIA EXTENDS BACK INTO ANTIQUITY. FROM ANCIENT TIMES, INDIA WAS THE SOURCE OF NEARLY THE ENTIRE WORLD'S WELL-KNOWN AS WELL AS FAMOUS DIAMONDS LIKE KOH-I-NOOR, HOPE, ORLOV, GREAT MUGHUL AND THE LIKE.

- G.V.Joshi

A 29.5-carat diamond (one carat is 200 milligrams) was unearthed in a diamond mine in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh (MP) on September 13, 2019. According to local experts, the diamond is likely to fetch a price of Rs 1.5 to two crore in the market.

Brajesh Upadhyay, a diamond miner, found this high-quality diamond during excavation at a mine, 15 km from Panna city. He deposited it with the local diamond office which sells them by auction once every year. The person who discovered the diamond gets proceeds of the auction, minus government royalty and taxes.

In the words of Brajesh Upadhyay, “I have been working in the mines for the last 25 years. Earlier I have found smaller diamonds, but this is for the first time I have got a diamond of this size and weight.” Panna diamond mines are estimated to have reserves of about 12 lakh carats of diamonds.

Earlier in June 2010, the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) which carried out diamond mining at Panna had found a 34.4-carat diamond. This is the biggest diamond found at Panna diamond mines. The diamond fetched the company handsome money. NMDC had earlier found a 32-carat diamond in the Panna mine, but it had some defects. Even then, it was sold for Rs 95 lakh in the auction.

Diamond mining in India extends back into antiquity. From ancient times, India was the source of nearly the entire world's well-known as well as famous diamonds like Koh-I-Noor, Hope, Orlov, Great Mughul, and the like.