News Desk

The Advocate Post:

A laborer in central India burdened by debt described how finding a 19.22-carat diamond, valued at nearly $100,000, has permanently transformed his family’s life.

Raju Gond typically earns around $4 daily by taking on various jobs to support his large family in Madhya Pradesh, India. His work ranges from field labor and diamond mining in his home state to driving a tractor for a wealthy farmer.

Occasionally, he and his younger brother pay $9.50 per day to search for gold on a 64-square-meter plot of government land. It was during one of these digs that he made a fortunate discovery. After uncovering the stone on a Wednesday, Gond described his heart racing as he carefully cleaned off the dirt.

As he wiped it, the stone gleamed increasingly brighter. “It sparkled brilliantly; I immediately knew it was a diamond!” Gond joyfully exclaimed from his residence in Panna district.

He and Rakesh embraced and leaped with joy. They quickly rode their bike 7 miles (11 kilometers) back from the shallow mine in Krishna Kalyanpur to share the exciting news with their family. Afterwards, they took their mother to the local Panna Diamond Office to have the stone assessed.

Anupam Singh, the official diamond examiner, took possession of the diamond and weighed it. “This is a 19.22-carat white diamond,” he informed, valuing it at approximately $95,500. Singh noted that Panna is renowned for its abundant diamond deposits, citing previous discoveries such as a 54.55-carat diamond in 1961 and a 42-carat diamond in 2018, alongside smaller finds earlier this year. Gond’s stroke of luck may be attributed in part to favourable weather conditions.