Penniless Laborer Unearths $95,000 Diamond
July 31, 24
(IDEX Online) - A debt-ridden Indian laborer has unearthed a 29.222-carat white diamond valued at $95,000.
It is one of the most valuable diamonds recovered in recent years from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, where part-time miners routinely rent small patches of land to sift for rough gems using basic tools.
Raju Gound, 40, a father-of-seven, said he earned $4 a day working in fields or driving a tractor and had been involved in informal mining for the last decade.
"I was sifting through the stones and saw something that resembled a piece of glass," he told a BBC reporter. "I held it up to my eyes and saw a faint glint. That's when I knew I had found a diamond."
He said he'd pay off his $6,000 debts with the proceeds, pay for his children's education and divide the money between 19 relatives who live with him.
The gem will be sold at auction along with other lots, also found by informal miners in the state.
Sceeengrabs courtesy Hindustan Wave.