Childhood Friends Strike It Rich With $55,000 Diamond Find in India

By Blessing Nweke

Two childhood friends in central India’s Panna district say a chance discovery has transformed their fortunes after they unearthed a rare, gem-quality diamond worth up to $66,000.

Satish Khatik, 24, and Sajid Mohammed, 23, found the 15.34-carat stone on a recently leased plot of land in Panna, a region long known for diamond mining. The pair spotted the glistening rock during a winter morning dig and later took it to the city’s official diamond evaluator, where its value was confirmed.

“The estimated market price of the stone is around five to six million rupees,” said Anupam Singh, the government-appointed evaluator, adding that the diamond will be sold at a forthcoming government auction. Prices are set using international benchmarks, including the widely followed Rapaport diamond report.

For the two young men, who come from poor families, the find is life-changing. Mr Khatik runs a small meat shop, while Mr Mohammed sells fruit. Both are the youngest sons in their families and say their immediate priority is supporting their sisters’ marriages.

“We are over the moon,” they said. “This will help our families in ways we never imagined.”

Panna, located in Madhya Pradesh, is one of India’s most economically deprived districts, facing chronic poverty, water shortages and limited employment. Yet it is also home to most of the country’s known diamond reserves. While major mines are government-run, small plots are leased each year to local residents at low cost, offering a slim but alluring chance of a breakthrough.

Mr Mohammed said his father and grandfather spent decades digging without success, finding little more than dust and quartz. “The gods have finally rewarded their patience,” his father said.

District mining officer Ravi Patel called the discovery exceptionally rare. “They leased the plot in November and found a gem-quality diamond within weeks,” he said.

Despite their windfall, the friends say they have no grand plans—at least for now. “We’re focused on our families first,” they said, as they wait for the auction that will turn their remarkable find into cash.