On a recent winter morning in central India’s Panna, a diamond mining region, two childhood friends made a discovery that they think could change their lives forever.
Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed stumbled upon a large, glistening rock on a plot of land they had leased just weeks earlier.
When they took the stone to the city’s official diamond evaluator, they learnt they had found a 15.34-carat gem-quality diamond – one of the finest varieties of natural diamonds that exist.
“The estimated market price of the stone is around five to six million rupees [$55,000 – $66,000; £41,000 – £49,000] and it will be auctioned soon,” Anupam Singh, the diamond evaluator, told BBC Hindi.
The government holds quarterly auctions, drawing buyers from across India and abroad to bid for the diamonds.
“Estimated prices depend on the dollar rate and benchmarks set by the Rapaport report,” Mr Singh said. Rapaport is widely regarded as a leading authority on independent diamond and jewellery market analysis.
Mr Khatik and Mr Mohammed say they are over the moon. “We can now get our sisters married,” they said.
Mr Khatik, 24, who runs a meat shop and Mr Mohammed, 23 who sells fruits, come from poor backgrounds and are the youngest sons in their families.
For generations, their families have been trying their luck finding diamonds, which is a common quest among the district’s residents.
Panna, which lies in Madhya Pradesh state, is among India’s most backward districts – its residents face poverty, water scarcity, and unemployment.
But it’s also home to most of India’s diamond reserves and remains a prime destination for diamond hunters.
India’s diamond reserves are relatively limited compared with the world’s major producers, but they are historically significant.
While most mines are run by the federal government, state authorities lease small plots to locals each year at nominal rates. With few job opportunities in the city, residents hope for a prized find to improve their fortunes – but most come up empty-handed.
Mr Mohammed says that his father and grandfather had dug through these plots for decades but discovered nothing more that “dust and slivers of quartz”.
His father Nafees says that the “gods have finally rewarded their hard work and patience”.
