Overview
- Officials confirmed a 15.3–15.34 carat stone and estimated its value at Rs 5–6 million, or roughly $55,000–$66,000 (£41,000–£50,000).
- The diamond will be sold at the next quarterly government auction, where bids track Rapaport benchmarks and currency movements.
- Under Indian rules, the state will deduct a 12% royalty and tax from the final auction price before paying the finders.
- Satish Khatik, 24, and Sajid Mohammed, 23, discovered the gem weeks after leasing a small plot on November 19 and prospecting by hand.
- The rare large find highlights Panna’s struggle for livelihoods in a district that reports many small or flawed deposits but few high‑value gems.