A 26.11 carat diamond found recently by a brick kiln operator in Madhya Pradesh's Panna was sold for Rs 1.62 crore, while 87 other rough diamonds fetched a total of Rs 1.89 crore during an auction held here in Madhya Pradesh, an official said today.
The auction was conducted on February 24 and 25 in MP's 'diamond city' Panna, located 380 km from the state capital Bhopal.
On the first day, 36 diamonds collectively weighing 82.45 carats were sold for Rs 1.65 crore, Panna district collector Sanjay Kumar Mishra said.
Besides, 52 diamonds weighing 78.35 carats fetched Rs 1.86 crore on the second day.
During the auction, the highest price of Rs 1.62 crore was fetched by a 26.11 carat diamond, which was found in a mine here on February 21, the official said.
The auction for this precious stone started from Rs 3 lakh per carat and went up to Rs 6.22 lakh per carat, he said, adding that such a big diamond was found in Panna after a long time.
A local trader bought this diamond, which was found by Sushil Shukla, who operates a small-scale brick kiln business, in a shallow mine located in Krishna Kalyanpur area.
The proceeds will be given to the miner after the deduction of government royalty and taxes.
Panna district has reserves estimated to be containing diamonds worth 12 lakh carats, according to officials.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Village Housewife Finds Diamond Worth Rs 10 Lakh In Madhya Pradesh Mine 86 Diamonds Fetch Rs 1.27 Crore On First Day Of Auction In Madhya Pradesh 24-Year-Old Finds Diamond Worth Rs 30 Lakh In Madhya Pradesh Mine Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest "Violation Of Sovereignty, Abuse Of Power": Kanwal Sibal On US Report On Adani Group Indian Student In US Accidentally Shoots Himself Dead While Celebrating Birthday Influencer Sheds 11 Kg While Enjoying Desserts, Shares Weight Loss Secrets Ather 450, Rizta Electric Scooters Now Get 8-Year Battery Warranty Dear ICC, Wake Up: Hybrid Model Is Must For India If Pak Has Hosting Rights Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.