Two childhood friends in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, discovered a diamond that experts estimate to be worth more than $55,000. According to reports, Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed discovered the rock a few weeks after leasing a plot.
Khatik and Mohammed are extremely happy about the find and wish to use the money for their siblings’ wedding, reported the BBC. The duo told the outlet, “We can now get our sisters married.”
The friends further expressed, “We are not thinking of buying land, expanding our businesses or moving to a bigger city; not yet. For now, we are focused on getting our sisters married.”
Who are Satish Khatik and Sajid Mohammed?
While 24-year-old Satish Khatik runs a food shop, 23-year-old Sajid Mohammed sells fruits. They are the youngest sons of their families and come from humble backgrounds, according to the outlet.
The friends didn’t find the diamond by luck; instead, they and their families have been searching for precious rocks for years. Reportedly, it is a common habit for people living in Panna, as this city in Madhya Pradesh is home to most of India’s diamond reserves.
Following the steps of their grandfathers and fathers, the friends decided to lease a plot to try out their luck. The search for the precious stone proved to be arduous work.
Reportedly, after their day job, they would spend hours searching through dirt. They would dig pits, collect soil, wash it through shives, and look through tiny stones in the hope of finding a diamond.
Their hard work finally paid off when they found the diamond just weeks after leasing the land.
When did they find the diamond?
“They had leased out a plot on 19 November. It’s their luck that they found a diamond of gem quality within a few weeks,” Ravi Patel, Panna’s district mining officer, told the BBC.
The value of the diamond?
“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.
He added, “Estimated prices depend on the dollar rate and benchmarks set by the Rapaport report.”
