Panna Diamond Mine: NMDC Recovers 27.29-Carat Gem Worth an Estimated INR 1 Crore (Pics)
NMDC has recovered a 27.29-carat gem-quality diamond from its Majhgawan mine in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, making it the second-largest diamond found at the project. Recovered on September 15, the stone has an initial estimated value of about INR 1 crore. Its final price will be decided after evaluation and auction. The find follows a 13.16-carat recovery in July.
NMDC has recovered a 27.29-carat gem-quality diamond from its Panna mining project in Madhya Pradesh, making it the second-largest diamond ever recovered by the state-owned miner at the site. The diamond was found on September 15 at the Majhgawan mine, following another gem-quality recovery from the project earlier this year.
NMDC has initially estimated the stone’s value at about INR 1 crore based on its colour, carat weight, clarity and shape. The company said the final value will be determined through the prescribed evaluation and auction process. The latest discovery follows the recovery of a 13.16-carat gem-quality diamond from the same project in July. How To Lease a Diamond Mine in Panna for INR 200: Rules, Process and Risks.
NMDC Recovers 27.29-Carat Diamond at Panna Mine
A sparkling milestone for NMDC’s Diamond Mining Project, Panna.
On 15 September 2026, DMP Panna recovered a remarkable 27.29-carat gem-quality diamond — the second-largest diamond ever produced by NMDC at Panna.
Coming soon after the recovery of a 13.16-carat gem-quality… pic.twitter.com/9YNTZZ9Dpr
— NMDC Limited (@nmdclimited) September 15, 2026
पन्ना की एनएमडीसी की हीरा खनन पर 27.29 कैरेट का बहुमूल्य हीरा मिला है इस वर्ष का सबसे बड़ा पन्ना जिले की बड़ी उपलब्धि एनएमडीसी की उत्कृष्ट खनन क्षमता, तकनीकी दक्षता और कर्मठ टीम के समर्पित प्रयासों का परिणाम @CMMadhyaPradesh@nmdclimited #DiamondMining #Majhgawan #Panna #Diamond pic.twitter.com/UDAGXs0L1Z
— Amit Singh Rathaur (@amitsrathaur) September 16, 2026
Second-Largest Diamond Recovered At Panna
The 27.29-carat stone is the second-largest gem-quality diamond recovered from NMDC’s Panna mine. The company’s record recovery remains a 34.37-carat gem-quality diamond found in 2010. That stone was subsequently sold for INR 3.2 crore, according to NMDC.
NMDC announced the latest recovery in a post on X, describing it as a major milestone for its Diamond Mining Project in Panna. The discovery also marks the company’s second major gem-quality recovery from the project in three months, after the 13.16-carat stone found in July.
Diamond’s Final Value To Be Decided After Auction
NMDC’s initial estimate places the value of the 27.29-carat diamond at around INR 1 crore. The estimate is based on the stone’s colour, carat weight, clarity and shape. However, this is not the final sale value.
The diamond will undergo the prescribed evaluation process before being offered for auction. NMDC has not announced a date for the auction of the newly recovered stone. The 2010 record diamond provides a reference for the project’s previous high-value recovery, having fetched INR 3.2 crore when it was sold.
Panna Produced Around 6,000 Carats In FY27 So Far
NMDC’s Panna operations have produced around 6,000 carats of diamonds through August in financial year 2026-27, according to the company. The project has an annual production capacity of 84,000 carats. The latest recovery comes as the Panna project continues to operate following the resumption of mining activity after a prolonged halt.
In March 2022, NMDC had offered 8,337 carats of rough diamonds produced before December 2020 through an electronic auction. According to the Ministry of Steel, almost the entire quantity received winning bids from diamond merchants in Surat, Mumbai and Panna.
India’s Only Mechanised Diamond Mine
Commercial production at the Majhgawan project began in 1971-72. Located around 15 kilometres southwest of Panna town, the project is described by NMDC as the only mechanised diamond mine in India.
The facility includes an ore-processing plant, a heavy-media separation unit and an X-ray sorter for separating diamonds from processed material. Diamond mining is one of NMDC’s operations outside its core iron ore business.
Mining Resumed In 2024
Mining at Panna was halted for more than three years after environmental clearances lapsed in December 2020. The project is located near the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Operations resumed in 2024 after regulatory and court clearances, subject to environmental safeguards. NMDC initially processed diamonds from existing ore stockpiles after operations restarted, the company told Reuters in January 2025.
The Panna project remains the only operating mechanised diamond mine in India. Mining has not begun at the nearby Bunder diamond project after Rio Tinto exited the project in 2016-17 following environmental concerns.
NMDC’s Core Iron Ore Business
NMDC is a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Steel and India’s largest iron ore producer. The Hyderabad-headquartered company operates mechanised iron ore mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and produces more than 50 million tonnes of iron ore annually from its major operations, according to the company.
NMDC is targeting an annual iron ore production capacity of 100 million tonnes by FY30. The latest diamond recovery therefore represents a notable development for one of NMDC’s non-iron ore operations, while the company’s iron ore business remains its principal mining activity.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2026 03:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
