India, Aug. 15 -- A stroke of luck has transformed the fortunes of seven daily-wage workers in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, who discovered a 17.96-carat diamond while working at a leased mine in Sarokha village. The diamond was found by Akhilesh Pal and six other workers, who had taken the shallow mine on lease around two years ago. After working for months without finding anything valuable, the group eventually abandoned the mine and left it untouched for nearly a year.

The workers later began operating another mine nearby. Following heavy rains, they returned to inspect the old site and spotted a stone lying near the surface. The stone was subsequently examined by diamond officials, who confirmed that it weighed 17.96 carats and wa...