Whiteflash-Diamond Playground

From about 400BC until 1700AD India was the world’s source of diamonds.  As India declined other major sources were discovered.  India is now a huge cutting/polishing center for diamonds from Australia and other parts of the world. This “revival” news story is interesting because although there are nearly 7000 kimberlite all over the world only 100 of them are known to bear diamonds.

From DIB Online - Five out of the 15 kimberlite pipes in India’s Panna and Chhatarpur districts in Madhya Pradesh contain a presence of diamonds, according to a recent exploration survey. The Economic Times of India has reported that in response to the encouraging discovery, India’s mining department has issued a reconnaissance permit to Rio Tinto Exploration Ltd. to conduct further surveys for indicator minerals in the districts. Sources say that small lease holders have also been extracting precious stones from the shallow mines in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna and Satna districts, which reportedly contain the country’s entire diamond reserves. According to the Economic Times of India, diamond mining has been carried out in the Majhgavnva mines of the Panna district since 1958. In its efforts to increase mining activity and decrease its reliance on gold and diamond imports, the Indian government has issued more than 30 reconnaissance permits to national and international companies for exploration in diamonds, gold, silver, nickel, platinum, zinc and other precious metals.