Watch | People search for lost diamonds in the streets of India's Surat

People gathered on the streets of the Surat district in the west Indian state ofGujarat in search of diamonds following the rumours about an unidentified person who accidentally dropped a packet of diamonds.

Surat, dubbed the 'Diamond City of India,' is the world's largest market for diamond polishing, cutting, and crafting.

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A video of the incident, showing people searching rigorously for diamonds in the Varaccha area of Surat, has gone viral on social media platforms. According to a report in the Ahmedabad Mirror, the rumour about the merchant accidentally dropping diamonds worth millions of rupees on the road spread like wildfire in the city. The incident occurred on September 24.

Reports say that people also collected dust from the market road in search of the diamonds. The video also shows a person cleaning the area with a broom, hoping to find a diamond in the collected dust. Several pictures and videos of the people scouring for something missing went viral.

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Interestingly, some people managed to find a few diamonds. However, they turned out to be American diamonds, synthesised replacements for diamonds.

Arvind Panseria, searching the street for diamonds, said a man found a diamond.

But it was an American diamond used in imitation jewellery or saree work. "It seems somebody played a prank," he added.

The Varaccha area in Surat, where the incident occurred, is also a hub for diamond trade.

Alpesh Gabani, a police officer from the Varachha police station, told BOOM Live that someone dropped a bag of American diamonds on the street.

But rumours began to circulate that they were real diamonds. Gabani also clarified that the incident was unrelated to the diamond market turmoil.

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According to experts, the Russia-Ukraine war triggered the recession in the Surat diamond industry last year.

Data from the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council's (GJEPC) showed that the overall gross exports of gems & jewellery for the April-June quarter stood at ₹60,222.10 crore as compared to ₹77,499.44 crore in the corresponding period in 2022, marking a 28.08 per cent decline.

One of the reasons behind the plunge in exports is the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid, which occurred in March 2023 and caused the closure of four units of Sagar Diamonds.

The diamond hub in Surat employs around 800,000 people.

(With inputs from agencies)

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