MP: 189 diamonds worth Rs 1.61 cr to be auctioned from Mar 15

A total of 189 diamonds cumulatively weighing 214.71 carats with an estimated value of Rs 1.61 crore found in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district will be auctioned next month, an official said on Sunday.

The auction will take place from March 15 in the diamond office here and is likely to go on for three days, said Collector Sanjay Kumar.

''The gems to be auctioned include a 14.09 carat diamond found by a labourer named Rampyare Vishwakarma and his partners in a mine near Krishna Kalyanpur village on February 24,'' he said.

As per officials, Panna, located in the impoverished Bundelkhand region, some 385 kilometres from Bhopal, is estimated to have diamond reserves totaling 12 lakh carats, each carat being equal to about 200 milligrams.