Surat, September 25: A recently surfaced video shows hundreds of people looking for diamonds, said to have been lost on the road close to a diamond trading centre. The clip, doing rounds on social media since Sunday, sent shockwaves across the diamond industry. The video was being shared claiming that diamond merchants in the area, troubled by an economic downturn, threw their diamonds on the street. The incident reportedly took place in the Varaccha region of Gujarat's Surat on September 24.

Images and videos of people scouring the market road for the lost diamonds went viral on internet, with some going to extreme lengths, collecting dust from the streets in their pursuit of these precious stones. Despite their enthusiasm, many were disappointed to discover that the diamonds they had discovered were, in fact, American diamonds, commonly used in imitation jewellery and fabric work. Diamond Heist in Gujarat Video: Five Men Rob Diamonds Worth Rs 5.5 Crore at Gunpoint in Surat, Police Apprehend Robbers After 3-Hour-Long Dramatic Chase.

People Searching For Diamonds on Street in Surat 

Viral Video of People Searching For Diamonds Shared With Misleading Claim

Meanwhile, the claim that the diamond merchants threw their diamonds on the road after being troubled by an economic downturn turned out to be fake news. Notably, the chain-of-events started after rumours began to circulate that a merchant had mistakenly spilled a package of diamonds worth crores onto the road. According to the Ahmedabad Mirror, the mere mention of this incident spurred a frenetic search for the rare stones. Angola To Produce 10.5 Million Carats of Diamonds in 2022 With Revenue of $1.4 Billion.

Alpesh Gabani, the PI (Police Inspector) of Varachha Police Station verified to BOOM that the claims were incorrect. He said that someone dropped a bag of American diamonds (fake stones used in embroidery and imitation jewellery) on the street, and rumours began to circulate. Following that, people began seeking diamonds on the street. Gabani also indicated that this incident was unrelated to the diamond market turmoil.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).