Kurnool: Popularly known as the Gateway of Rayalaseema, the Kurnool district is nowadays said to be famous for diamond-mining because of the presence of kimberlitic stones here. Diamonds are said to be found in plenty at Jonnagir, Tuggali, Maddikera, Pagidirayi, Peravali, Mahanandi and Mahadevapuram areas.
The diamond hunt takes place mainly between June and October. The more it rains, the more are there chances to find a diamond. People even quit their jobs to find diamond.
Kurnool is said to have plenty of diamonds.
The search begins in the early morning and continues till night.
Farmers across the country eagerly wait for the rainy season for a good harvest, whereas the people of Kurnool district flock to the fields to get one precious stone at least. It is even said that people from remote places also migrate to Kurnool and stay till the end of monsoon in search of diamonds.
The hunt for diamonds starts early in the morning and continues up to dusk. On special occasions, searches take place at night with artificial lights. Besides using hands, people use sickle and other tools to unearth diamonds.
Villagers said that monsoon has turned the fate of many people here overnight. It is now a lucrative business for the diamond merchants too. However, they also claim that most of the stones found here are crystals and very few are real. Rumours have it that diamonds worth Rs 5 crore have been found in the Kurnool.
Increasing number of people heading towards these villages in a bid to change their fate adds to the worries of the local administration. Even business tycoons from Mumbai are also in the fray.
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2016-06-14/Diamond-hunt-commences/235015