Mountains in India Where Precious Stones Are Mined

India has an abundance of mountains from where most stunning precious gems are mined. From rubies and emeralds to garnets and aquamarine, all are mined. India has a rich gemstone heritage that has been found in royal treasures, trade routes, and jewellery markets for centuries.

Today, we are going to explore different mining sites of the breathtaking gems found all over India that one could only wish to see once in their lifetime:

This mountain range is located in Madhya Pradesh, mainly the Vindhya–Satpura belt, where the Panna diamond mines are present. This is India’s only major operational diamond mine, which is managed by NMDC. This diamond mining project in Panna started production in 1971–1972 and is India’s only mechanized diamond mine. Here you will find an ore processing plant with equipment for diamond separation and tailings disposal. In this belt, diamonds are easily found and have a proportion of gem-quality stones.

This mountain range is located in Rajasthan and one can find a lot of beautiful gems here, such as emerald, garnet, aquamarine, and corundum. Mainly, these gems are along the length of Ajmer, Udaipur, Tonk, Bhilwara, and Chittorgarh districts. Mining in the Aravalli range dates back to the 5th century BC. The Aravalli range is a significant producer of the garnet gem. Certain minerals and metals like copper are also found here. Due to this mining range, deforestation, land degradation, and destruction of natural habitats are also on the rise.

The Karur region in Tamil Nadu is known for its ruby deposits, while one can also find gemstones like sapphires and aquamarine in this region. The Kudremukh region is mainly known for its iron ore, but it is considered that these geological formations can host other minerals and gemstones as well. The mining of these gemstones and minerals poses a threat to the environment.

These ghats are located in Odisha. Deomali Hills and the surrounding region are rich in minerals, and one can also find some gemstones such as beryl, topaz, garnet, and other semi-precious stones. There are 52 gemstone belts here across 16 mining blocks in western Odisha districts like Kalahandi, Boudh, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Rayagada, and Koraput. The Odisha Mining Corporation is the agency here which manages gemstone extraction in these zones.

The Bastar and Vindhya region of India is located near the Chhattisgarh and Odisha border. The Bastar region is the area where diamonds and other minerals are found, while alexandrite stones are found in the Vindhya region. The alexandrite gem is a rare gem mineral that has color-changing properties and was found in the Latapara and Matrapara villages.