Editor’s Note
This report from Surat examines the human toll of a shifting global diamond trade, where geopolitical sanctions and the rise of lab-grown gems are devastating traditional livelihoods.

The Quiet Tragedy of Surat’s Diamond Industry
In India’s manufacturing heartland, despair has begun to claim the lives of cutters and polishers as sanctions choke supplies and lab-grown stones reshape markets. Our reporters share workers’ firsthand stories.
