Editor’s Note
The Panna diamond, long celebrated for its quality and lore, has now received official recognition with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. This formal designation not only protects its unique identity but also underscores the profound local impact of this precious resource, as detailed in the article above.
The Panna district, renowned worldwide for its precious diamonds, achieved a major milestone on Friday morning. The long-pending wait for a GI (Geographical Indication) tag, lasting nearly two years, has finally ended. Panna’s diamonds are very special… they have changed the fortunes of many families overnight. Ordinary laborers have become millionaires overnight.
The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Chennai, officially announced the grant of the GI tag to Panna’s diamonds. With this, Panna’s diamond has become the 21st product from the state to receive a GI tag. The GI tag system was implemented in India in 2003. Since then, a total of 21 products from Madhya Pradesh have received this recognition, with the latest entry being Panna Diamond. Panna’s diamonds are very special… they have changed the fortunes of many families overnight. Ordinary laborers have become millionaires overnight.
This achievement will provide Panna’s diamonds with a strong global identity. They will emerge as a certified brand. The state will benefit directly. Our diamonds cannot be imitated anywhere in the world. Three categories of diamonds are extracted from Panna’s mines: Gem Quality (white diamond), Off Color (cloudy color), and Industrial Quality (Coca-Cola color). Their quality and price are determined by expert appraisers at the diamond office based on brilliance and structure.
Panna’s diamonds uniquely contain a green tint, a natural greenish hue. This deepens over time, making the diamond even more attractive. These diamonds have a distinct carbon line, which traders use as a base to create excellent designs. These specific characteristics give them a distinct identity from other diamonds in the country and the world and are the main reason for receiving the GI tag.
Legal protection will be obtained; now, diamonds from any other place cannot be sold under the name ‘Panna Diamond’. Farmers and laborers will gain economic benefits; demand will increase, prices will strengthen, and laborers and farmers associated with local mines will receive direct economic benefits. Prestige in the international market will increase; Panna’s diamonds will gain a stronger global identity, which will likely boost exports and trade. The local industry will receive encouragement. The mining, cutting-polishing industry, and diamond trade will receive new energy.
A GI Tag is legal proof of a product’s geographical specificity. It certifies that the product originates from a specific region and that its quality, traditional methods, and characteristics are linked to that region.
In this entire process, the district administration received technical cooperation from the Human Welfare Society, Varanasi, affiliated with the Central Ministry of Commerce. Through them, complete support was provided from application preparations to documentation.
The then Collector of the district, Sanjay Mishra, applied for the GI tag in 2023, which was approved on June 7, 2023. After that, a long process of investigation, testing, and objection-resolution was completed.
After the Registrar publishes the application in the journal, if no objections are received, then in the final stage, the applicant is issued the registered certificate of geographical indication. In this same process, Panna’s diamonds succeeded on all parameters. In the public hearing, the diamond officer proved with scientific, historical, and geographical evidence that Panna’s diamonds are original, unique, and structurally distinct.
