Surat, Sep 26 (IANS): The city of Surat, known for its diamond trade, witnessed an unusual spectacle as videos of residents scouring the streets in search of the precious gems recently went viral.

This unusual hunt was triggered by a rumour that diamonds worth crores of rupees, purportedly belonging to a businessman, had accidentally spilled on the streets of Varachha, a renowned mini-market known for its diamond trade.

There was little verification of the rumour before the frenzied search ensued.

Officials confirmed that somebody dropped a bag of American diamonds on the street, following which the rumours of real diamonds having spilled on the street started circulating.

The rumour spread like wildfire and soon a significant number of people could be seen combing the streets for the diamonds on September 24 and social media platforms were flooded with such videos.

Some individuals could even be seen picking up small gems from the dusty road and meticulously examining them to ascertain their authenticity. However, subsequent investigations revealed that the gems discovered on the streets were, in fact, American diamonds used in imitation jewellery and saree embellishments.

Furthermore, the claim that diamond merchants had been forced to discard their precious wares due to economic hardships turned out to be fake news, as per the officials.