Jamshedpur, April 30: Diamonds are said to be a girl?s best friend, but now they seem to be bringing luck for industrialists, too.

According to a Geological Survey of India (GSI) report, the Sankh riverbed in Simdega district is one of the most promising diamond spots in the state.

Geologists working on diamond exploration said: ?A detailed research recently confirmed the traces of garnet, a prime indicator for diamonds on the banks of the Sankh riverbed.?

This is for the first time that a geological survey confirmed reports of diamond indicators. The research has been going on for the past two years.

According to the former director of GSI (Patna), P.K. Sinha, a detailed scientific research on the Sankh river is required as minerals, which are indicators of diamonds have been found.

The thorough groundwork is required for which requisition of additional manpower is the first priority, he said.

Sources said GSI, which is the pioneer in exploring mineral resources in the country, has been contemplating on conducting a detailed investigation for quite sometime but since the identified areas are primarily infested with rebels, their decision might get further delayed.

Previously, there have been unconfirmed reports that diamonds are found in abundance by the villagers across various parts of the state.

Sinha said there are several places than Sankh riverbed, like Gumla and Lohardagga, where diamond deposits have been found. However, the Sankh riverbed is geologically most suitable, he said.

Diamond exploration being one of the most promising sectors in the state, there are many companies who are trying their luck.

?There have been reports of traces of the mineral in Gumla but no direct evidence has been found yet?, Sinha said.

Nitish Priyadarshi, who has been conducting surveys on possibilities of diamonds for the past few years, said the traces of garnet could well lead to ?kimberlite pipes?, which is the host rock for diamond and are located in the secondary deposits of the riverbed.

According to the research carried out by both geologists and various diamond majors, apart from the Sankh riverbed, there have been reports of diamond deposits in Gumla, Lohardagga, Garu in Latehar district and Hazaribagh and also the adjoining areas in Chhattisgarh.

While GSI has identified the Sankh riverbed as the most promising sector, both Jindal and De Beers, which are also looking at diamond exploration, have identified Simedega, Gumla and Lohardagga for diamond deposits.