Meet the miner who becomes an overnight millionaire after digging up huge gemstones

The two stones weighed 9.2kg and 5.8kg, making them the largest ever found in Tanzania.

A small-scale Tanzanian miner became an overnight millionaire after he dug up two largest-ever ultra-rare gemstones, Tanzanite, worth £2.4 million.

Saniniu Laizer, 52, discovered two dark-violet-blue gemstones and sold them to the government for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings (£2.4million) during a trading event in the northern region of Manyara.

According to a report in BBC, the two stones weighed 9.2kg and 5.8kg, making them the largest ever found in Tanzania, the country's mining ministry said in a statement. While the previous record was a 3.38-kg gemstone.

Laizer, who has four wives and 30 children, said, "There will be a big party. I want to build a shopping mall and a school. I want to build this school near my home." He added, "There are many poor people around here who can't afford to take their children to school."

Tanzanite is one of the rarest gemstones on Earth and is only found in northern Tanzania. Used to make ornaments, the precious stone has a variety of hues, including green, red, purple and blue.