{"id":7601,"date":"2026-10-09T06:56:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T06:56:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7601"},"modified":"2026-10-09T06:56:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T06:56:52","slug":"afghanistans-emerald-miners-struggle-with-tools-but-attract-global-buyers-mining-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=7601","title":{"rendered":"Afghanistan\u2019s emerald miners struggle with tools but attract global buyers | Mining News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Afghan miners endure harsh conditions, relying on basic tools to extract precious emeralds in Panjshir\u2019s steep valleys.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Panjshir, Afghanistan \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>At a packed hall in the offices of the Panjshir provincial government, an auction is under way and the bidding is brisk.<\/p>\n

The buyers, many from Kabul and some from overseas, have already closely examined the small piles of roughly cut green stones, shining their phone flashlights through them to check their quality.<\/p>\n

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Bidding for the best stones is competitive.<\/p>\n

\u201cPanjshir emeralds have many buyers around the world because of their very high quality,\u201d gem merchant Ghulam Mustafa Habibi told Al Jazeera. \u201cThis is why their price is higher compared with other emeralds around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Afghanistan's
Mining for gemstones in Afghanistan\u2019s Panjshir valley [Mohsin Khan Momand\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the end of the auction, nearly 3,000 carats of the precious stones were sold \u2013 the 23rd sale of its kind so far this year. The value of emeralds sold to date in Afghanistan is estimated to be nearly 400m Afghanis ($6.12m), a steep rise compared with last year.<\/p>\n

For a country impoverished by years of war and burdened by international sanctions, the trade in precious minerals is a valuable resource, especially in the remote corner of northeastern Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThankfully, more than 15,000 people are currently employed in Panjshir\u2019s mining sector,\u201d says Muhammad Aman Rezaii, a mining official responsible for overseeing the operation of many small artisanal mining operations dotting the Panjshir valley.<\/p>\n

On the valley\u2019s steep hillsides, miners toil for hours underground to make a living. In the otherwise barren and rocky landscape, which yields little, the precious stones are a lifeline.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are hardly any companies or manufacturing factories here. The main source of employment is the mining sector,\u201d said Rezaii, adding that they have identified more than 2,000 other mining sites which could be developed.<\/p>\n

\"Afghanistan's
Afghan workers and Taliban officials near a mine [Mohsin Khan Momand\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban say they have signed deals with dozens of investors, mainly Chinese, Russian and Iranian, to mine gemstones and other valuable minerals.<\/p>\n

According to the World Bank, state revenues rose 22 percent year-on-year in April and May, boosted by the auction of mines and other resources such as oil and precious minerals.<\/p>\n

But Afghanistan\u2019s gemstone mining sector is still lacking in international investment and expertise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been various proposals to establish an international market for Afghanistan\u2019s precious minerals, particularly in Kabul,\u201d Hafiz Muhammad Agha Hakim, the Governor of Panjshir province, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cProcessing machinery could be brought in so that these minerals can be processed and standardised here before being exported to markets around the world. At the moment, there is no standardised centre or proper processing facility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Afghanistan's
The steep valleys of Afghanistan\u2019s Panjshir valley [Mohsin Khan Momand\/Al Jazeera]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back in the dusty confines of his mine, working in near-total darkness, miner Mahdi wields a crowbar while his friend beside him hits the surface with a hammer. He bemoans their lack of modern equipment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many challenges because we don\u2019t have advanced equipment,\u201d he says, taking a break from the digging. \u201cWe work only with basic tools such as shovels, pickaxes, drills and similar equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rezaii said the miners need proper equipment that can make their work easier and safer, while also allowing the minerals to be extracted in a more professional manner. This would benefit the people of Afghanistan and particularly the miners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe area is vulnerable to landslides, avalanches, flooding and falling rocks. People here are working under extremely difficult and demanding conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Afghan miners endure harsh conditions, relying on basic tools to extract precious emeralds in Panjshir\u2019s steep valleys. Panjshir, Afghanistan \u2014\u00a0At a packed hall in the offices of the Panjshir provincial government, an auction is under way and the bidding is brisk. The buyers, many from Kabul and some from overseas, have already closely examined the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t