Afghanistan’s emerald miners struggle with tools but attract global buyers

What happened at the Panjshir emerald auction, and why were buyers competing for the stones?

Nearly 3,000 carats of roughly cut Panjshir emeralds were sold at a packed provincial government auction. It was the 23rd sale held in Afghanistan that year. Buyers from Kabul and overseas examined the stones closely before bidding.

They shone phone flashlights through the stones to judge their quality. Competition was strongest for the best pieces. Gem merchant Ghulam Mustafa Habibi said Panjshir emeralds have many buyers worldwide because of their very high quality. This strong demand helps explain their higher prices compared with emeralds from elsewhere.

The auction shows how a remote mining industry connects to international markets. It also generates income in a country facing poverty, years of war and sanctions. However, the stones were sold roughly cut, and Afghanistan still lacks a standardised processing centre. More local processing could change how much value remains in the country.

What is an emerald, and what qualities make one valuable?

An emerald is a green variety of the mineral beryl. Its value usually depends on the strength and evenness of its green color, clarity, transparency, size and overall quality. A well-cut stone can also be more useful as jewelry. These general gemstone facts go beyond the article, which focuses on the market for Panjshir stones.

At the auction, buyers examined small piles of roughly cut green stones. They shone phone flashlights through them to check their quality before bidding. That inspection helps buyers decide which stones are likely to be most desirable after cutting and polishing. The article does not list a formal grading system.

Panjshir emeralds attract international buyers because merchants describe them as very high quality. This reputation supports higher prices than those of other emeralds. Their final value can still vary from stone to stone, depending on characteristics that buyers can see and assess during the auction.

How large is Afghanistan’s emerald trade in terms of stones sold, revenue, and people employed?

The article gives three measures of Afghanistan’s emerald trade. One auction sold nearly 3,000 carats of stones. It was the 23rd sale of its kind that year. The value of emeralds sold in Afghanistan to that point was estimated at nearly 400m Afghanis, or $6.12m.

That revenue represents a sharp rise from the previous year. The article does not provide last year’s exact amount, so the size of the increase cannot be calculated from the available figures. The auctions are held as buyers from Kabul and overseas compete for roughly cut Panjshir stones.

The trade also supports local livelihoods. Mining official Muhammad Aman Rezaii says more than 15,000 people currently work in Panjshir’s mining sector. The wider sector includes many small artisanal operations. Officials have identified more than 2,000 additional mining sites that could potentially be developed.

Why do Panjshir miners depend on emerald mining even though the work is dangerous and poorly equipped?

Mining is central to life in Panjshir because the valley offers few other ways to earn money. Mining official Muhammad Aman Rezaii says there are hardly any companies or manufacturing factories in the area. The barren, rocky landscape yields little, so emeralds provide an important livelihood for local families.

Miners work for hours underground on steep hillsides. Mahdi describes using shovels, pickaxes, drills and other basic tools instead of advanced equipment. The work takes place in near-total darkness. These small artisanal operations extract stones that later enter auctions attended by buyers from Kabul and overseas.

The risks are severe, but the sector supports more than 15,000 people. The area is vulnerable to landslides, avalanches, flooding and falling rocks. Officials have identified more than 2,000 possible mining sites, suggesting continued dependence on mining while other employment remains limited. Safer equipment could reduce the danger and ease the work.

How do international buyers, Afghan officials, and foreign investors influence who benefits from Afghanistan’s mineral resources?

Different actors shape how Afghanistan’s mineral wealth produces benefits. International buyers create demand by competing for Panjshir emeralds. Afghan officials oversee mining operations and auctions. Foreign investors may provide money and development capacity through mining agreements. Together, these actors connect remote deposits with wider markets.

At the auction, buyers from Kabul and overseas inspected rough stones and bid for the best ones. Officials said more than 15,000 people are employed in Panjshir mining. Since 2021, the Taliban say they have signed deals with mainly Chinese, Russian and Iranian investors to mine gemstones and other minerals.

The distribution of benefits remains linked to local capacity. Afghanistan lacks international investment and expertise, plus a standardised processing centre. The governor proposed bringing in processing machinery so minerals could be processed and standardised before export. That could help retain more value locally, but the article does not state how revenues are divided among miners, officials, investors and buyers.

What could happen to miners’ safety, emerald prices, and Afghanistan’s economy if modern equipment and local processing facilities were introduced?

Modern equipment could address two major weaknesses in Panjshir’s mining sector. It could reduce the physical danger of digging and help miners extract minerals more professionally. A local processing facility could also cut, sort or standardise stones before they leave Afghanistan. These changes matter because the country currently sells roughly cut stones and lacks proper processing infrastructure.

Miners now use shovels, pickaxes, drills and similar basic tools underground. Officials say better equipment would make work easier and safer. The governor also proposed machinery for processing and standardising minerals. That could give buyers more consistent information about quality and improve the stones’ readiness for international markets.

The possible economic effect is significant because emerald sales have already reached nearly 400m Afghanis. Local processing could retain more value inside Afghanistan, support skilled work and strengthen state revenue. Better extraction might also increase supply. However, the article does not establish that prices or incomes would definitely rise. The outcome would depend on investment, management and how benefits are shared.

How does a gemstone move from an underground deposit to a finished, internationally traded jewel?

A gemstone’s journey generally begins when miners locate and extract a deposit underground. The rough stones are then separated from waste, examined for quality and sold. Cutting and polishing reveal the stone’s color and shape. Grading, trading and jewelry production follow. These steps describe the usual path and add context beyond the article.

Panjshir miners currently use shovels, pickaxes, drills and crowbars in steep, dangerous mines. Rough green stones then reach auctions, where buyers inspect them with phone flashlights and bid for the best pieces. The article describes the stones as roughly cut, showing that much processing has not yet happened locally.

Afghanistan does not currently have a standardised centre or proper processing facility for these minerals. The provincial governor proposed bringing in machinery so stones could be processed and standardised before export. That could connect extraction more directly to international jewelry markets and keep more processing work in Afghanistan, but the article does not describe a completed facility.

Key Facts:

📌 Nearly 3,000 carats were sold at the auction.

📌 The sale was Afghanistan’s 23rd emerald auction that year.

📌 Buyers competed because Panjshir emeralds are considered very high quality.

📌 Emeralds are green gemstones, according to established mineral knowledge.

📌 Buyers used phone flashlights to examine the rough stones.

📌 Panjshir emeralds are described as very high quality.

📌 Nearly 3,000 carats were sold in one auction.