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

Afghan miners endure harsh conditions, relying on basic tools to extract precious emeralds in Panjshir’s steep valleys.Panjshir, Afghanistan — At 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 small piles of roughly cut green stones, shining their phone flashlights through them to check their quality.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4The former Afghan soldiers turning to gem mining to survivelist 2 of 4Developing Afghanistan’s mines will uplift Afghanslist 3 of 4The benefits of Afghanistan’s mineral riches may not be so forthcominglist 4 of 4Taliban secures pragmatic global alliances without formal recognitionend of listBidding for the best stones is competitive.“Panjshir emeralds have many buyers around the world because of their very high quality,” gem merchant Ghulam Mustafa Habibi told Al Jazeera. “This is why their price is higher compared with other emeralds around the world.”Mining for gemstones in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley [Mohsin Khan Momand/Al Jazeera]By the end of the auction, nearly 3,000 carats of th...