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

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from Panjshir province in northeastern Afghanistan, where small-scale emerald mining continues to draw strong interest from buyers in Kabul and abroad even as local miners work with little more than basic hand tools. In a provincial government auction hall, roughly cut stones were inspected and sold, with nearly 3,000 carats changing hands in the latest sale, the 23rd held this year.

The report says emerald sales in Afghanistan have reached an estimated 400 million Afghanis, or about $6.12 million, so far this year, reflecting a sharp increase from last year. Local officials and traders say the stones from Panjshir are prized for their quality, and the sector provides vital income in a province with few other sources of employment.

A mining official told Al Jazeera that more than 15,000 people are employed in Panjshir’s mining sector, while the governor said there are proposals to develop an international market and add processing facilities. At present, the article says, there is no standardized center for sorting or refining the minerals before export.

Miners interviewed in the valley described difficult and dangerous working conditions underground, including reliance on shovels, pickaxes, drills and crowbars. The story places this in the wider context of Afghanistan’s effort to expand mineral revenue under Taliban rule, while noting the sector still lacks modern equipment, expertise and broader investment.