2,034 carats of Panjsher emeralds fetch $131,300

PARAKH (Pajhwok): The Mines and Petroleum Department in central Panjsher province has sold 2,034 carats of emerald for $131,300, an official said on Tuesday.

Mohammad Qasim Amir, director of the department, said more than 80 traders from Panjsher, Kabul, Kapisa, Balkh, Parwan, Logar, Kandahar and Nangarhar took part in the auction.

He said the emeralds sold had been extracted from sites in Hisa-i-Awal district. Emerald mining in the province resumed in August after two years of suspension.

The number of emerald deposits Panjsher exceeds 1,700, out of which extraction work is underway at 550 sites.

hz/ma