Legalizing Afghanistan's Gemstone Sector
Publisher: USAID
Date: 2009
Topics: Extractive Resources, Governance
Countries: Afghanistan
Afghanistan contains sizable deposits of precious and semi-precious stones, including emeralds, sapphires, tourmaline, and lapis lazuli, and the gem industry has the potential to be a major driver of economic growth. In the remote eastern province of Nuristan, blue and pink tourmaline, kunzite, and aquamarine have been mined for generations. Yet, until recently, mining and selling gemstones was illegal. Legal provisions for trade in gemstones – considered the property of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – did not exist.