hanistan

Gary W. Bowersox Bonita E. Chamberlin, Ph. D.

Gemstones of Afghanistan

Copyright 1995 by Gary W. Bowersox and Bonita E. Chamberlin Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 95-075921 ISBN 0-945005-19-9

No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photograph­ic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public or private use, without written permission from the publisher.

First published by Geoscience Press in 1995 .

Bowersox, Gary W. Gemstones of Afghanistan / Gary W. Bowersox, Bonita E. Chamberlin.

p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-945005-19-9 .

1. Precious stones--Afghanistan. Title.

QE392.5.A4B69 1995

Published by Geoscience Press, Inc. P.O. Box 42948 Tucson, AZ 85733-2948 602/326-9595

Printed in Hong Kong Book design by Karen Groves Cover photographs by Robert Weldon

I. Chamberlin, Bonita E. II.

553 .8'09581 QBI95-20052

34 GEMSTONES OF AFGHANISTAN

to expand the development of the Polytechnic Institute, a part of Kabul

University. Plans were made for 1,500 additional students to study

geology, the exp loration of mineral deposits, the exploitation of the

deposits, oil and copper and gas fields, and gas-working technology

(Nyrop and Seekins 1986) .

The resource inventory published in 1977 by the United Nations

Development Program presented a tremendously positive assessment

for future development. The concentration of rare metals and peg­

matites, in particular lithium and beryllium, corresponds to the occur­

rences of kunzite and aquamarine, respectively. Although gem beryl

was found during an archaeological excavation of an ancient Greek city

in northwestern Badakhshan, organized mining of beryl, tourmaline,

and kunzite in Afghanistan dates only from the early 1970s. Notwith­

standing, all mining remains small scale at this time, even bordering on

the primitive.

Due to the volati li ty of the current political situation, gem mining

areas are virtually inaccessible to foreign gem buyers. Once mined, the

gem rough (uncut crystals) makes its way across the border into Pak­

istan, primarily into the tribal territory of Bajaur or the capita l of the

North West Frontier Province-Peshawar, Pakistan-where most of the

trade is conducted .

Since the expulsion of the Soviets in 1989, the authors have

increased their work in assisting the Afghans to develop their natural

resources, concentrating on gemstones. However, Afghans have a reluc­

tance to do what has not been done before-a factor contributing to

backwardness, and at the very least, stagnation. With the interference of

the Mullahs, Afghans cling tenaciously to strict puritanical tenets and

moral codes, their minds set in archaic and traditional beliefs. Islam is

the state, the moral, the civic code; it is all that matters, ever imbued

with an awareness of God's will and word. This reflects on the Afghan

character and social system : tribal, authoritarian, patrilineal, and patri­

archal , and the clinging to traditions that defie Western understanding.

TOURMALINE (BEROUCHE), AQUAMARINE (NEElAM), AND KUNZITE (KUNZITE), DEPOSITS OF NURiSfAN 157

Afghan law prohibited the exploitation by anyone other

than an employee from the Ministry of Mines. Now the

mines are in control of the locals.

Thankfully tourmalines are close to the surface, as

using only primitive hand tools and mining methods,

they would be almost impossible to extract from the peg­

matites. On the whole, tourmaline is encountered

between 11-20 meters (36-65 feet) below the surface.

Dynamite is used in some cases, but not with the frequen­

cy of emerald exploitation.

Opaque black tourmaline schor! (the opaqueness is

due to the richness of iron) is found throughout Nuristan.

The principal vein of spodumene is 40 meters (l30

feet) thick and runs for 1,2 00 meters (3,900 feet, or

1,300 yards; Rossovsky 1974). The reserves ofspo­

dumene and beryl are relatively important, both as a

gemstone and also for the mineral poten tial (lithium

and beryllium, respectively). Production of spodumene

consists of isolated free crystals that are extracted from

pockets of altered pegmatite.

Small quantities of aquamarine are currently being mined in Pech,

the area of Cur Salal in the Konar province of Afghanistan. This area bor­

ders Pakistan, with the top of the mountain actually being the border.

Active mining only began in the mid-1980s and is continuing to develop

as more mines are discovered. Access to this region is difficult and the

mines are dosed by heavy snows for seven to eight months of the year.

Aquamarine, as with other belyls, is not sufficiently dense to con­

centrate in pacers, and thus it is mined from its primary source. The

rough material occurs in pegmatites as well-formed crystals up to 2

centimeters thick and 7.5 centimeters long (1 and 3 inches). In 1990

the authors purchased an aquamarine Clystal of unusual size (17 kilo­

grams or 38 pounds). Although translucent only in areas, it was of good

color, with patterns of mica throughout. The aquamarine is a good nat­

ural sky blue without the traces of green of the Brazilian aquamarine,

but comparable to the finds from Zamb ia.

The mined crystals of tourmaline, spodumene, and aquamarine are

backpacked by miners over rough mountainous terrain dotted with

land mines to reach Pakistan.

72. 424.29 CARATS OF MULTICOL-

ORED TOURMALINE CRYSTALS FROM

NURISTAN. FOR CUTTING RESULTS,

SEE PHOTO 73.

164 GEMSTONES OF AFGHANISTAN

or tabular crystals . In well-formed crystals, facets of the pinacoid and

prism are developed, and less frequently the dipyramid. They are semi­

translucent and translucent in very bright orange, cream, or pink. Usually

the morganites are pink to brownish-pink and reach 6 centimeters (2.3

inches) in diameter. Morganite contains cesium and is highly prized as a

precious stone, although it is less common than kunzite and tourmaline.

SPODUMENE (TRIPHANE) According to Elaine Baker, G.G. , F.G.A., a contributor to Lapidary

Journal, a large yellow triphane, a spodumene, which differs from the

lilac-pink kunzite only in color, was found in Afghanistan. It fluoresces

an intense orange. A 1, l20-carat oval cut from the uystal by Mike Gray is

now on permanent exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum.

QUARTZ Quartz is also found throughout Nuristan. Some chambered rare

metal pegmatites contain topaz. The production has been very limited to

date, with no significant deposits located.

EMERALD Other minerals observed in Nuristan are velY typical of pegmatites.

Kazmi and Snee, among others, have noted that emeralds of pegmatite

origin are found at Badel in the Konar district of Nangarhar province

(34 °50"20'N, 70 0 56"30'E). However, the authors have never seen direct

evidence of any production from these occurrences.

BERYLLIUM, LITHIUM, AND TALC The nonferrous metal deposits include beryllium and lithium. The

beryl at Dara Nur in the Konar valley, about 65 kilometers (40 miles)

northeast of Ialalabad, is supposedly not of export quality. Other non­

metallic minerals of industrial significance include talc, from the slopes

of the Safid Kuh in the Nangarhar province.

IRON If Afghanistan can develop an iron and steel industry, it would gradu­

ally provide a domestic market for the 180,000 metric tons of chromite

from the Logar valley, which has so far proved uneconomical to export

(Wilber 1962).

M I NE RAL DEPOS ITS AND ECONOM I C D EVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

Chromite is found in the Khost area. The Soviets were also involved

in ch rome extraction in the southeastern part of Afghanistan . Two main

d epos its we re id en tified a t Hesarak in Na ngarh ar p rovince and at

Mohammed Agha in Logar p rovince.

NickeL in small quantiti es, acco mpani es th e go ld-bearing lodes of

Ka ndahar.

Also in Group II , there are ove r 813 n o n fe rro us (b ase ) meta l

deposits, including copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, t in, mercury, molybde­

num, b ismuth, alum inum, magnesium, t itanium, and cadmium . The

copper reserves are thought to contain 280 mill ion tons of 0.7- 1.5 per­

cent copper ore. Copper in Aynak, 50 kil ometers (31 miles) southeast of

Kabul, was developed with Soviet and Czechoslovak aid, as the ore was

of a grade superior to Soviet o re. Copper is also abundant and of good

quali ty 8 kilo meters (5 miles) south of Kabul at Khaneh Ko nar and 38

ki lo meters (24 miles) southwest of Kabul. Copper o res were fo rmerly

worked in the Shah Maksud range, and ri ch ores are also reported to occur

at Nesh, 97 kilo meters (60 m iles ) north of Ka ndahar. The Kund alon

and Sa ida copper deposits are loca ted in the Mukur and Herat districts,

respective ly. Mi nerals co nta ining copper are still m ore plenti ful in

no rth ern Afgh anistan, especia lly in the region aro und Tezin , eas t of

Kabul. At Musye in the Shadka ni Pass, on the right ban k of th e Sagur

rive r, copper ores crop out at the surface . Copper pyrite occurs in th e

Sil awat Pass and at fu rther points to the northeast along the strike of

the same band of metamorph osed rocks. So me of these sites have been

worked .

Lead o res are fo und in a large numb er of p laces, one of the best

known being an o ld, elabora te mine at Farinj al in the Chorband va l­

ley. The o re is fo und in an altered calcareous rock and has yielded on

assay 58 percent lead and 2 ounces of silver to the ton . At present, Haz­

arajat is the main source of the supply; other mines are located in Tai­

wara, in the Chora t, and Lo lini, in the Chorband va ll ey.

Tin and tun gsten are in the Arghandab region; mercury occurs in

the Farah-Caghcaran region .

So m e of th e minera ls are strategic, o th ers a re merely useful in

deve lopment o r in the balance of payments. Mos t interes ting is the

po tenti al supply of rare m etals and earths an d radioactive elements

(Groups III and IV, including beryllium, lithium, cesium, rubidium,

antimony, tantalum, and ni o bium) , rad ioactive elem ents, and the

173

MINERAL DEPOSITS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL

most strategic, rare earths (uranium, radium, and thorium). Most of

these resources are found in the Nuristan region of eastern Afghanistan.

Uranium production began in the mountains of Khawaja Rawash

north of Kabul after the discovery of deposits in 1983. Uranium is also

mined at Koh Mir Daoud between Herat and Shindand and in the

Khakriz area of Kandahar province. The uranium projects were restricted

to Soviet personnel in order to maintain secrecy and security. All pro­

duction was sent to the Soviet Union and reserves are unknown .

Antimony in two or three forms is found in abundance on the Toba

plateau and has been reported from other localities, including the Shah

Maksud range, within 48 kilometers (30 miles) of Kandahar, worked by

the late Amir Habibullah.

Precious metal deposits of Group V include lode and placer gold,

silver, and platinum. Gold occurs 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of Kan­

dahar at the zone of contact between hippuritic (Cretaceous) limestones

and the intrusive trap. The lack of machinery at present hinders produc­

tion. It is also obtained in small quantities from the north side of the

Hindu Kush, in the hills north of Maruf and at Istalif. Alluvial gold is

obtainable in many of the main rivers, the streams draining the Koh-i­

Baba, and the streams in Kohistan and above Laghman and Konar. Plac­

er gold occurs on the Kokcha and Amu Darya rivers in Badakhshan. The

authors feel that gold can be a major source of revenue at this time as it

does not require the development of an infrastructure or industry.

Silver mines that once existed at the head of the Panjshir valley were

formerly famous, but are not now worked. Silver deposits were also

once worked near Herat and are said to occur at Hazarajat.

Nonmetallic minerals (Group VI) are used in the form in which

they are mined and require relatively little processing. They are low in

price and abundant, and are usually used for local consumption. The list

includes chemical raw minerals, as sulfur, fluorite, barite, celestite, and

borosilicate; mineral fertilizers (phosphate rock, potash, nitrates); and

80 other known deposits of other nonmetallic minerals, including: mus­

covite, asbestos, talc, magnesite, graphite, and gypsum.

Barite reserves in the Sangilayan mine 65 kilometers (40 miles)

northwest of Herat are thought to exceed 1 million tons.

Mica deposits are located in the Sorobi and Maidan districts.

Asbestos, a fibrous hydrate of magnesia and nemalite, is found in

quantity, especially in the Khost area.

175

1 74 GEMSTONES OF AFGHANISTAN

TABLE 8.3

MINERAL REsOURCES: NUMBER OF KNOWN DEPOSITS

Group I

Group II

Group III

Group IV

Group V

Group VI

Group VII

Group VIII

Group XI

Group X

58 Solid Combustible Minerals: coal, lignite, peat, combustible shales

898 Metallic Minerals

1. 85 ferrous metals, including iron, manganese, chromium

2. 813 nonferrous metals: copper, lead and zinc, aluminum, molybde-

num, tungsten, tin, bismuth, mercury, cadmium

91 tungsten mechanical mineralogical haloes

100 tin mechanical mineralogical haloes

110 mercury mechanical mineralogical haloes

114 Rare Metals: beryllium, lithium, cesium and rubidium, tantalum and niobium

4 Radioactive Elements and Rare Earths: uranium, thorium and rare earths

105 Precious Metals: lode gold, placer gold, silver

118 Nonmetallic Minerals

14 Salt

l. 36 chemical raw minerals: sulfur, fluorite, barite, celestite, borosilicate

2. 2 mineral fertilizers: apatite, phosphorite

3 . 80 other nonmetallic minerals: muscovite, asbestos, talc, magnesite,

graphite, gypsum

20 Gemstones: ruby, emerald, kunzite, garnet, lazurite, serpentine, tourmaline

23 Electronic and Optical Minerals: quartz, calcite

69 Industrial Minerals

1. 40 building materials: limestone, dolomite, marl, facing and

ornamental stone, sand and gravel

2. 8 cement raw materials: limestone and marl

3. 4 limestone and dolomite fluxes

4. 3 refractory clays

5. 7 clays for brick, roof tile, etc.

6. 4 porcelain and pottery clays

7. 1 glass raw material: siliceous sand

8. 2 siliceous sandstone: dinas brick and flux

SOURCE: SHAREQ, A., V. M. CHMYRIOV, STAZHILO-ALEKSEEv, V. I. DORONOV, P. J. GANNON, B. K. LUBE­

MOV, A. KH. KAFARSKlY, E. P. MALYAROV, AND L. N. RossovsKY. 1977. MINERAL R ESOURCES OF

AFGHANISTAN. ED. 2, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AFG/74/012, 419pp.

168

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FIGURE 8.1 MINERAL RESOURCES OF AFGHANISTAN 1:6:000000. AREAs AND PLACES OF MINERAL RESOURCES ESTABLISHED BY

DRILLING REFERENCE: ATLAS OF AFGHANISTAN, 1976 SOURCE FROM: PRZEDSIEBIORTWO, EKSPORTU G EODEZ/I I KARTOGRAFll

GEOKART, ED. 1984, N ATIONAL ATLAS OF THE D EMocratic Republic of Afghanistan.

Ii? Coal £ Beryllium * Graphite X Crude Oil • Gold • Lazurite

+ Natural Gas 0 Rock Salt -:- Gemstones 0 Iron Ore • Sulphur '* Limestones, Dolomites,

* Chromium 0 Fluorite Marbles

• Copper .:. Barite if; Clays T Zinc and Lead ffi Mica • Sands/Gravels t Bauxite W' Asbestos 0 Lithium • Talc

APPENDIX B: COORDINATES OF GEM AND MINERAL DEPOSITS 199

MINERAL FIELD (F) PROVINCE COORDINATES OCCURRENCES(O) DEPOSIT (D) SHOWINGS (S)

Marl (fluxes) (continued) Hajigak Bamiyan 34 ° 40'20"N; 68 °04'00"E

Lithium Talbuzanak Field (F) Badakhshan 37°12'06"N; 70 0 33'36"E Kokcha Field (F) Badakhshan 36 °36'35"N; 70 0 53'15"E Eshkashim Field (F) Badakhshan 36 °27'19"N; 71°36'23"E Pachighram Field (F) Nangarhar 35 °31 '40" to 35°52'00"N

71 °00'00" to 71 ° 18'00"E Parun Field (F) Nangarhar 34 °54'34" to 35 °40'18"N

70 °52' 15" to 71 ° 14'40"E Kantiwa Field (F) Nangarhar 35 °26' 10"N; 70 0 46'20"E Marid Field (F) Nangarhar 35 °06'40" to 35°21'40"N

71 °13'50" to 71 °26'40"E Alinghar Field (F) Laghman 34 °52'41 " to 35 °01 '05 "N

70 ° 16'48" to 70 ° 27'51 "E Darra-i-Pech Field (F) Nangarhar 34 ° 52'30" to 34 ° 59'00"N

70°42'1 0' to 75 °45'40"E Shamakat Field (F) Laghman 34 °40'10" to 34 °44'00"N

70 °00'20" to 70 0 02' 15 "E Shahidan Field (F) Laghman 34 °29'00" to 34 °34'00"N

69 °49 '00" to 69 ° 59'30"E Taghawlor Field (F) Oruzghan 33 °42'30" to 33 °47'00"N

66 ° 19'30" to 66 ° 29'00"E Pasghushta (D) Nangarhar 35°23'34"N; 71 °00'56"E )amanak (D) Nangarhar 35°23'12"N; 70 0 59'06"E Yaryhgul (D) Nangarhar 35 °22'40"N; 70 0 50'5 1"E Lower Pasghushta (D) Nangarhar 35 °22 '53"N; 71 °03'06"E Drumgal (D) Nangarhar 35 °19'08"N; 71°01'21"E Paskhi (D) Nangarhar 35° 17'30"N; 70 ° 57'30"E Tsamgal (D) Nangarhar 35 ° 17'45"N; 71 °02'31"E Dara-i-Pech (D) Nangarhar 34 ° 55'02" to 34 °55'53 "N;

70 °44'12" to 70 0 44'53"E Shamakat (D) Laghman 34 °40' 10" to 34 °44'00"N;

70°00'20" to 70"02'15"E Taghaqlor (D) Oruzghan 33°45'00"N; 66 °25'30"E Talbuzanak (0) Badakhshan 37 ° 13'35"N; 70 0 33'21"E - (0) Badakhshan 36 °40'N; 71 °40'E Futur (0) Badakhshan 36 °38'N; 71 °39'E Nawshah (0) Badakhshan 36 °38'N; 71 °45'E Dehghal (0) Badakhshan 36 °22'N; 71 °27"E Pachighrarn (0) Nangarhar 35 °45 '54"N; 71 ° ll '07"E Tsanigal (0) Nangarhar 35 °43'02"N; 71°07"00"E Degha (0) Nangarhar 35 °38'33"N; 71 °03"30"E Pakawalpet (0) Nangarhar 35 °33'44"N; 71 °07"24"E Alma (0) Nangarhar 35 °30'08"N; 71 °10'52"E Wozgal (0) Nangarhar 35°29'10"N; 70 0 59'10"E Prangal (0) Nangarhar 35 °23'34"N; 71 °04'50"E lnshakhar (0) Nangarhar 35 ° 13'56"N; 70 0 59'18"E Boni (0) Nangarhar 35 ° 10'54"N; 70 0 49'39"E Marid (0) Nangarhar 35 °08'00"N; 71 ° 17'58"E Aranch (0) Nangarhar 35 °09 '36"N; 70 °58'31 "E Kalatan (0) Laghman 35 °00'26"N; 70 0 26'40"E Nanghalam (0) Nangarhar 34 °59'27"N; 70 0 53'22"E Kalagush (0) Laghman 35 °58'08"N; 70 0 23'I7"E Awragal (0) Nangarhar 34 ° 56'10" to 34 ° 57'00"N;

70 °42'30" to 70 0 44'10"E Shahidan (0) Laghman 34 °29'54"N; 69 °56'04"E -S o ruzgh an 33 °43 '29"N; 66 °29'45"E

Magnesite (unknown) Ghazni 33 °38'N; 67 °06'E Achin (D) Nangarhar 34 °03"N; 70 0 43'E Marnadugha (0) Loghar 34 ° 19'30"N; 69°07'30"E

Malachite Baghawak Oruzghan