Panjshir emeralds sold for nearly 33 million afghanis in auction

Local officials in Panjshir have announced that 3,842 carats of emeralds, offered in 22 samples, were sold at a Tuesday auction for nearly 33 million afghanis.

Saifuddin Laton, spokesman for the Panjshir governor, said in a statement that the emeralds were sold to traders from across the country.

According to him, more than 100 young people from Panjshir province took part in the auction, and some of them have only recently entered the emerald trade.

The governor’s spokesman also claimed that holding emerald auctions, in addition to generating revenue, helps introduce the province’s natural resources and expand commercial activity.

The statement also said that Hafiz Mohammad Agha Hakim, the Taliban-appointed governor of Panjshir, has worked to develop mining extraction areas and the tourism industry in the province.

Panjshir is one of Afghanistan’s best-known provinces for emerald mining, and the province’s precious stones have been sold repeatedly through auctions in recent years.