Pakistan’s Treasure Trove By Shanaz Ramzi

  

Pakistan’s Treasure Trove

By Shanaz Ramzi

 

Did you know the word jewel comes from the Arabic word laal? Rubies are the laals of ancient times, and when they appear in big sizes, are the most expensive jewels in the world. 

   

Pakistan has the fifth largest reservoir of gemstones in the world some of which, including rubies, have brought the country into prominence in the minerals and gems industry. Among the other gems that have been mined in the country are peridot, aquamarine, topaz (various colours: violet and pink, golden and champagne), emerald, sapphire, jade, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, spinel and many varieties and types of quartz including amethyst. Lapis lazuli, and some ornamental stones have also been found. 

 

The most important gems of Pakistan though, are emerald from Swat Valley and ruby from Hunza Valley. Also notable are pink topaz from Katlang near Mardan, a city north of Peshawar, and aquamarine from Dassu near Slzardu, the capital of Baltistan Province. 

Sadly, with so much wealth, the gem industry of Pakistan is still in its infancy and contributes less than one per cent to the national product. Although the country exports gemstones worth at least $3.7 billion annually, the potential of Pakistan’s gemstone industry is huge when it comes to adding to the country’s economy. Pakistan has the potential to export 800,000 carat ruby, 87,000 carat emerald and five million carat peridot annually. Why then, is our gem industry in such a grim position? To discover the truth, one must take a look at Pakistan’s mining history.

 

History of gems mining in Pakistan

 

Although relics of the Gandhara and Indus civilisations excavated in what is now Pakistan bear estimony to the importance that the ancient rulers placed on gem stones, post-Partition not much attention had been given to this sector until the late ’70s.

 

In 1958, goatherds found a few green crystals on the slopes of a hill north of Mingora and brought them to their reigning sovereign, Prince Miamgul Jahanzeb. Not recognizing the stones, the prince showed them to some visitors from Bombay, who promptly identified them as emeralds. At once the prince declared the hill forbidden territory and engaged workmen to search the surface for more crystals. It is unlikely that the prince gained much wealth from these amateurish efforts, which continued until Pakistan abolished its feudal system in 1968. For the next several years, mining was placed under the charge of the Industrial Development Corporation of Pakistan. The latter then relinquished this responsibility to the Mineral Development Corporation of Pakistan, which operated the mines though still small in scope, and with little professional guidance - for two more years. In February 1979 the Gemstone Corporation of Pakistan was formed, and immediately began to reorganize mining according to modern principles, with professional engineers and geologists placed on the permanent staff. Its purpose was to effectively explorePakistan’s wealth in minerals and facilitate gemstone mining and business in Pakistan. It had some valuable influence but ultimately was liquidated in 1997 and subsequently abandoned. 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Scenario

 

There are two bodies now working for the welfare and growth of this industry in Pakistan: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (formerly Export Promotion Bureau) and All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association of Rough & Un-Polished Precious & Semi-precious Stones (APCEA). Most of the emerald, ruby and topaz mines are currently owned by the state. A special permit is required to visit them. However, these mines under government lease, yield hardly anything. It is in fact, the mines operated by non-professional residents in mining areas who mine jewels without any permission, support or guidance from the government, adopting hazardous, traditional methods of mining that actually yield gems, whatever the quality may be. The miners usually form groups and initiate diggings and blastings, dividing any costs that may accrue during the mining period among themselves. Dynamites are still being used for extraction of gemstones in the country owing to which a big percentage of  raw products gets damaged. In fact, so pre-historic are their mining methods that even if the miners are at an altitude of 2,000 metres and have to dig deep down to reach the gemstone reserves, they carry the required heavy machinery themselves, or onmules. The resulting product is therefore often compromised in terms of both quality and quantity. The yield is much less owing to limitations in terms of mining and processing skills and technology. In spite of this sorry state of affairs, some types of gemstones found in the country are regarded as the world’s best owing to their unique features and excellent quality.

 

 

Market for gems

 

Pakistan shares a long and porous border (2430 km) with Afghanistan. This has effectively resulted in a full influx of all types of Afghan minerals into Pakistan, from which they are traded. Aside from Afghanistan, Pakistan is a market for gems from Central Asia as well as from Africa. Many common gems are not found but sold in Pakistan.
   

Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar serves as the first, direct, and only market for all minerals since 1979. Before that, Pakistan’s only port city of Karachi held the market of gem minerals in Pakistan. Following Peshawar’s rise in prominence, Karachi’s significance and role in gem minerals was reduced to that of little significance.

 

Since 1994, the four-day annual Pakistan Gems and Mineral Show has been held in Peshawar with the joint collaboration of TDAP and APCEA, every October. However, the exhibition still has a long way to go before it can attract any potential buyers from abroad. Its few stalls on display do not fulfill any of the requisite needs of experienced buyers from abroad, especially the USA and Europe.

 

Some interesting facts about Pakistani gems 

 

Pakistan's most sought after and expensive gems are emeralds from the Mingora mines where deposits lie in an emerald-bearing belt of rocks bordering the Swat Valley. The small sized gems are the best in colour and lustre in the world and combine best with the larger sizes of gems from the Panjsher Valley in Afghanistan. The best quality gems weighing 10 carats and above could be bought for as much as Rs 10 lacs per carat. Pink topaz from Katlang and aquamarine from Baltistan and Shigar are also in great demand abroad.

Rubies and blue sapphires, the hardest gems after diamonds are even more expensive in large sizes as best quality rubies are rare in big sizes. 

 

Among Pakistan’s expensive semi-precious gems are rubellite (deep pink and red tourmalines), pink topaz and strong blue aquamarine. These can cost up to 5-10 thousand per carat for the best quality gems.

 

Coral is actually a plant that is found in reefs along Pakistan's coastline. It comes in many colours, red being the most expensive, as well as pink, orange, black, and white. It is a soft gem.

Pigeon blood sapphire is found only rarely in Pakistan but are more common from Afghanistan.

 

Good quality quartz varieties of amethyst (purple quartz) and citrine (yellow/orange quartz) are available everywhere in the north and also in Balochistan.

 

Lesser gems are also found in Pakistan like spessartine, a jadeite but not a jade, and fluorite, a soft clear gem that comes in deep and light blue hues, as well as in purple and green sometimes resembling emerald green. These are inexpensive. The cheaper gems are available from Rs100 to Rs 2000 per carat. 

 

Major Gemstone Mining Areas in Pakistan

KP

Swat (Malakand division) – Emerald, various types of quartz, and epidote
Dir (Malakand division) – Corundum and quartz
Mansehra (Hazara division) – Corundum and smoky quartz
Kohistan (Hazara division) – Peridot
Peshawar district (Frontier province) – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fiber inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite

Chilas (Diamer district) – Alluvial diopside, zircon, rutile quartz, aquamarine, and tourmaline
Gilgit, Hunza, Aquamarine, topaz (golden and white), emerald (new find), ruby, pollucite,  peridot, rutile quartz, morganite, apatite, spinel, and pargasite
Baltistan, Skardu, Shigar, Shengus, Stak Nala and Tormiq Nala Aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, apatite, sphene, morganite, and quartz
Shigar Baltistan district – Apatite, zoisite, rutile quartz, epidote, and morganite
Childee, Kashmal, and Yuno (Shigar area, near Skardu, Baltistan district) –Aquamarine, emerald-colour tourmaline, apatite, morganite, topaz, and quartz
Hyderabad, Testun, Dassu, Net Tahirabad, and Goyungo (Shigar area, Baltistan district) – Topaz (best golden colour here), aquamarine, tourmaline, morganite, rare earth minerals, apatite, quartz, and new find emerald
Appu Aligund, Fuljo, Braldu, Bashu, and Karma (Baltistan district) – Tourmaline, aquamarine, garnets, diopside, ruby, pargasite, emerald, topaz, amethyst, scheelite, and quartz
Khaplu, Saltoro near Siachan Glacier area (Ganche area, Baltistan district) – Aquamarine, amethyst, and fine golden rutile quartz


Northern Areas of Pakistan 

Mohmand Agency – Emerald, clinozoisite, sphene, and epidote
Bajaur Agency – Emerald, garnet, and orange-colour scapolite
Khyber Agency – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fibers inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite
North and South Waziristan Agencies – Faden quartz, diamond quartz, phantom quartz, chlorite-included quartz, and window quartz


Balochistan Province

Kharan district – Brookite, anatase, and quartz

Chaman (near Quetta) – Diamond quartz, window quartz, quartz on prehnite-base, and faden quartz included by chlorite

 

Moving Forward

Pakistan has the potential to become a great hub of the gemstone industry, on a scale comparable to that of Brazil, provided it takes a few essential, locally effective steps that could enhance the exploration of resources and growth of business. 

 

The very first step should be government support for its own people as well as foreigners working in this industry. It must also conduct surveys of the quality of gems available in the country by reputable/foreign-based institutes to attract foreign investors in this sector. 

 

The establishment by Pakistan of Gems and Gemmological Institute in Peshawar in 2001, is an investment that will hopefully bear fruit. Already, in recent years some progress has been made, with the geology of the country now known and mapped in great detail. Also, while predominantly, the hardware used for mining consisted of sledge hammers and metal crowbars, pneumatic drills operated via portable air compressors have now replaced them.

 

Gems are the most condensed form of wealth. They never lose their value like gold. Small fluctuations occur but prices always rise and so are a good and safe investment. International banks even accept jewels as collateral for loans extended. So, if both our private and public sector invest into it wisely, this could become a major cash cow and the boost our country needs, as well as great investment for us as individuals!