A total of 7,234 carats of emeralds have been sold to local traders for 6,994,500 Afghanis through a legal auction in Panjshir Province, the provincial governor’s media office said in a statement.
The auction was held in the presence of a delegation from the Mine Protection Committee, the statement said.
More than 1,000 young people are currently involved in the emerald trade in Panjshir, Kabul and foreign markets, according to the statement. It added that the expansion of legal emerald mining and sales has created jobs, supported local market growth and attracted domestic and foreign traders.
The statement also said that 17 types of precious minerals have been identified in Panjshir to date, several of which, including emeralds, are currently being extracted officially and legally.