Panjshir, Afghanistan — At a crowded hall within the offices of the Panjshir provincial government, a brisk auction is under way as buyers from Kabul and overseas closely examine small piles of roughly cut green stones, using phone flashlights to check their quality.

Bidding for the top-tier stones remains highly competitive. Gem merchant Ghulam Mustafa Habibi noted that Panjshir emeralds attract numerous global buyers because of their exceptional quality, which commands higher prices compared with emeralds from other parts of the world.

By the conclusion of the event, nearly 3,000 carats of precious stones were sold, marking the 23rd such sale of the year. The total value of emeralds sold so far in Afghanistan is estimated at nearly 400 million Afghanis, or about $6.12m, representing a sharp increase from the previous year.

For a nation impacted by years of conflict and international sanctions, the mineral trade serves as a vital economic lifeline in this remote northeastern region. Muhammad Aman Rezaii, a local mining official, stated that more than 15,000 people are currently employed across the valley's small artisanal mining operations.

In the rocky landscape where little else grows and manufacturing factories are scarce, mining is the primary source of employment. Rezaii added that authorities have identified more than 2,000 additional mining sites with potential for future development.

Since assuming power in 2021, the Taliban administration has reported signing agreements with numerous investors, predominantly from China, Russia, and Iran, to extract gemstones and other valuable resources. World Bank data indicates that state revenues grew 22 percent year-on-year in April and May, largely driven by auctions of minerals, oil, and precious stones.

Despite these gains, Afghanistan's gemstone industry continues to face a shortage of international investment and technical expertise. Panjshir Governor Hafiz Muhammad Agha Hakim pointed out that while various proposals have been made to establish an international market and processing center in Kabul, the country still lacks standardized facilities to process and refine minerals prior to export.

Deep inside a dusty mine shaft operating in near-total darkness, a miner named Mahdi uses a crowbar alongside a colleague wielding a hammer, lamenting the absence of modern machinery. He explained that workers must rely entirely on rudimentary instruments such as shovels, pickaxes, and drills.

Rezaii emphasized that supplying miners with proper equipment would not only improve safety and efficiency but also professionalize extraction methods to better benefit the local workforce. Operating in steep valleys, miners frequently face severe hazards, including landslides, avalanches, floods, and falling rocks while working under demanding conditions.