Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and information

[fredri13]

Hello,

Currently working in Kabul, Afghanistan and have the limited ability to get out and about and see some of the local offerings for gemstones here.

Been here for approximately a year and a half and have purchased various semiprecious stones for my family members and my fiancee as well. But, lately I have taken interest in gemstones here for investment purposes as well. As a result, I have been trying to educate myself on Afghanistan emeralds.

Recently, one of the gemstone dealers has been showing me several what he described as high quality Afghan emeralds.

This dealer, stated that emeralds which he was selling were cut here locally in Kabul. This was the first time that I had heard of anything like that. Most Afghan emeralds appear to be taken to India, cut and then returned to Kabul where they are sold.

If this is true, the Emerald prices here should have a huge advantage since they would not have to be transported to India and then transported back again. Does anyone know if they actually might be cutting emeralds here locally in Kabul?

One emerald in particular when he showed me, was 6.34 karat in size ends he wanted $4,200 for. My friend purchased 5 karet emeralds from the same dealer and had them appraised for over $10,000 back in the states. I know that appraisal value and street value can vary dramatically. So, is this a good deal or not? Is this a good investment or not? I have attached a picture.

What should I look for here when purchasing emeralds here in Afghanistan. I understand the basics of color and clarity... I've seen stones that are noticeably oiled under the loupe. Any other basics and ideas that I should keep in mind? Is it worth even attempting to make wise investments while I'm here???

Thanks for your advice!

Mark

 

[Marlow]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!

Forget it!!!

 

[treasurehunter]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

you will probably pay more in kabul than you would in new york unless you have years of experience in dealing emeralds. the above stone is very 'milky' or included so it affects the transparency, the price is too high , what treatment does it have, emeralds are smuggled from kabul to india them sold from india not returned to kabul, why would they do that?

 

[eos512]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

why not try some blue green tourmaline instead? Firstly it is much cheaper. And it is really hard to detect treatment of the emerald. Do you have the skill to identify how much oil or resin contained?

 

[cm366]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Check for yourself how much it costs to send a package from Kabul to India. Realize that there will be a hundred stones in that package, so the shipping cost per stone is 1% of that price. Realize that the locals can ship for less than you can, because their father/brother/cousin owns a shipping company, or they're a frequent customer, or they helped the guy out with a ring for his lady.

The shipping cost is effectively zero. You're not saving any money by buying local work - if anything, you're paying a premium.

There have been several good threads on buying stones in Afghanistan, both here and on an online gemology forum you could find by putting those words into Google. With the exception of one prolific poster who doesn't seem to be around much anymore, with the handle SilverbackMP, the consensus has always been pretty strongly against it, and even that guy would tell you he had instruments, texts, a knowledgeable partner and some local advantages. I think he was also buying primarily for his own enjoyment - I never heard that he cashed in on his purchases.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Unfortunately, colored gems aren't the best way to make a nest egg; sorry to add to the negative responses, but they can keep you from dropping money you'll never see again. First, you buy at retail (pumped way up over there for inexperienced buyers) & when you sell, it will be at wholesale. Second, emeralds are among the most highly treated stones. Unless you have lab equipment, you can't tell if they've been treated in any of the large variety of ways available. You can't even be sure what you buy is genuine emerald.

Americans in Afghanistan must make gem scammers drool. All of them either "got the stones at the mine & can promise they're untreated & worth thousands but they'll sell them to you for $500," or "have a secret route to here from there & relatives who know the business," or any of 60 other stories. The emerald you posted is very clouded (included), poorly cut, and treated in who knows what way(s), if it's a real emerald at all.

For more info, this thread is excellent: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-to-coloured-gemstone-buying-read-this-first.174284/. Colored stones are not the way to make a killing. To profit from them, you have to have long experience & expertise in the specific variety you're buying, and even then, re-sellers make a relatively small profit. Amateurs rarely see anything but loss & disappointment.

Without knowing the circumstances of your friend's appraisal in the states, it's impossible to say how accurate it is. However, even a gemologist can't give a reliable estimate without a lab report -- he would not have the equipment to test for treatment, and what has been done (or not done) to a gem affects value tremendously. It's like taking the value of a house from someone who only walked through it without checking whether the roof leaks, the foundation is sound, mold is in the basement. In the US, AGL (American Gemological Laboratories) is most recommended here for colored stones & there are a couple of others in Europe.

Sorry to be discouraging, but it's better than throwing money away. I hope this doesn't sound harsh; it's just meant to help you make a decision. Good luck!

 

[lambskin]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Nooo! Stick with the semi precious.

 

[treasurehunter]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Afghani Tourmaline is one of the best - Blue tourmaline is worth more than the green one by the way so look for blue tourmaline or blueish green

 

[chrono]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

I agree with everyone else above; even if you have the right skill sets, knowledge and tools, it's just not worth the time and effort spent weeding out more junk than the odds of finding one emerald that might be worth something.

 

[fredri13]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Lots of good insight. I have been reluctant about making a larger purchase here for many of the reasons that you have all articulated here.

You've confirmed my worst thoughts and fears. My main reasons for selecting this jeweler and this particular stone was the supposed good experience of my friend and his supposedly high appraisal for his purchased emeralds.

My friend purchased this ring with a blue sapphire. He is very happy. Not sure what he paid for it.

Here is also a picture of another ring that i was interested in. It is blue tanzanite, just over 2 karets, set in white and yellow gold. He is asking $1,180 at the moment. Not sure what i can talk him down to. Any insight anyone?

Thanks again for the help everyone!!!

Mark

 

[Marlow]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Never a Tanzanite.

Looks like a blue topas - 20-30 $

 

[fredri13]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Here is the picture of the Tanzanite Ring.

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks!

Mark

 

[deskjockey]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

My friend purchased this ring with a blue sapphire. He is very happy. Not sure what he paid for it.

Out of curiousity, has he had the stone tested? I know it's not a good picture, but the quality of that color seems very un-sapphire-y to me.

 

[Marlow]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Sorry, I was wrong.

The "sapphire" looks like blue topas or glass.

The "tanzanite" - the same...

You will lose your money - not the first one and not the last. Like many tourists buying emeralds in Columbia or sapphire in Thailand or Sri Lanka. Another trick in East Africa - you buy a beautiful tanzanite and later at the airport the police stops you - they work together - you have to pay a lot of money and the stone has gone - same game again with the next one.

 

[cm366]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Here is the picture of the Tanzanite Ring.

Please let me know what you think...

Thanks!

Mark

Difficult to tell without being able to see the stone head on, but you could get a 2ct tanzanite from a trustworthy vendor with a real live returns policy for $200-300 with the apparent colour here. Maybe half that if you were willing to shop around for a few weeks.

I'm also a little suspicious of your friend's ring - there are natural sapphires that colour, but there are a lot more cheap blue topaz and synthetics.

Honestly... if the guy is trying to sell you something that's dodgy, like the emeralds, do you think you can trust his other wares? Are you equipped to test the metal in that ring when he tells you it's 18k? (Not looking at the hallmark, because anyone willing to sell counterfeit gold will also be willing to put a fake hallmark on it.) Can you tell that the stone is actually tanzanite?

If the answer to ANY of those questions is no, you should not buy a single solitary thing from this dude.

 

[JewelFreak]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

I agree with cm366, Mark. The color of your friend's ring makes me doubtful -- I would never buy it without having it tested first. It also has a huge tilt window, which light-colored gems tend to have, but this one would bother me. Without being able to see it looking straight down on the table (top), can't tell more.

You would do much better to wait till you're back in the States for a tanzanite -- you can find much better ones from reliable vendors for a very affordable price. In your photo, I'm not crazy about the quality of that setting, though its lack of sharpness makes judging a little hard. It just looks mass produced to me & not well done, not worth what he's asking, even if he's telling the truth about the gold purity.

Frankly, this guy doesn't sound like a great one to trust. He's trying to pass crummy (or worse) stuff off on you. You're smart enough to have checked here, though. I know how strong can be the urge to find a bargain to take home -- felt that way myself many times. With gems, like many other things, if it looks too good to be true, it is. Unfortunately!

--- Laurie

 

[swissmiss]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

Ditto to everything posted above.

The sheer amount of gem scams "I dug it out myself from the mine" - "I have a super trusted source" - "My brother/cousin/father/uncle/etc dug it out himself/knows the best stones/ etc etc etc." around mines is legendary.

Don't get suckered in! Granted, pictures are hard to judge, but none of those stones look like what they are supposed to be.

 

[distracts]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

So... usually we always say you can't tell what a gemstone is from pictures.

BUT.

Neither of those ring pictures look to have the kind of stone they claim to have in them. Both colors would be, uh, unusual for the stone they supposedly are. The colors, however, are spot-on for electric blue topaz and london blue topaz... which makes me really suspicious.

 

[chrono]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

I am sorry to be another doubter here; the colour of the blue sapphire is so off that I am highly doubtful it is corundum. The colour is more spot on for blue topaz.

 

[arjunajane]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

You are utterly wasting your time, full stop. Think about it, these people do this 365 days a year, cheating people like yourself - they know what to say, do, how to convince, have other people to tell you how trustworthy they are, etc etc ..it is their livelihood in a place where it is not easy to make a good living. You are not previously educated in gems/jewellery and are shopping for the first time in one of the easiest places to get just plain ripped off. In terms of getting "The Deal", You would be better served going to the casino, I mean that, sorry !

Ditto others comments about the stones - they have none of the colour or characteristics of what they are purported to be. Based on this one (pretty big) lie, why would you believe anything else these jewellers tell you?

 

[LD]

Re: Emeralds in Afghanistan - Seeking guidance and informati

I'm so sorry that this thread is full of negativity and I hope you're not feeling too deflated by it. Unfortunately you've been given great advice so far. It's fairly common that members of the forces have posted on here about finding great gemstones in Afghanistan so you're definitely not the first. The photos that you've shown of the stones in rings honestly have the suspicious feel of synthetics rather than genuine gemstones. If the owners are lucky, the stones will end up being a real gemstone but a cheap one such as topaz.

Step away from the jeweller and warn all your friends please.