Andy Nelson, Photojournalist

Emerald Miners of the Panjshir

High in Panjshir Valley, Afghan men spend their days in caves digging for precious gems. Mining has been conducted in these caves for centuries. Some economists say Afghanistan's natural resources could be a way for the country to evolve after years of war.  

I traveled to Khenj and was one of the first Western journalists to cover the story. 

  • Amirdien prays at the encampment where he lives with his emerald mining partners high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan. The mines are high in the Hindu Kush mountains making accessability difficult. The ruggedness also makes it easy to control who comes in and foreigners are viewed with suspicion.
  • A boy secures a load of firewood and mining supplies onto a mule to be used by emerald miners high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan.
  • Friday afternoon is a busy time in Khenj, Afghanistan with men greeting each other and talking about the previous weeks' activity. It is also the time when emeralds are compared, bought and sold.
  • A man rests in a tea house before heading up to the mines.
  • A man walks along the lower section of a path leading from Khenj, Afghanistan to the emerald mines high above the village. The mines are located between 7,000 feet and 14,300 feet above sea level.
  • Boys lead their mules up steep and snowy slopes from Khenj, Afghanistan to the emerald mines. The boys make the trip up the mountain at least once a week.
  • A man holds his prayer beads as he climbs from Khenj, Afghanistan. The trail up is steep and the pace of the men is relentless.
  • Mule and men ascend the steep and snowy slopes from Khenj, Afghanistan to the emerald mines where miners work year round. Geologists believe emeralds are found in Afghanistan only in the Panjshir Valley.
  • Mine tailings spill from mines onto snowfields in mountains above Khenj, Afghanistan. Hundreds of men work in emerald mines dotting the mountains. Some believe mineral wealth in Afghanistan can be play a part in the countries new economy.
  • A miner returns to his cave after dumping tailings onto snowfields.
  • Mohammad Khodir scans the stone trying to decide where he wants to search for emeralds in a quartz seam . The work in the mines is grueling manual labor with little mechanization of the process. Khodir has had some success, finding an emerald he says was worth several thousand dollars a back in November 2006.
  • Mohammad Khodir works a quartz seam in the hope he will find emeralds. The work in the mines is grueling manual labor with little mechanization of the process.
  • Mohammad Khodir negotiates the snowfields leading from his emerald mine the encampment where he lives with his mining partners high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan.
  • Mohammad Khodir and his friends enjoy tea before lunch at the encampment where he lives with his mining partners high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan. Other than finding a big emerald, it are times with friends high in the mountains that he enjoys the most about working in the mines.
  • Mohammad Khodir and his friends enjoy tea before lunch at the encampment where he lives with his mining partners high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan. Other than finding a big emerald, it are times with friends high in the mountains that he enjoys the most about working in the mines.
  • Rice is soaked for lunch at the encampment high above the village of Khenj, Afghanistan. Life high in the mountains is basic but the miners try and eat well to give them the energy for the hard labor needed to find emeralds.
  • A Khenj, Afghanistan man inspects an emerald. It seems like everyone in Khenj, Afghanistan has an emerald or pouch containing a stash of emeralds that he has bought or is trying to sell.
  • The emerald mines in the Panjshir Valley have been active for centuries. With relative peace for the first time in nearly 30 years, miners hope their gems can find a broader market.
  • The quest for high quality emeralds has been part of life for the men of Khenj, Afghanistan for centuries.
  • Money changes hands as men in Khenj, Afghanistand purchase emeralds. Emeralds are important to the economy of Khenj but there is still a dearth of jobs in the area.
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Andy Nelson and The Christian Science Monitor. Site design © 2010-2025 Neon Sky Creative Media