We purchased this gemstone from a gem dealer, with whom we have developed a business relationship for years. The dealer functions as a middleman between the mining cooperative or a local broker and us. As far as we know, the gem has traveled from the mine to a larger nearby city where our contact purchased it before bringing it to show our buyers. Based on our information and source, we are confident in the country of origin but are unable to validate the exact mining location.
Towered by snowcaps of the formidable Hindu Kush peaks, the valleys, and mountains slopes of the northeastern provinces of Kunar and Nuristan, in Afghanistan are host to numerous gem-bearing pegmatites.
The pegmatites vary greatly in appearance, from veins to lenses, and can reach considerable lengths and thickness. Tourmalines are distributed in pockets filled with soft clay, typically in the central mineralized zone of the pegmatites. In order to reach these pockets, miners dig horizontal tunnels, using drills and explosives to progress through the hard rocks. Once a pocket is close by, or reached, miners use hand tools to free the crystals from the pockets without damaging them. After extraction from the mines, rough Afghan tourmalines are typically either brought to Kabul or exported to Peshawar, then the rest of the world.
While there are many tourmaline-bearing pegmatites in Afghanistan, several areas and mines are particularly notable. The Pech valley, "Dara-i-Pech", in the province of Kunar has been a source of fine tourmalines since the mid-1960s, and there are several mining areas are located along the valley's mountainous slopes. In the western part of the valley, close to the village of Qala, the tourmaline-bearing pegmatite is situated on the mountain slope bordering the fields. This pegmatite was the first to have been discovered in the Pech valley, in the early 1960s. The mine of Kanakana exploits one of the largest pegmatites in Afghanistan and large finding of high quality indicolite tourmalines have been reported. Another mine is near the village of Gamata, active since the 1970s. Many other small workings are being mined in Pech, such as Petawe and Soreyh. The Pech valley is famous for its extraordinary blue tourmalines, ranging from pastel blue to indigo, and green tourmalines. Pink tourmalines are also occasionally produced as well as bicolor crystals.
