Hidden Emerald Mines Of Afghanistan: Everything You Didn't Know | TRACKS

Another interesting read. Nice post.

I shipped home plenty of stones.

However, you had to be careful in your purchase. One of the PRT engineers was also a geologist, so he went through and taught everyone how to ensure quality, from a gem tester, to hoops to inspect, to washing off colored oils that some merchants would use to fill in cracks & blemishes.

None of it was amazingly high end stuff, but it provided stone to make jewelry for my wife, that has a cool back story.