TO GO WITH Afghanistan-Economy-Mining-Emeralds, FOCUS by Thibaut Marchand and Abdullah Hasrat
In this picture taken on January 12, 2022, a man carries a bag containing raw stones before searching for emeralds near the mining area on a mountain in the Mikeni Valley in Panjshir province. - Systematic mining only began in the 1970s and remains largely artisanal but the gems found here are compared to Colombian emeralds, the most sought-after on the planet. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH Afghanistan-Economy-Mining-Emeralds, FOCUS by Thibaut Marchand and Abdullah Hasrat