IGI recently conducted a practical course for DAI / ASMED, a USAID project aimed at the future development of the Gemstone Industry in Afghanistan, at the IGI School of Gemology in Dubai.
For the first time ever, Afghan students travelled abroad in order to acquire improved gemological knowledge about colored stones. Afghan professionals want to develop a better understanding of the quality of the stones they extract in their country. The workshop was mainly attended by students who wish to become gemologists.
The gemology workshop focused on the identification of gem material treatments and synthrmalietic stones which are mi ned in the region. The workshop demonstrated usage of equipment like refractometer, polariscope, microscope and dichroscope to determine the characteristics of various gemstones.
“The workshop for the students and professionals from the gemstone industry in Afghanistan was extremely positive and productive. With sufficient investment in knowledge and equipment, Afghanistan has the potential to become a major supplier of gemstones in the region”, said Mr Nico D’Haemer, managing director, IGI Dubai.
Afghanistan has been blessed with a wide variety of precious and semi-precious stones with 73 documented records of mines, deposits, and occurrences. Most operations today are small‐scale, but th e potential undoubtedly exists for the development of a significant precious stone mining industry in Afghanistan. Some of the stones discovered there are tourmaline, morganite, aquamarine, spodoumene, lapis lazuli and spinel.
-Diamond News
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