All That Glitters

From jagged crevice to jeweller, Afghan gems travel a perilous path
By Adnan Khan
Field Notes · From the June 2007 magazine
Print version Support The Walrus Foundation
Share
Email Facebook LinkedIn
Reddit StumbleUpon Tumblr Twitter
More services
Were it not for this conservatism, the restrictive new law, and other obstacles, the Afghan trade might be worth almost sixty times the annual $3.2 million it is today — perhaps enough to lift villages such as Jegdalek out of poverty. Rubies like Salim’s could go on to adorn the bodies of the world’s ultra-chic, or even follow the path of their famous predecessor the Black Prince, which adorns the British Imperial State Crown. But for now, men like Salim will continue to risk their lives lighting dynamite, chasing a dream as precious and rare as the shimmering stones they hunt.
adnan khan ("All That Glitters," p. 20) has been covering the war in Afghanistan for five years. He is based in Istanbul.
Previous · Page 2 of 2 · Home

Add a comment

  
I agree to walrusmagazine.com’s comments policy.

Canada & its place in the world. Published by
the non-profit charitable Walrus Foundation
TwitterFacebookRSS
On newsstands now
New Issue on Sale
June 2012
Subscribe online for as little as $2.49 an issue. Visit The Walrus Store
to buy prints of our covers
The Walrus Foundation National Event Guide

The Walrus HOOPP Pension Debate
Be It Resolved That Canadians Are Incapable
of Saving for Their Retirement Needs Alone
12 pm, Wednesday, May 30 at
Hart House Debate Room, Toronto

The Walrus Glenbow Debate
Calgary’s Cowboy Culture:
Living Legacy or Just History?
6:30 pm, Thursday, June 7 at
Epcor Centre: Max Bell Theatre, Calgary

The Walrus Laughs
The Walrus SoapBox