Afghan Emeralds Panshjir Valley

[christopher123]

Hello all,

I''m currently working with the military in Afghanistan. I''ve bought several emeralds from the Panshjir Valley. These emeralds are suppose to be of excellent quality.

1. My first question is what is the best lab to send the emeralds to? I''ll be visiting Bangkok next month and heard there are some quality labs there. However I want to be certain the lab is recognized and reputable.

2. Also, I''m very interested in selling these emeralds. Is there a demand for these emeralds, and where would I begin finding buyers?

Thanks in advance to all replies.

Very Respectfully,

chris

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome Chris!

I don''t know much about coloured stones, but we do have some prosumers and experts who do, hopefully they will be able to chime in later on and offer some advice.

Keep bumping your thread until someone answers, coloured stones tends not to be as busy as Rocky Talk which as you probably know, is diamond based.

Look after yourself and you should get better help later on!

 

[christopher123]

Lorelei,

Thank you for your prompt reply and kind words.

 

[Lorelei]

You are most welcome Chris! Take care!

 

[Lorelei]

Bump for Christopher as I spy Chrono!

 

[chrono]

Hello Lorelei! Didn''t see this until you bumped it up. Thanks.

Chris,
I''m just a pro wanna be, so I''ll answer as best as I can. Just because the emeralds come from the famed valley doesn''t automatically mean they are of great quality - they still have to be looked at individually. Many factors will affect the asking price (clarity, colour - hue, tone and saturation, cutting, and of course, size). Are these already cut? Any enhancement? Heating? Oiling?

1. There''s the GIT: Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand and there''s AIGS:Asian Institute of Gem Sciences.

2. No idea about selling. Sorry.

 

[movie zombie]

contact vincent: http://www.fieldgemology.org/ or http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=157008808

he''ll get you headed in the right direction. he used to live in bangkok and has traveled extensively in asia. in 2007 returned to switzerland. he is knowledgeable re all kinds of color gem stones. never met him but from his posts here and elsewhere, he''s always been informative, a good read, and helpful.

movie zombie

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Chrono and MZ!!

 

[christopher123]

Chrono,

Thanks so much for answering my query. Yes the emeralds are already cut and weigh in from 2-4 carats each. I don''t know whether or not they''ve been treated. This is why I would like to find a reputable lab to view them. Again I really appreciate your reply.

Respectfully,

chris

 

[christopher123]

Movie Zombie,

Thanks so much for the wealth of information. I''ll contact Vincent promptly. This is a wonderful site and I''m delighted I stumbled across it. Thanks again to you and everyone for your generosity.

Respectfully,

chris

 

[CaptAubrey]

Chris, as a vet myself, I don''t want to disappoint you, but you should brace yourself for the possibility that they''re synthetic. If you''re not an experienced gem dealer, buying emeralds in Afghanistan is asking for trouble.

But if you''re going to Bangkok, yes, AIGS is the place to go.

Vincent can fill you in the details of value and resale, if they''re real.

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Cap''n for your help!

 

[christopher123]

Cpt. Aubrey,

Thank you very much for your reply. The information you provided is good to know. I appreciate the tip.

Respectfully,

chris

 

[movie zombie]

good luck, chris! if you feel like it and get a chance, let us know what you find out about your purchases.

movie zombie