Forgotten “Gem-Street” of Pakistan

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decided to develop the Gem Processing & Export Centre in Peshawar The decision was to promote the gem sector of the province, and tackle the financial crisis across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

For this purpose Namak Mandi gem cluster to be upgraded to a modern export centre meeting all international standards. Namak Mandi, a historic gem trading hub, located behind Kissa Khawani Bazar in Peshawar, will regain its glory through this initiative.
But what could be the possible surprising link between Namak Mandi, a foodie’s paradise, and gemstones The Peshawarities are familiar with Namak Mandi, the place known for its delicious food. Chapli kebab, traditional cuisines like pulao, paye, dampukht, karahi gosht, lamb chops and barbeque are hallmark of namak mandi.

In the recent days, local, national and foreign tourists flock to the Namak Mandi to satiate their hunger. Known as food hub, this ancient market has another stunning and lucrative side most people are unaware of Namak Mandi, meaning “salt market” in Urdu, was established decades ago as a trading centre and warehouse for salt. The place is now, it’s a pioneering gemstone market, located in the central Peshawar, the Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

This market attracts wealthy gem enthusiasts from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and many other who are on the hunt for gems.
Namak Mandi was once famously known as ‘Gem Street’ in America and Europe, reflecting its former status as a hub for gemstone trade. This, now food hub, is Pakistan’s largest market for the trade of emeralds, rubies, garnets, marble, nephrite, pink topaz, aquamarine, sapphire, tourmaline and other precious stones.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa possesses a treasure trove of gemstones and can truly be called as a gemstone heaven. Three rare types of world’s precious stones, can be found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, of which one is emerald. Fiza Gut’s emerald mines, discovered in the 1950s, are among the world’s largest and most significant deposits. The place is located in Swat, which is also home to the precious stones like Quartz and epidote, and can be wildly present in the region.

The Hazara and Kohistan are home to peridot while Mardan is abode of world’s best pink topaz. Gilgit and Skardu holds the treasures of aquamarine, tourmaline, ziricon, quartz, topaz, spinel, sphene, apatite and ruby. District Bajaur has mines of marble, emerald, nephrite and sapphire. While district Mohmand is renowned for its deposits of emerald, sapphire, marble, jasper, ruby, clinozoisite, sphene and epidote.

The Khyber district boasts a rich deposit of quartz, xenotime and bastnaesite. Moreover, the Orakzai, Kurram and Waziristan have deposits of Quartz. The woeful fact is that 95% of the gemstones in the country are wasted due to outdated mining methods. Outdated gemstone mining methods need to be replaced with modern technology such as underground and hydraulic mining

Use of heavy machinery and equipment should be used to extract and transport the gemstones. Skilled artisans trained in gem laboratories and technical centres can make the province a global standout. Expert cutting can unlock gemstone brilliance. Instead of old methods, modern tools like Diamond saws, laser cutters should be used. CAD can be used for precise cutting and design to enhance the beauty of gemstones.

If transformed into gemstone hub, this Gem stone Processing and Export Centre can catapult khyber Pakhtunkhwa to global fame. Properly harnessed, these resources can turbocharge exports and yield substantial foreign exchange. And yes next time at Namak Mandi, remember: spices and flavors share the market with precious stones, waiting to be discovered.