What is gemstone?

A gemstone is a stone which can be precious or semi-precious

and used in jewelry. Gemologists are the people who identify
gemstones. They label gemstone in the field of gemology using
their features and practical language. A gemologist uses the
chemical arrangement of gemstone for it classification. For
example, diamonds are used as gemstone and it is made up of
carbon

symbolize

as

C.

Crystal

system

is

used

for

the

classification of many gemstones because they are crystals.

Gemstones are fall into different groups, varieties and species.
They are also characterized in terms of dispersion, specific
gravity, hardness, luster, refractive index, cleavage and fracture.
Flaws (cracks or breaches) in a stone are known as inclusions.

Difference between Precious and semiprecious

gemstone
A gemstone is generally classified as precious stone and a semiprecious stone. It is a type of a mineral, which is cut form and
refined, is used to create embellishments especially in jewelry.
The term semi-precious stone versus precious stone is a
commercial term that merely is not always appropriate. They are
terms that exist exclusively in the West and were made as a
marketing tool by the people who were searching to sell precious
stones. In the west Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires are

known as precious gemstones and all other than these stones are
known semi-precious stones.

Semi-precious gemstone:

A semi-precious stone is also

termed as a gemstone or gem (also a precious stone, a jewel)

which is also the part of mineral and this is also used for jewelry
purposes, many people likes semi-precious gemstone for their
good color, clarity and nature. There are also precise rocks or
organic resources that are not minerals for example amber or jet
that are also being considered to be gemstones and would also
use for jewelry, as we

Pakistan Gemstone General Information:

Pakistan has different types of minerals which make it so popular
in the minerals world. These popular minerals are peridot,
aquamarine, topaz, ruby, emerald rare-earth minerals bastanesite
and xenotime, sphen, tourmaline and other different types of
quarts.
Pakistan has a long and unsecured boundary with Afghanistan
approximately 2430 km which traded different types of Afghan
minerals to Pakistan. Before 1979 Peshawar was the gemstone
market for both of country, but after the attack of Soviet Union on
Afghanistan, Karachi becomes a bigger minerals market and plays
a key role in the gemstone trade.
In 1979 Pakistan established gemstone corporation for the
propose to discover Pakistans own share wealth in minerals and

make possible gemstone business and mining. There are two

bodies working to develop welfare and industry in Pakistan.
Pakistan (Formerly Export Promotion Bureau) Trade Development
Authority

rough and polished precious and semiprecious stones

All Commercial Export Association. (APCEA)

Since 1994

Pakistani Gem and minerals shows Peshawar has

been held for four days in October .however to draw any potential
buyer from abroad .A few stalls experienced buyers from abroad
on the display cant meet any of the requirements particularly of
the United State and Europe.
The northern and northwest area of the Pakistan such as
Himalaya, Karakorum and Hindukush found different types of
minerals which offer by the Pakistan to the world market such as
peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby, emerald, sphen, spinel and
amethyst.

Mining Areas:
Pakistan includes different gemstone mining areas but the main mining areas
are the following.

Khyber Pakhtonkhaw:
Swat (malakand division) Emerald various types of quartz
and apidote.
Dir (malakand division) corundum and quartz.
Mansehra ( hazara division) corundum and smoky quartz.

Kohistan (Hazara division) epidote.

Peshawar district, quartz with astrophyllite / reibeckite fiber
inclusion,
Xenotime and bastnaesite.

Federally Tribal Administration Area:

Mohmand Agency (emerald, epidote sephen )
Bajaur Agency ( granet and orange color scapolite)
Kheber Agency (district quartz with astrophyllite / reibeckite
fiber inclusion,
Xenotime and bastnaesite )
South and Nourth Waziristan Agency, (faden, quartz, dimond
quartz, phantom
Quartz and window quartz)

Northern Areas:
Chilas ( alluvit diopsit, zircon rutile quartz, aquamarine and
tourmaline.)
Gilgit (aquamarine, topaz golden and white.) emerald ruby
pollucit, rutile
Quartz, morganite, apotile spinel pargasit.

Shengus ( aquamarine ,topaz, tourmaline, apatite , sephen,

morganite and
Quartz. )
Shigar (apatite, zoisite,rutile quartz, epidot and morganite.
Childee (aquamarine, emerald color, tourmaline, apatite,
morganite,
And quartz. )

Baluchistan Province:
Kharan District, (brookite, anatase and quartz.)
Chaman, ( dimond quartz, window quartz, quartz on prehnitebase and faden
Quartz included by chlorite.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Regi
on

Image

Gemstones

Notes

ef

Various types of quartz are found in

Swat

Emerald, quart the region. The image shows a

z, and epidote

specimen

of

aquamarine

and

emerald on quartz from Swat valley.

Dir

Manseh
ra

Kohista
n

Peshaw
ar
District

Tribal areas

Corundum and The image shows pink and purple

quartz

Corundum
and smoky
quartz

crystals of corundum.

The image shows aquamarine on

smokey quartz.

The image shows a cluster of limePeridot

green peridot crystals from Soppat in

Kohistan.

Quartz, xenoti

Quartz

from

the

region

me,

include Astrophyllite and Riebeckite

and bastnaesit fibers. The image shows bastnaesite

e

crystal infused with rutile.

Region

Image

Gemstones

Notes

ef

The image shows a

Mohmand

Emerald, clinozoisite, s

Agency

phene, and epidote

light

olive

green

colouredsphene
(titanite) with epidote
on calcite matrix.

Bajaur Agency

Emerald, garnet,
and scapolite

The

image

shows

garnet and muscovite

on mica matrix.
Quartz found in the
region
includeastrophyllite

Khyber

Quartz, xenotime, and

Agency

bastnaesite

and reibeckite fibers.

The image shows a
bastnaesite

crystal

with reddish hue from

MullaGhori in Khyber
agency.
Various

types

of

quartz include faden

quartz, diamond
quartz, phantom
quartz,
Waziristan

Quartz

quartz

with

chlorite, and window

quartz.

The

shows

brown

image
muddy
coloured

specimen of window
quartz

from

Waziristan.

South

GilgitBaltistan
Region

Image

Gemstones
Alluvial

diopside, The image shows a

aquamarine,

from Chilas.

Aquamarine,

Gilgit and Shigar

topaz,

emerald,

ruby,

pollucite,

rutile

quartz,
apatite,

morganite,
spinel,

and

pargasite

StakNala,

and

TormiqNala

tourmaline,
sphene,

topaz,
apatite,

morganite,

and quartz

Apatite, zoisite, rutile

Shigar Proper

quartz, epidote, and

morganite

and

white

topaz are found in

the

region.

image

The

shows

pink

apatite

albite

from

rare
with
Nagar

Image

shows

deep

purple apatite from

Shengus.

The

image

pastel-pink
with

quartz

shows
apatite
from

Shigar.

Aquamarine,

Childee,

valley)

Golden

Valley.

Aquamarine,

Shengus,

reddish-

and orange zircon crystal

tourmaline

Yuno

ef

zircon, rutile quartz, pyramidal

Chilas

Kashmal,

Notes

and
(Shigar

emerald-coloured
tourmaline,

The

image

apatite, aquamarine

morganite, topaz, and from the area.

quartz

shows
cluster

Region

Image

Topaz,

Testun, Dassu,
Net

Gemstones

Tahirabad,

and Goyungo

aquamarine,

tourmaline,
morganite,

Notes

apatite,

quartz, and emerald

ef

Golden

coloured

Topaz of high quality

is found here. Rare
earth

minerals

are

also found.

Tourmaline,
AppuAligund,

aquamarine, garnets, Image

Fuljo,

diopside,

Bashu,

Braldu,
and

Karma

ruby, aquamarine

pargasite,
topaz,

shows

emerald, schorl

from

with
Braldu

amethyst, valley.

scheelite, and quartz

Fine quality golden
rutile quartz is found
Khaplu, Ghanch

Aquamarine,

here.

Image

e District

amethyst, and quartz

rare

specimen

quartz

with

shows
of

calcite

and actinolite.

Balochistan
Image

Gemstones

Notes
The image shows striated anatase

Brookite, anatase,
quartz

and crystals (in black), brookite blade

and

quartz

crystals

covering

feldspar matrix from Kharan.

Image

Gemstones

Notes
Various types of quartz found are
diamond,

Quartz

window,

quartz

on

prehnite, and faden. Image shows

translucent light sea-foam green
prehnite with quartz crystals.

The image shows a large specimen

Quartz and brookite

of quartz crystals on brookite from

Taftan.

Malachite, azurite,
garnet,

The

image

shows

zircon, obsidian, lapis

brookite on quartz.

fine

quality

lazuli, and brookite

Auriferous quartz

Brown garnet and fluorite

Aragonite
Amethyst

The image shows quartz crystals

with epidote.