Gemstone Market of Pakistan

Introduction

Gemstones market of Pakistan has large potential reserves of gems and minerals. Pakistani gemstones include a variety of several gems &minerals such as peridot, aquamarine, topaz, ruby and emerald, Tourmaline making the important country of gems variety and some rare minerals too in the mineral world.

Gemstones Industry

The Gems are being produced from centuries in this area and now after Pakistan came into being 1947 the market is rapidly growing since then. The Gemstones Corporation of Pakistan was established to develop the gemstones sector in Pakistan, however in 1997 the corporation liquidated. Now a number of organizations are working in this sector including All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association of Rough & Unpolished Precious and Semi Precious Stones (APCEA) and Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC). Pakistan Gems and Mineral Show is held annually in various parts of Pakistan from last two decades, however it has not attracted much attention from potential international buyers due to law and order situations.

Gem Markets

The  city of Karachi & Peshawar are one the biggest market of facet and rough cut gems in Pakistan. However, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the significance of Karachi was reduced and Peshawar became the hub of gemstones trade. Due to the long and porous border with Afghanistan, many gemstones from the country. Peshawar & Northern areas is the only direct market for all gems found both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan Gems and Jewelry Several Exhibitions are being held in Peshawar, Islamabad and Karachi to attract the foreign and local buyers and traders.

Gem Testing Labs

Recently The Government of Pakistan has established gem identification laboratories in major cities of Pakistan to promote identification. These Labs experience and authenticity is increasing rapidly; locally and internationally.  For this purpose, Pakistan Gems & Jewelry Development Company is working in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and Gilgit cities where the major share of gemstone trade exists. Since the inception of Pakistan Gems & Jewelry Development Company, the gemstone trade in Pakistan has seen a major developments.

There are also some private gem identification labs in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar which have qualified gemologists working in their labs, e.g. Indus Gemological Consultants Lahore, International Gemological Laboratory Lahore, Gem Galaxy Lab Karachi, and Gem Solution Gemological Consultancy(GSGC) Lab Peshawar.

Mining areas

Pakistan's western and northern areas are home to major mountain ranges; Hindukush, Himalaya, and Karakorum which are home to all the minerals found in Pakistan. Some of the major mining areas along with their main gemstone yields are mentioned below


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The Trade

The trade is progressing rapidly since 1947 but recently from last one decade it has effected due to the law and order situation specially for the international buyers. This situation has pushed the local trader to travel more around the world. So in total the local traders are in benefit of exporting the Gems and Minerals to other parts if the world !!