King of Kashmir or King of Shigar? A Case of Mislabelling in the Mineral World.

One of our missions with these expeditions was to figure out the mining landscape, operations, and key players within the gemstone industry in Pakistan. Upon reaching the mine, our team saw the reality on the ground, speaking with geologists working in the Goand mine area of Shigar, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.

Local dealer in the Skardu Gemstone market (this market is a smaller version of the famous Namak mandi gemstone market, many gemstones are kept here, with more valuable stones kept inside the mines, or local homes that are full of stones) holding a vivid aquamarine crystal topped with Schorl (Black Tourmaline) and quartz crystals, such specimens are not uncommon, and have been mined from Shigar. Origin Gems Photo.

The famous Goand mining area (according to the geologist, this mountain area is called Goand by the locals), opposite the Braldu river, Nyet bruk is also nearby, and Dassu. A wooden bridge takes you across to the mine area. Origin Gems Photo.

The “King of Kashmir” specimen was according to the geologist at the mine bought around 2019 for approximately ~7 crore PKR (about £351,758 or $450,250 at that time) after tough negotiations from the miners at the mine site. It’s a big amount, but numbers here are often inflated. Many people are involved, so the miners get much less. Still, the money usually goes back into the local economy and community. 

In these areas, whole villages work the mines. Some investors give wages, others fund dynamite (which is now restricted; there’s a big dispute happening), others provide rations. Locals work in groups and divide production by percentage depending on investment. Some work on consignment. It’s a complicated business; miners sometimes hide production, and top specimens are first shown to a few trusted investors, gem dealers, or businessmen. No single person owns a mine here. It’s different from areas where the government gives 10-year leases.

For more detailed information and stunning photography, pre-order our upcoming book, Gem Trails of Pakistan - Volume 1.

The exact face of the mine from which the King of Kashmir was extracted. These pegmatite-rich bodies are rich in aquamarine. Origin Gems Photo.

One of our founders, behind is the Goand mining area. Origin Gems Photo.

The dangerous daily climb up to one of the mine entrances in the Goand mine by the miners. Locals have become accustomed to the commute. Origin Gems Photo.

Climbing the Goand mine cliff. The locals make it look easy. Origin Gems Photo.

The entrance of one of the mines of Goand, these compressors and machinery are similar all over Pakistan. Origin Gems Photo.

Now, back to the “King of Kashmir.” Our team identified the exact mine, located on the Goand mountain face opposite the Braldu River in Shigar. Historically, this region was part of Kashmir but is now in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. People should label this correctly as Shigar, Gilgit Baltistan origin, the Kashmir provenance, name sells, but respecting locals should be more important. If you read the PDF describing the extraction of this specimen, there are errors in the location pointer on the map of the mine site, and the authors have mixed up a lot of names of mine sites, which can occur because of the confusing complexity of the landscape.

Our message is simple: always verify the origin before labeling. In the gem world, provenance matters. Take sapphires, for example, a fine Kashmir sapphire and a Ceylon (Sri Lankan) sapphire of similar quality may look alike, but the Kashmir stone will command a higher price due to its rarity, historical significance, provenance, and market demand. Mislabeling not only misleads collectors and buyers but also disrespects the true source and its people. Accuracy in origin isn’t just good ethics—it’s good gemology. To those claiming a gem is “Kashmir origin” because the area was historically part of Kashmir, that’s not how gemology works. Today, this region lies within Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and should be labeled accordingly. Calling it “Kashmir” is like labeling a Ukrainian mined heliodor as Soviet, or referring to a gemstone found in modern Italy as Roman. It misrepresents both time and place, and can lead to distrust among collectors, dealers, and the public.

In gemology, it is current geography, not outdated political boundaries, that defines origin. If a specimen was mined when the area was officially part of Kashmir, then labeling it as such may be historically accurate, as long as that context is clearly explained. However, since this specimen was mined in 2019, long after the region became part of Gilgit-Baltistan, calling it “Kashmir” is both incorrect and misleading. One of our founders has Kashmiri heritage, and we at Origin Gems are on a mission to make sure Gemstones and minerals are correctly Origin Labelled, which is why our name is Origin Gems.

One of the beautiful snow-covered mountains of the Shigar Valley, for more photographs, get a copy of our limited book Gem Trails of Pakistan - Volume 1. Origin Gems Photo.

One of the founders of Origin Gems holding an aquamarine specimen in Namak mandi, in a basement office of Mr. Ghulam Mustafa. Origin Gems Photo.

One of the founders of Origin Gems, at one of the mine sites in the Dassu mine area, this mine comes before the Goand mine on the opposite side of the mountain. The river bends in a U shape. Origin Gems Photo.

Entering one of the mines at Dassu Shigar. The floor is unstable due to the trailings and other debris; one slip can be dangerous, leading to falling deeper into the mine. Origin Gems Photo.

Inside one of the mines at Dassu Shigar. A pocket of Schorl (Black tourmaline) embedded within the walls, these pegmatite bodies are full of such material, a lot of which is thrown out into the tailings, as the miners here are after the more elusive aquamarine. At these Dassu mines, aquamarine can also come in combination with red Garnets; in fact, a very important specimen was found here. More on this is reported in our book, Gem Trails of Pakistan - Volume 1. Origin Gems Photo.

Looking for samples outside the mines of Dassu Shigar for research. This specimen contained small aquamarine clusters and other minerals. Origin Gems Photo.

The Goand mine area is also spelled as Goan, Gond, Gohand, Gwand, Gawand, Gowand. The Dassu mine area is also spelled as Dasso, Daso. In regions like Gilgit-Baltistan, place names are usually passed down by word of mouth, and when written in English, people spell them based on how they sound. This leads to natural variation across maps, mineral labels, and trade records. For clarity and consistency, we use one standard spelling in our documentation while acknowledging local and alternate versions. Once again, for more detailed information on mining within these mines and many more mines in Pakistan, stunning photographs, accounts, and more, get a copy of our limited book, Gem Trails of Pakistan - Volume 1. 

All photographs have been taken by and © copyright protected by Origin Gems. 

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