Deep under ground in an Emerald mine in Mingora, Swat Valley, during our last visit in 2026 we went into the deeper levels. A mine that twisted and turned 4 levels deep under ground through a labyrinth of pulleys and ropes. Once under ground we found a variety of miners throughout this specific mine, at each level different work going on to extract these treasures from the earth. This specific miner was holding a freshly extracted quartz/emerald specimen. Historically the mines of Swat and area have shown to be supplying the royalty of many kingdoms, from the romans to France’s queens. It is an uphill battle to understand the holistic picture of what happened here. Although classical texts do give clues the truth is that a lot of texts are simply lost to time, written in other languages that are yet to be discovered. Much of the history is simply shunned and mislabelled as other. With modern gemology we are able to understand the real history of these mines, and give today the miners not only their identity back but directly improve their livelihood. Let’s not compare Swat to Columbia or Panjshir or India, because Swat is a unique place, a unique people that have struggled through many hardships, the emeralds themselves are unique, prized for their exceptional velvety appearance.

Photo by Origin Gems®