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Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan
  
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Josele




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PostPosted: Sep 25, 2021 05:08    Post subject: Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan  

After reading Gerard's comment about the Panjshir emerald deposit and the locality given to an emerald specimen, Kamar Safed ( https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=76414#76414 ), I checked in Google Earth the location of this place in accord with coordinates stated in Mindat (now edited and corrected) and I found a small summit 40 km far away from main Panjshir emerald deposit and off of all Panjshir emerald deposit maps I've seen.

Then I revised the only reference of this locality in Mindat: Afghan emeralds face Colombian cousins.
The only citation of Kamar Safed (spelled Kamar Saphed on text) says literally: “The widespread albitization, developed in the deposits, gave rise to the name Kamar Saphet (White Rock in the Dari language) for one mine that is comparable to the "cenicero" (ash in Spanish) albitites of the Colombian deposits.”
The map in last page locates Kamar Safed mine in the right margin of Khenj river, location that coincides with the most worked emerald area of the Khenj valley ( https://www.mindat.org/loc-226295.html )

After all, Kamar Safed must be one of the many mines in this slope and belongs to Khenj district in the Panjshir province.



Panjshir Khenj Mines.jpg
 Locality:
Khenj emerald area, Khenj District, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan
 Description:
Main emerald mines in Panjshir
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Panjshir Khenj Mines.jpg


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Josele




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PostPosted: Sep 25, 2021 05:41    Post subject: Re: Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan  

I see you have created a new locality in FMF database but to my understanding Kamad Safed should be in the lower level of hierarchy: Kamar Safed mine, Khenj emerald area, Khenj District, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan
______________________________________

Is what we did Josele, thanks. It takes about 15 minutes any change at the FMF localities database to upload at its visible version, so, you saw an intermediate phase. It ahould be OK now.
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Fiebre Verde




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PostPosted: Sep 25, 2021 12:28    Post subject: Re: Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan  

Josele,

There are very few public references available on the Kamar Safed/Kamar Saphet/Kamar Safaid locality.
This mine is known to produce also andradite, a calcium-iron variety of garnet.

Post #14 of this thread
http://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/afghan-emerald.44124/
(link normalized by FMF)

which I suspect was written by the main author of “Afghan emeralds face Colombian cousins”, gives additional insights.
Sabot et al. clearly locate the Kamar Saphet mine in the Khenj valley, Khenj District.
The Mindat Kamar Safed locality information refers to Sabot et al.
i.e. Kamar Safed, Khenj emerald area, Khenj District, Panjshir, Afghanistan
whereas Mineralienatlas.de pinpoints Kamar Safed in a neighboring district located south-west of the Khenj District
Kamar Saphet, Bazarak District, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan (no coordinates provided)
along with two other mines, Buzmal mine (Dasht-e-Rewat) and Khenj mine (Cheng mine, Dah-Khenj mine, Dar Khenj mine).
Incidentally the Mineralienatlas Kamar Saphet information refers to… Sabot et al.!!

And to makes things even more confusing, here is an excerpt from a report on the Afghan Gemstones Industry published by Ethical Stones, a non-profit organization specialized in building value chains for the mining industry:
“Gemstones from this region are extracted from more than 400 mines along the 150km Panjshir valley. They belong to two categories: Kamar Safaid originating from the Bazarak District are extracted from the Khenj mine. These stones are light green. These specific types of stones are usually found as big crystals with few inclusions. Rang in Dari (Coloured Stones) are mainly extracted at high altitude. These stones are an intense green and of higher quality.”

Gérard
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Josele




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PostPosted: Sep 25, 2021 15:05    Post subject: Re: Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan  

Gérard, thanks for the link and extra info.
Kamar Safed Mindat page at first placed the mine in Bazarak District, later was changed to Paryan District and finally edited by me to Khenj District.
After reading all these papers I think it is clear that this mine is one of the mines of Khenj emerald area and other locations are the result of a mistake that has been jumping from one database to another.

It's a pity that Google Earth lately has censored high resolution images of this area. In the photo currently available, Khenj mines are hidden under snow. Collateral damage of recent Afghan events, I suppose...



Panjshir E geosketch.jpg
 Locality:
Khenj emerald area, Khenj District, Panjshir Province, Afghanistan
 Description:
Geological sketch of Panjshir emerald deposit area

In accord to referenced paper, Kamar Safed (White Rock in Dari language) is a mine in the right margin of Khenj river which is the main emerald mining area in Panjshir

Extracted from:
Bruno Sabot, Alain Cheilletz, Philippe de Donato, David A. Banks, Gilles Levresse, Odile Barrès†. (2000) Afghan emeralds face Colombian cousins. Chronique de la Recherche Minière 541. 111-114
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Panjshir E geosketch.jpg


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Fiebre Verde




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PostPosted: Sep 25, 2021 16:50    Post subject: Re: Kamar Safed emerald mine in Panjshir, Afghanistan  

Josele wrote:

After read all these papers I think is clear that this mine is one of the mines of Khenj emerald area and other locations are the result of a mistake that has been jumping from one database to another.


Josele,

I think there is no doubt about that.
As per the description given by Sabot et al., the Kamar Safed mine is located on the northeastern flank of the Khenj valley.

There is an extensive study on small-scale emerald mining in the Panjshir Valley which was published last year
https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2020.1716394 (DeWitt et al.)
link normalized by FMF

The article contains some detailed maps showcasing the mining activity between Khanj (SW) and Darun/Darum (NE) over the last decade or so.
Kamar Safed is nowhere mentioned in these maps (nor in the article).
Same goes with the Khenj District map found in Mindat (attached). ( https://www.mindat.org/photo-1119511.html )
These maps show the location of the various emerald areas, without going to the mine level.

Gérard



Khenj_District.jpg
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Copyright: © UNOCHA / Josele
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Khenj_District.jpg


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