Welcome to the Himalayan Gems and Jewelry. I established the company on August 20, 2016, in San Diego, California, focusing on wholesale of gemstones originating from my home country, Afghanistan. My main objective is to market the Afghan gems worldwide and help the people of this country to get educated in this industry, resulting in a more stable state and a stronger economy. We are offering exclusive rare Rubies from Jegdelak, Emeralds from Panjshir Valley, and the most beautiful spinel from Badakhshan (Balas rubies). Sapphires from the North of Afghanistan will be in our inventory soon as the new sources are emerging.
I believe it is essential to know where and how your gems are sourced. This becomes increasingly important in today’s world where conflict is widespread, and gems are stolen or otherwise illegally obtained. Furthermore, there is no industry-wide standard to determine where the gem has come from, how it was collected, or who has handled your gem. Most companies or jewelers will, at best, be able to state the country of origin. At Himalayan Gems and Jewelry, we mine or buy the rough from the artisanal miners and export them legally out of the country of origin, and facet them by our professional cutters to high standards emphasizing the beauty of each gem. Hence, we connect cultures and create forever-lasting friendships with our vertical integrated business system.
Afghanistan has a rich history, cultural and mineral wealth; unfortunately, decades of war have eroded the infrastructure. I believe that the best way to give back to a region is through the use of business partnerships to enrich the lives of the people and the area, and buying from mines only in regions of Afghanistan that are free from conflict. Our mission statement mandates a mutually beneficial relationship, and we engage intending to enhance the local communities because they allow us to prosper. One of the ways to rebuild Afghanistan is to revive the mining industry, which suffered a severe setback as a result of the prolonged conflict that plagued the country. Most mining has traditionally been the domain of artisanal (small-scale) miners. And this is no different in Afghanistan. However, in some mines, the miners use explosives left from the soviet’s time for extraction, which has enormous life risks and also damages the gemstones, resulting in a poor quality outcome. Millions of dollars in gems are being wasted each year practicing the same method. And to make a difference, the local community has to benefit from the mining activity. Traditions must be maintained, and cultural norms are respected, and we must assure that the environment is not damaged. Our deep roots in the culture and customs of the country, and being of an Afghan descent and close relationship with elders from the local sources who recognize their country’s vast natural resources, and its potential to drive economic development caused a great understanding between us and the miners in resolving this issue with providing them the right mining equipment that’s being used at other modern countries. We DON’T allow child labor in our mining or cutting operations, and we continuously improve safety measures and increase profits. We developed a proprietary system that tracks each gem as it travels through our value chain by implementing a vertically integrated system. We record and track the gemstone’s movement, and we are, at any given point, able to tell you who handled your gem, where it has been, and where it has come from, which includes the mine and the miner who mined it. We believe in giving back in support of those who allow our business to prosper, and we will work to develop local schools, training centers, and safety classes to result in higher wages for the locals and improve their standards of living. Ethical mining is heard and spoken by everyone in the jewelry industry, but in Himalayan Gems and Jewelry, it’s our practiced business ethic following the high standards of the mining industry. When you buy any gems from Himalayan Gems and Jewelry, You are the first owner of these precious and rare gemstones and you have the assurance that your gem is yours and has never been worn by another.
We Import/Export, our goods by our own agents and you, are rest assured your gemstones reach you directly in the fastest way possible
CUSTOMSOur Afghan rough gemstones are exported legally. First, they get submitted to the ministry of mine for inspection, evaluation, and payment of taxes. Then they are forwarded to the Afghanistan Customs for another review and payment of duty, and at the final stage, we receive stamped documents from these offices as proof of full payment of taxes.
EXPORT/IMPORTHimalayan Gems and Jewelry is one of the few commercial firms in the World to commercially and officially export Afghan gemstones from the mines of Afghanistan Worldwide.
Note: almost 90% of Afghan gemstones distributed globally in today’s markets are NOT compliant with Afghan Customs Laws severely impacting the fair trade and the welfare of Afghanistan
Gem cutting is a centuries-old profession. It has evolved from using natural gems and cabochons in estate jewelry and royal jewelry collections during the Middle Ages; to today’s precision-cut gemstones utilizing precise angles for maximum brilliance.
After conducting researches for months and profoundly studying the cutting industry in Afghanistan, we found that most of the rough material is exported out of Afghanistan to other countries such as Pakistan, India, and Thailand for cutting and polishing. Only a few small lapidaries are active in Kabul with very primitive tools lacking training, which offers unsymmetrical and poor quality cuts to the market. This has become a reason for wholesalers to decide not to cut the rough locally.
Himalayan Gems and Jewelry will open a cutting center in Kabul, Afghanistan introducing advanced cutting tools like Ultra-tech faceting machines and equipment to the market, and we will hold training classes supervised by our professional cutters who have years of experience working in LA, to train Afghan women and men to gain skills, and the knowledge to operate these machines. This will be a new era for a cutting center to be born in the country and region, which will help the economy of the country and its people.
At Himalayan Gems and Jewelry, we aim for high-quality polish and excellent cuts. Our precise cuts are designed to bring out the very best in each gem. We use 50,000 and 100,000 grit diamond polish discs to maximize the light reflection of the facets; however, most commercial cutting houses use diamond polish discs of 14,000 or lower grits. Following these steps increases light reflection and provides a gem that is brighter than your regular retail cut stones. We also accept orders to custom cut gems and suits of gems to the shape our customer desires. You tell us what quality range (Good, Fine, Extra fine) of material you need and we will have our professional cutters to choose the right rough with the right color and quality for you, and cut the gems with the exact dimension and design you desire