Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Kabul (BNA) Use of stones and jewelries has been common since ancient times but unfortunately today, imports of foreign stones and gems have unabated marketing of our original precious stones. In an interview with The Kabul Times reporter, Sayed Zakaria one of the jewelers in Chicken Street, Kabul city said, in today’s domestic markets, Afghans and foreign tourists are the usual customers of domestic engraved stones and our business was progressing but today the situation is disappointing.
He added, our current markets are occupied by foreign jewelries which are made with nice designs and cheap prices.
People focus on quantity not on quality. Those jewelries are made by machine but we lack these equipment otherwise we would attract large number of customers.
Talking on the cutting of Afghan precious stones, Zakaria said, most shopkeepers send stones including Lapis, Emerald etc. to UAE, India and Thailand for cutting and receive them back which requires a huge expenditures. If our national traders with support of government construct and establish a stone cutting factory, the problem of engravers would be concluded. We ask attention of the government.
Chairman of Kabul Engravers Union Mohammad Ibrahim said, since the number of tourists has been decreasing that has caused unfading of domestic jewelries and stones. Afghanistan has not managed to hold a contract with other countries on trade of precious stones and Afghan original stones and jewelries are transferred to outside.
He added, the jewelries imported from India, Thailand, Iran, UAE into our domestic markets, are not pure but are mixed, as their surface are covered with silver and their contents are filled with other materials but Afghan products are made of original and pure silvers.
He clarified that Afghan jewelries in foreign exhibitions have plenty of customers but inside the country no marketing are available.
He asked the government to pave the way for imports of jewelries’ technology and instrument.
Experts believe that, increasing foreign jewelries with desirable designs, have strongly undermined marketing of domestic similar products.
Sellers and customers of jewelries and stones express concern that supply of foreign jewelries decorated with faked and low quality stones has decreased value of original and high quality domestic stones in foreign markets and have bankrupted its markets.
The government and private sector have failed yet to establish and operate a factory for cutting of precious stones inside the country.
Karima-Malikzada
