Ariana: Mohammad Qasim Amiri, the head of the Mines and Petroleum Department in Panjshir said the deposits were found in Parian district. Amiri stated that approximately 1,250 emerald deposits have now been identified in the province. Since the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] took control of the country, local authorities in Panjshir have overseen the extraction and sale of an estimated $24.5 billion worth of emeralds. Click here to read more (external link).