Gemstones of Rs. 500 mln value extracted annually from Gilgit-Baltistan.

ISLAMABAD, October 02, 2009 (Balochistan Times): Around Rs. 500 million worth of gemstones are extracted annually from Gilgit-Baltistan and more measures are being adopted to explore other precious minerals. It has been confirmed that nearly all valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan are rich with gold and base metals but the need is investment to explore them in order to change fate of the area. As per surveys conducted for gold and base metals carried by Pakistan Mineral Development CorporationThe Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) is an autonomous corporation attached to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, of the Government of Pakistan. It was created in 1974 with an authorized capital of Rs.
..... Click the link for more information. (PMDC PMDC Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation
PMDC Permanent Magnet Direct Current
PMDC Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (Islamabad)
PMDC Polarization Mode Dispersion Compensator (optical communications, telecommunications) ) and on the basis of Geo-chemical and hard rock samples, around 11 prospect areas confirmed gold value ranging from 0.10 to 24 Parts Per Millionparts per million

mg/kg or ml/l; see ppm.
..... Click the link for more information. (PPM) in hard rock while 5 PPM gold is economical in the world, Secretary Tourism and Mineral Department, Naib Khan told here Friday. He said a total number of 3947 geo-chemical stream sediment samples were collected from less then one sq km to 250 sq km, covering 45,500 sq km gold anomalies alone counted over 100, ranging in content from 5 PPM to 300 PPM. Around 500 samples were collected from hard rock including river floats and out crops. A total of 50 samples pertaining to 10 areas conform gold values ranging from 0.10 pm to 24.0 pm according to laboratory reports, he said and added the gold washers still recover gold from placer deposits of Gilgit-Baltistan. Naib Khan said the area is also rich with white colour Marble deposits of Shigar (Skardu), Nasirabad (Hunza) and Gupis (Ghizer) which are considered to be of international standard. The other gemstones which are extracted from the area include Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Aquamarine, Tourmaline, Garnet, Fluorite fluorite (fl`ərīt) or fluorspar (fl , Pargasite, Spinal, Zircon, Topaz, Berylspar, Corundumcorundum (kərŭn`dəm), mineral, aluminum oxide, Al2O3. The clear varieties are used as gems and the opaque as abrasive materials. Corundum occurs in crystals of the hexagonal system and in masses.
..... Click the link for more information., Marganite, Serpentine, Sulpher, Moonstone moonstone, an orthoclase feldspar, found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Madagascar (and formerly in the St. Gotthard district of Switzerland). In spite of its pronounced cleavage, it is widely used as a gem. , Amethyst. He said local administration was taking a major policy initiative to expand mineral sector of Gilgit-Baltistan and also encouraging local as well foreign investment in the sector. Accordingly, the Secretary said many exploration licenses and mining leases have been granted to national and foreign investors and more applications for licenses are under process.

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