Precious Stones of Mashhad

Precious stones of Mashhad have a long history in Iran. Khorasan Razavi and Mashhad (a metropolitan located in the Northeast of Iran and is the center of Khorasan Razavi Province) are active in this field for thousands of years ago.

The mines in Khorasan Razavi consist of more than 15 types of gemstones such as garnet, types of agates, turquoise, types of quartz, types of jasper, aquamarine, and types of ruby.

The city of Mashhad has many precious gemstones like agates and turquoise, which are internationally famous for their uniqueness; it is worth mentioning that the oldest turquoise mine in the world (back to five thousand years ago) is located in this city.

Mashhad’s intricately-designed silver jeweler studded with rubies and emeralds is also well-known. 4.28 % of the country’s gold is consumed in Khorasan Razavi and especially in Mashhad.

The most important lithology laboratories of international standards are specialized training centers for gemstones and jeweler industry projects in Mashhad, which has been linked to many handicrafts such as carving, engraving on stones, and creating employment and occupations for over 16,000 people in Mashhad.

A huge number of people with advanced training are active in the field of precious stones and related activities including turquoise placement, carving, calligraphy, ring metalwork, inlay, etc. In addition, the province’s annual export of precious stones is estimated at over 1200 billion riyals and will increase in the coming years.

All these potentials in the field of producing, processing, designing, consuming, and trading precious and semi-precious stones, as well as the establishment and development of numerous training centers and workshop of cutting and abrasion of stones have been a major factor in choosing this city as the World Craft City for gemstones. Therefore, The World Crafts Council designated Mashhad as the global city of gemstones in 2016.