Magmatic evolution, Gemological properties and Economic potential of the Spodumene-Pegmatite vein deposits, Kunar Dara-i-Pech, North/Eastern Afghanistan.

Numerous rare-metal pegmatites are found in the mountainous terrain of the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan. The igneous rocks bodies around Dara-i-pech, Kunar, NE Afghanistan are studied in terms of their petrography, field features, and Gemological properties. Field relationships and petrographic studies lead to a distinction of the study area into (i) host rocks i.e. Grandiorite, Diorite, Quartz Diorite, Quartz-mica-schist and (ii) pegmatite bodies. Texturally the rocks are granoblastic at places, however, massive medium to coarse grained and foliated varieties do occur, particularly along the shear zones. Furthermore, the crystals have radiating and interlocking texture medium to coarse grained varieties consists of zoned, saussuritized plagioclase, and perthitic alkali feldspar. The groundmass is predominanted by plag-feldspar, biotite, quartz, minor to accessory amounts of tourmaline, muscovite, spodumene, chlorite, epidote, garnet, zircon, sphene, and beryl. Field features and Petrographic studies of pegmatites suggest that these pegmatites are spatially and genetically related to Oligocene-age which represent the youngest of three phases of the Laghman intrusive complex. Some of the unclassified pegmatites are also encountered which haven’t reported before. From all the tests conducted for Gemological studies and analyzing hand specimens it is concluded that the crystals is Kunzite, Hiddenite, triphane, the gem varieties of Spodumene. Sizeable amount of gem varieties and museum quality crytals of Quartz, triphane and schorl are encountered and can be used for jewelry making and collection purposes. With increasing in lithium demands the studied spodumene pegmatites have the potential both in terms of its extent, grade and can be extracted economically.