Emerald Miners: 10242007_Becherer_Emeralds004

Ahmad Lais Amin, 22, right, looks for signs of emerald in a handful of dirt he has excavated as, Aziz, a miner from a nearby cave holds the light and looks for signs of success in the slope of the Hindu Kush mountains towering over the Panjshir Valley near the village of Khenj, in Afghanistan on Thursday October 25, 2007. Miners sometimes drop in on promising excavations to snoop for better locations or to watch a big find.
October 25, 2007- Khenj, Afghanistan

Ahmad Lais Amin, 22, right, looks for signs of emerald in a handful of dirt he has excavated as, Aziz, a miner from a nearby cave holds the light and looks for signs of success in the slope of the Hindu Kush mountains towering over the Panjshir Valley near the village of Khenj, in Afghanistan on Thursday October 25, 2007. Miners sometimes drop in on promising excavations to snoop for better locations or to watch a big find.