Approximately 47 kilometers from Khorog, towering above the village of Kuhilal, stands the majestic mountain that shares its name. This site is home to the legendary Badakhshan «lal»—a precious gemstone known as noble spinel. Referred to as the «Badakhshan Lal,» it has been recognized throughout history, with mentions found in Hudud al-Alam (982 AD), the book of Mineralogy by al-Biruni, and even in the writings of Marco Polo (13th century). Polo recounted that the people of Shighnan (Shugnan) mined the mountain for rubies by royal decree. Archaeological studies of Kuhilal Mountain have uncovered nearly 500 ancient mining sites, dating from the 8th to 11th centuries.
The distinct reddish mark on the slope of Kuhilal makes the mountain easily recognizable after just a few turns beyond Andarob. These gemstones, known as «lal,» have long been a hallmark of Badakhshan and one of its most enduring symbols. The name «Lali Badakhshan» («Treasure of Badakhshan») is so significant in the region that even an opposition political party during the civil war in the early 1990s adopted the name. In earlier times, it was believed that the gems from the Pamir Mountains were rubies, but Soviet geologists later discovered that these gems were actually noble spinel. Though visually indistinguishable from rubies, spinel is slightly softer. It was only during Soviet times that purely ruby-bearing deposits were discovered in the highlands of Murghab. However, the spinel from Kuhilal was of such quality that it adorned the crowns of Timur (Tamerlane), the Great Mughals, Ivan the Terrible, and Russian tsars. In terms of price per carat, Badakhshan spinels and rubies are second only to Burmese gems.
Mining for spinel continues on the slopes of Kuhilal Mountain to this day. For those with a deeper interest in the topic, the book Spinel from Kuh-i-Lal, Pamir, Badakhshan, Tajikistan: The Original ‘Ruby’ — A Treasure Beyond Time by Vladyslav Y. Yavorskyy comes highly recommended. The book, published in 2019 in Hong Kong by PressRoom, is dedicated to the spinel deposits of Kuhilal and the author’s journey to the region’s mines.
Spinel has long been mistaken for ruby. Two of the most famous gemstones in the world—the «Black Prince’s Ruby,» weighing 170 carats, and the «Timur Ruby,» weighing 361 carats—are both part of the British Crown Jewels. In the opening pages of the book, readers are introduced to these and other magnificent spinels, including an extraordinary 398-carat gem from the Imperial Crown of Russia. All of these stones were mined from the same source. References to Kuhilal date back to the 11th century and even earlier. Both Marco Polo and al-Biruni described the rich deposits, where, for over two thousand years, red and pink gemstones have been extracted.
The rich history and unparalleled beauty of the Kuhilal spinel continue to captivate gemologists, historians, and adventurers alike, solidifying its place among the world’s most treasured stones.
