Mineral Resources of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

 

The Gilgit-Baltistan Province includes gemstones resources and gold and many other economic commodities

Be-sides gemstones the Gilgit-Baltistan represents many important

mineral resources  like arsenic (arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, malachite,

pyrite) from Dainyor Nala (15 km NE of Gilgit) and Bagrot Nala (20 km N of

Gilgit), bauxite from Chapursan (Hunza), gold in alluvial placer or sediments of

Indus and Gilgit rivers and its tributaries which is being recovered by screen

washing of stream sediments, copper and gold associated with gossans/red iron

oxide/ochre and base metals of Karakoram (Shyok) Suture like Dainyor Nala

(NW of Gilgit), Barit, Bulashgah (also magnetite pod in ophiolitic rocks), Maja-

dar and Bor Nala, and Bagrot Nala, Henzil (10 km NW of Gilgit), Sher Qila (33

km NW of Gilgit), Singal (45 km NW of Gilgit), Nazbar valley (22 km W of Ya-

sin), Shigari Bala area of Skardu and Golo Das and surrounding areas, iron from

Indus Suture and its vicinity areas like Chilas, east of Gilgit, western, northern

and eastern part of Haramosh massif forming lobe and possibly from Karako-

ram suture, lithium/lepidolite from Shengus of Nanga Parbat Massive (numer-

ous pegmatites intruded in gneissic rocks), sheet mica/muscovite from many

pegmatites like Astor, Bagarian and Hawa Gali, uranium from many areas; gra-

phite from Nagar Hunza, Chalt and Chelish, Mesozoic coal from Chapursan

valley, and widely exposed limestones and marbles, beautiful igneous and me-

tamorphic different type of rocks from different areas [9] [10] [11] [24] [25] [26]

[32] [39] [40]. Mineral and gemstones resources of northern areas including

Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir were reported by many workers like [5] [8]

[26] [82]-[117].

Gemstone and Jewelry Resources

Mineral and gemstones resources of northern areas including Gilgit Baltistan

and Azad Kashmir (Figure 1) were reported by many workers like [5] [8] [26]

[82]-[115] and here major sources for gold are [5] [8] [26] [82]-[117], and major

sources for gemstones for the present report and also for our previous report

[26] are [5] [8]. The different varieties of gemstones from Gilgit Baltistan were

first reported in 1956 [114]. The Gilgit Baltistan province is very significant for

gemstone resources because of hosting two main sutures like northern Indus

and Karakoram (Shyok Suture). The high temperature created by geodynamicsand tectonic collision of Indo-Pak subcontinent, so their sutures are producing

gemstones and also significant for further exploration. Gemstones like aquama-

rine from Askere, Shingus, Dusso and Tisgtung of Gilgit; emerald from Khalta-

ro of Gilgit; moonstone from Shingus and Bulechi (Gilgit); quartz from Gilgit

and Skardu; red ruby and spinel (magnesium aluminate) from Hunza are morea ttractive than Burma, and pargasite cabochons (green amphibolite; locally  as Hunza emerald) from Hunza valley; rose quartz from Dusso pege-matites near Skardu; topaz from pegmatites from Bulechi, Shingus and Gone

near Dusso in Skardu; gem tourmaline (pink, blue, green and black) from peg-

matites of Haramosh Range like Stak Nala between Gilgit and Skardu, Bulechi

and Shingus; beautiful pyrite, malachite and azurite in pegmatite near Gilgit

(Saqlin Abbas, Gilgit)