The Cost of Jade

Stretched across the northern mountains of Myanmar, Kachin State is the jade mining capital of the world. A single stone, once cut and processed for the international market, can sell for several million dollars. But although the industry comprises nearly half of the country’s GDP, at around $31 billion annually, it hasn’t done much to lift Myanmar from the bottom ranks of the world poverty index. Photos by Hkun Lat.
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