Were it not for this conservatism, the restrictive new law, and other obstacles, the Afghan trade might be worth almost sixty times the annual $3.2 million it is today — perhaps enough to lift villages such as Jegdalek out of poverty. Rubies like Salim’s could go on to adorn the bodies of the world’s ultra-chic, or even follow the path of their famous predecessor the Black Prince, which adorns the British Imperial State Crown. But for now, men like Salim will continue to risk their lives lighting dynamite, chasing a dream as precious and rare as the shimmering stones they hunt.