Every time Mohammed al-Ghoraifi visits Najaf he returns with another precious stone on his finger. Like for many pilgrims visiting the Iraqi Shiite holy city, buying a gemstone ring is part and parcel of the experience. Ghoraifi, sporting two weighty rings on the right hand and a third on the left on his latest visit, said they formed only a modest part of his collection. The collection may have cost him a small fortune, but “the stones have enormous value, whatever the cost”, said the 60-year-old pilgrim from Bahrain, wearing…
Read MorePilgrims bring boom times for Iraqi gem traders
