Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan.15
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
The Iranian sixth international exhibition on gold, jewellery and related machinery will open in Tehran on Feb. 13, IRNA reported on January 15.
Representatives from Germany, Italy, Turkey, South Korea and Japan will present their products at the four day event.
Germany, Italy, and Turkey are among the main manufacturers of precious stone machining tools.
In May 2013, IRNA quoted deputy head of the Geological Survey of Iran, Behrouz Borna as saying that Iran's gold reserves are estimated to be over 340 tons.
Fifteen gold mines are being operated on across the country and two others will be added in the current year, Borna said.
Iran ranks 12th in Asia and 42nd in the world in terms of gold reserves, he added.
The country's gold production capacity is projected to hit 10 tons in the current Iranian calendar year which ends on March 20, 2014, he noted.
Iran is ranked among the 15 major mineral-rich countries of the world and exports its industrial and mineral products to 159 countries, including Iraq, China, the United Arab Emirates, India and Afghanistan.
Iran's important mines include coal, metallic minerals, sand and gravel, chemical minerals and salt.
The country has the world's largest zinc and second largest copper deposits and ranks ninth for its iron reserves.