Iran's homegrown treasure: the spice that costs more than gold

By Kieron Monks

Updated 1110 GMT (1910 HKT) September 3, 2015

Saffron pickers in Masshad, Iran, the hub of the global industry.
Photos: Iran's red gold traders thrive in isolation
Saffron pickers in Masshad, Iran, the hub of the global industry.
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Around 200,000 red strands must be plucked from Crocus Sativus flower to produce each pound of the world's most expensive spice.
Photos: Iran's red gold traders thrive in isolation
Around 200,000 red strands must be plucked from Crocus Sativus flower to produce each pound of the world's most expensive spice.
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A worker sorts and cleans saffron filaments at Iran's Novin Saffron factory in Touss industrial zone in Mashhad.
Photos: Iran's red gold traders thrive in isolation
A worker sorts and cleans saffron filaments at Iran's Novin Saffron factory in Touss industrial zone in Mashhad.