gems, turquoise, Iran, Persia, Nishapur

Bitard describes the turquoise mines of Khorassan in the Maden valley of Nishapur, where turquoise-bearing veins occur in trachytic rocks at elevations of about 1,500–1,800 m. He identifies the principal working as the ancient Abdurrézagi mine, at about 1,800 m, and notes that mining is hazardous because of the unstable rock and rudimentary methods. The mines are worked by local inhabitants, including specialists known as ferhans, who open abandoned workings and search the debris for turquoise. Bitard remarks that relatively little turquoise of high quality is recovered, since the material commonly discolors on exposure to air; the most valued stones are those retaining a fine sky-blue color. He recounts anecdotes illustrating the exceptional prices commanded by superior specimens, including a stone reportedly bought at Meshed for 250 francs and later sold in Paris for 15,000 francs. The article also describes the miners’ precarious economic circumstances: they receive only a fraction of the value of their finds, pay government dues and mining rights, and commonly spend their earnings rapidly on provisions and opium.