corundum, Afghanistan.12, history.1,Tajikistan.12, nomenclature, gems

Chardin describes Safavid Persia through the observations of a French jeweller and merchant whose dealings brought him into close contact with the royal court at Isfahan. Accounts of audiences, banquets, diplomatic exchanges and court intrigue accompany broader discussions of government, commerce, manufacturing, manners and the natural environment. Of particular gemmological interest are his detailed negotiations to sell jewels to the shah, revealing the influence of court officials over valuation, access to the ruler and payment. He explains the authority of the chief goldsmith, who supervised royal work in gold, silver and precious stones and received commissions on transactions. His dealings with the nazir expose the additional gifts and financial concessions expected from merchants seeking royal patronage. Descriptions of diplomatic presents and the fees associated with their reception further demonstrate how precious objects circulated through courtly and commercial networks. Chardin also records bargaining through concealed finger signals and the importance of merchants and intermediaries in international trade. These passages provide a firsthand account of the practical and political circumstances of the seventeenth-century jewellery trade, embedded within a wide-ranging portrait of Persian society.