History's Greatest Diamond Trader That You've Never Heard Of

About this episode

Jean Baptiste Tavernier was a 17th-century French gem trader who made six extraordinary voyages to India, Persia, and Indonesia, and became the first European to handle what would eventually become the Hope Diamond. In this episode of Gem Pursuit, Matthew and Fenya trace the life of one of history's most audacious jewel merchants, from his childhood in a map-maker's shop in Paris to the moment he was granted access to the imperial jewel casket of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. We cover Tavernier's early life on the Ile de la Cite, how growing up surrounded by maps and travelling merchants shaped his ambitions, and how by the age of 22 he had already toured most of Europe and learned its languages. We dig into why he chose the overland Silk Road routes over the sea lanes dominated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), how he used European clocks and jewellery as diplomatic gifts to gain access to rulers across the East, and what his book The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier tells us about diamond trading, the Golconda mines, and the gem world of the 1600s. This is Part 1, ending just as Tavernier is about to open the Mughal emperor's jewel casket. Part 2 is coming. If you're interested in the history of diamonds, famous gemstones, the Hope Diamond, or the hidden stories behind the world's most iconic jewels, this one is for you. Like the episode? Subscribe for more, leave a comment with your thoughts on the Hope Diamond curse, and share it with anyone who loves history, jewellery, or a great adventure story. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and the Hope Diamond connection 01:40 Who was Jean Baptiste Tavernier? 02:37 Early life in Paris and his father's map shop 06:25 The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier 08:07 Tavernier's own words: reading from the book 10:14 Traveling Europe by age 22 14:00 First voyage and the decision to travel overland 18:34 The VOC and the logic of the Silk Road route 20:23 Logistics: bodyguards, customs, and diplomatic gifts 24:48 Tavernier's philosophy on trading 28:34 Second voyage: India, Shah Jahan, and the Golconda mines 36:55 Third voyage: Indonesia and the Dutch East India Company 38:48 Fourth voyage: documenting diamond mining at Golconda 39:22 Fifth voyage: Persia and trading with Eastern royalty 43:24 Tavernier ennobled and buys a chateau in Switzerland 43:55 The sixth voyage and the imperial jewel casket of Aurangzeb 44:49 Why this is a two-part episode 46:17 Outro and where to find us