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Jean-Baptiste Tavernier

Type Figure Region France Time 1605–1689 Also known as Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (Chinese alias)、Tavernier

French gem merchant and traveler who made six journeys to Persia and India, buying diamonds for European courts;…

Timeline

  1. 1630–1640Isfahan · Isfahan ProvinceSetting out from Paris, he reached Persia via Constantinople, Aleppo and other trade routes, traded in gems and luxury goods in Isfahan and elsewhere, established contacts with the Safavid court and Indian merchants, completed his first eastern journeys and accumulated great capital.
  2. 1641–1649Agra · Uttar PradeshAround 1641 he set out on his third journey to India, penetrating deep into the Mughal Empire, buying diamonds and pearls in Agra, Delhi and elsewhere, and having audiences with court figures such as Shah Jahan. This trip spanned most of the period 1641–1650, leaving rich first-hand material for his travel account.
  3. 1650–1689Paris · Île-de-FranceAround 1650 he returned from the East and presented the famous blue diamond (later cut into the Hope Diamond) to Louis XIV. He then published The Six Travels, systematically describing the courts, trade routes and customs of Persia and India, and continued his sixth eastern journey into his later years.

Sources