TURQUOISE: OCCURRENCE IN PERSIA 395 



but came more and more into prominence as mining in the mother-rock became more and 

 more neglected, until now they are by no means insignificant. 



About 200 persons were engaged in the 'eighties in the mining of turquoise ; of these 

 about 130 were employed in mining operations in the mother-rock and the remainder in 

 the alluvial deposits. 



The stones collected here in these various ways are usually roughly cut en cabochon 

 on the spot and then taken by the elders of the village, fifteen to twenty in number, into. 

 Meshed for sale. Owing to this fact. Meshed is sometimes incorrectly supposed to be a 

 locality for Persian turquoise. From this place the stone travels, usually through the hands of 

 Bucharian merchants, to Russia, especially to Moscow and to Nizhniy-Novgorod, and is sold 

 at the fairs held at the latter place to dealers, by whom it is carried to all parts of the world. 

 Nishapur has likewise been supposed to be a locality for the fine Persian turquoise, but 

 because the stone is rarely to be seen or bought at that place its actual occurrence in the 

 near neighbourhood has frequently been doubted by travellers. 



The yield of the turquoise mines at the end of the 'seventies was about 25,000 tomans, 

 or ^8300, per annum, one-third of this sum being paid into the State treasury. According 

 to other reports the value of the annual yield is much higher. General Schindler wa& 

 informed by the turquoise merchants at Meshed that turquoises to the value of ^12,000 

 were exported to Russia annually, while the smaller sales in Meshed itself amounted to 

 ,£'4000. This latter item is made up, for the most part, of turquoises mounted in tin or 

 silver, but never in gold, and sold to pilgrims as lucky stones. Many stones are alsa 

 exported through Yezd on the Persian Gulf to Constantinople. 



In the year 1882 a determined effort was made by the Persian Minister of Mines to 

 i-eorganise the management of the turquoise mines and thus to increase their yield. For 

 four years but little improvement was noted, then General Schindler was placed at the 

 head of affairs, and it was hoped that as much as 800,000 francs' worth of turquoise 

 might be exported to Paris every year. These expectations were not entirely realised, 

 as in the first year of the new regime turquoises to the value of 300,000 francs only 

 were obtained ; the employment of European methods, however, soon led to a substantial 

 improvement in the yield, and the future of the mines became more and more hopeful. 



A short time ago Mr. Streeter, a London jeweller, offered to rent and work the 

 mines. As, after a thorough examination of the property, it was found that an outlay of 

 from ,f 50,000 to ,£'60,000 would be necessary to set the mines in good working order, 

 the idea was abandoned. It is said that the work is now likely to be undertaken by an 

 American company. 



Persian turquoises from this locality are often of a beautiful dark blue colour, but pale 

 blue and green stones are also frequently met with. Stones found in the alluvial detritus 

 and having a white external crust of weathered material are said to be of a specially fine 

 colour. The colour, as a rule, is permanent, but in some of the newly opened mines turquoises 

 have been found which, in a very short time after being taken out of the mine, lose their 

 colour and become perfectly white. These stones are preserved in damp earth until they 

 are sold to some unsuspecting person, who, in a short time, receives an unpleasant surprise.^ 

 It is natural that such occurrences should have given rise to a certain distrust and suspicion 

 of Persian turquoise in the minds of dealers in this stone. 



Stones from different mines differ in quality, and they are classified on the spot according 

 to size and shape, and especially according to colour, into three groups. Those of a uniform 

 deep sky-blue colour and of a shape suitable for cutting en cabochon are classified as ring- 

 stones ; these are of the best quality and are not very abundant ; they are [found most 



