'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOLUME I' [‎257r] (530/820)

About 20 or 30 pairs of stones are obtained annually, and sold at about
6 tumdns a pair.
The Persian Government, up to the 21st March 1882, has received,
on account of these four mines, the sum of 8,000 tumdns per annum.
Either the inhabitants of the Ma’dan village paid this sum themselves, and
worked the mines at their own risk, or some person farmed the mines from
the Government for the same sum,—retained one or two mines for his own
exclusive benefit, worked one or two others in partnership with some of the
villages, and sub-let the remainder for 5,000 or 6,000 tumdns per annum to
the villagers. The villagers generally paid whatever was agreed upon in
turquoises ; and they could sell the turquoises they obtained when and how
they liked. The money they had to pay was divided, at the rate of 60
tumdns a head, among the ra’dyats —some rd’dyats according to their means,
number of children, etc., paying a whole head ; others seven-eighths, three-
fourths, etc., to one-quarter of a head, or 15 tumdns a year. The Jcadkhu-
dds,* of whom there were five, paid nothing, and fixed the amount each
ra'dyat was to pay. Some Saiyxds, two or three mullds, the barbers, and
some of the relatives and friends of the kadkhudds, were also exempted.
The barbers of this district possess firmans of the Safavian monarchs
exempting them from taxes in perpetuity.
The salt mine was given to the Saiyids of the village, in lieu of 250
tumdns pension, during Karim Khan’s reign. The Saiyids lately sold their
right to the salt mine for about 2,000 tumdns to some of the villagers, who
since then call the mine their private property. In the Government accounts,
however, the mine still figures as Crown property at a yearly rent of 250
tumdns, and this sum is included in the 8,000 tumdns which the Government
receives from the turquoise mine and its villages. From the 21st March 1882,
His Majesty the Shah gave the turquoise mines of the Ma’dan district to
the Mukhbir-ud-Dauleh for a period of 15 years, the latter paying 9,000
tumdns for the first year and 18,000 tumdns for the remaining 14 years.
The turquoises at the mine are first divided into three classes :—
(1) Angushtdrl. (2) Bdrkhdneh.
(3) 'Arabi.
(1) All turquoises of good and fast colour and favourable shape are
classed with the ‘ angushtdri ’ stones (ring stones). They are sold by
the piece. It is impossible to fix any price, or classify them according to
different qualities.
A stone two-thirds of an inch in length, two-fifths of an inch in width,
and about \ inch thick, cut * paikdni ’ shape, was valued at Meshed
at £300. Another of the same prize, shape and cut was only valued at
£80. Turquoises the size of a pea are sometimes sold for £8. The colour
most prized is deep sky-blue. A small speck of a lighter colour, which
only connoisseurs can distinguish, or an almost imperceptible tinge of green,
decreases the value considerably. Then there is that indefinable property
of a good turquoise, the i zat,' > something like the water of a diamond or the
lustre of a pearl. A fine-coloured turquoise without the '‘zat ’ is not worth
much. A deep colour, almost an indigo-like blue, is called ‘ talkh ’ (bitter)
* Headmen.