light.
Instead of revealing the jewels individually or in small groups, Tavernier purposely had presented them together for maximum effect. He learned long ago that those with wealth and prestige were easily bored, even with things as spectacular as diamonds.
The king stirred Tavernier's diamonds with his bejeweled hand as resolve steadily covered his countenance. “I want them,” he finally said, looking at Tavernier for the first time since opening the trunk. “All of them.”
“I thought you might,” he grinned.
Colbert watched the exchange in guarded silence. “We will, of course, need to present these to the court jeweler Monsieur Pitau to check for clarity and irregularities.”
“Of course,” said Tavernier. “You are more than welcome to do so. I think he will find it an easy task, for I only brought those diamonds that are of the clearest grade and largest size. I did not want to waste Your Majesty's time with the rest.”
“There were more?” Louis said with raised eyebrow.
“Thousands more, Your Majesty, but none fit for a king such as yourself.”
“I see.” The king's hand once again slid into the chest and fondled the diamonds.
“And your price, Monsieur Tavernier?” asked Colbert. Hedging in the king's purse was a challenge not for the faint of heart.
Tavernier leaned forward, his face devoid of expression. “For this collection I require 490,000 livres and a title.”
At first the king and his finance minister stared blankly at him, and then they laughed. It was only when Tavernier did not return the mirth that they realized he was quite serious.
“Impressive though your collection may be, it hardly merits advancement in rank. I hardly think you could argue that, Monsieur Tavernier,” Colbert stated coldly.
“That is a pity.” Tavernier looked boldly at the king. “Because you have not yet seen everything I have to offer.”
He reached beneath his robe and pulled the worn buckskin pouch from around his neck. There was a slight moment of hesitation before he gently placed the pouch into the king's outstretched hand.
Louis grinned as he felt the full weight of the leather pouch. The two men locked eyes in a moment of understanding before he opened the drawstrings and slid the large blue diamond into his palm.
Colbert leaned forward and stared at the diamond. “I have never seen such a thing,” he muttered.
“Nor had I,” Tavernier replied, his voice cracking with unexpected emotion. “And Mir Jumla insisted there was something unique about this diamond.”
“How so?” Louis asked, his eyes still wide.
“When I purchased this stone from him, he told me it had been chiseled from the eye of a large Hindu statue. It comes with quite a tale of theft and mystery. Mir Jumla insisted that the stone was cursed. At first I did not believe him, but over the last fifteen years I have come to wonder if his tale does, in fact, bear some truth.”
The king heard little of what Tavernier said, for his gaze was still arrested by the deep blue diamond in his hand.
“Yet I have always intended that stone to be the means by which I receive a title. And if that is too great a price for you to pay, I know of monarchs in both India and Spain who would be more than willing to accommodate me.”
Louis' fingers instinctively closed over the diamond. “A title you say?”
“I have had my heart set on a baronet for quite some time.”
“And 490,000 livres is your price?”
“Yes, for the chest of stones. The great blue is an additional four hundred thousand livres,” he said. “Plus the title.”
Colbert gasped in anger, but the king dismissed his objection. “I feel certain that we can make arrangements, Monsieur Tavernier. It is not every day that I am presented with a stone such as this.”
Tavernier cast a longing glace at his precious blue stone. “Indeed,” he said. “Diamonds such as that one are most rare.”
“So are titles,” Colbert growled.
“A worthwhile
Instead of revealing the jewels individually or in small groups, Tavernier purposely had presented them together for maximum effect. He learned long ago that those with wealth and prestige were easily bored, even with things as spectacular as diamonds.
The king stirred Tavernier's diamonds with his bejeweled hand as resolve steadily covered his countenance. “I want them,” he finally said, looking at Tavernier for the first time since opening the trunk. “All of them.”
“I thought you might,” he grinned.
Colbert watched the exchange in guarded silence. “We will, of course, need to present these to the court jeweler Monsieur Pitau to check for clarity and irregularities.”
“Of course,” said Tavernier. “You are more than welcome to do so. I think he will find it an easy task, for I only brought those diamonds that are of the clearest grade and largest size. I did not want to waste Your Majesty's time with the rest.”
“There were more?” Louis said with raised eyebrow.
“Thousands more, Your Majesty, but none fit for a king such as yourself.”
“I see.” The king's hand once again slid into the chest and fondled the diamonds.
“And your price, Monsieur Tavernier?” asked Colbert. Hedging in the king's purse was a challenge not for the faint of heart.
Tavernier leaned forward, his face devoid of expression. “For this collection I require 490,000 livres and a title.”
At first the king and his finance minister stared blankly at him, and then they laughed. It was only when Tavernier did not return the mirth that they realized he was quite serious.
“Impressive though your collection may be, it hardly merits advancement in rank. I hardly think you could argue that, Monsieur Tavernier,” Colbert stated coldly.
“That is a pity.” Tavernier looked boldly at the king. “Because you have not yet seen everything I have to offer.”
He reached beneath his robe and pulled the worn buckskin pouch from around his neck. There was a slight moment of hesitation before he gently placed the pouch into the king's outstretched hand.
Louis grinned as he felt the full weight of the leather pouch. The two men locked eyes in a moment of understanding before he opened the drawstrings and slid the large blue diamond into his palm.
Colbert leaned forward and stared at the diamond. “I have never seen such a thing,” he muttered.
“Nor had I,” Tavernier replied, his voice cracking with unexpected emotion. “And Mir Jumla insisted there was something unique about this diamond.”
“How so?” Louis asked, his eyes still wide.
“When I purchased this stone from him, he told me it had been chiseled from the eye of a large Hindu statue. It comes with quite a tale of theft and mystery. Mir Jumla insisted that the stone was cursed. At first I did not believe him, but over the last fifteen years I have come to wonder if his tale does, in fact, bear some truth.”
The king heard little of what Tavernier said, for his gaze was still arrested by the deep blue diamond in his hand.
“Yet I have always intended that stone to be the means by which I receive a title. And if that is too great a price for you to pay, I know of monarchs in both India and Spain who would be more than willing to accommodate me.”
Louis' fingers instinctively closed over the diamond. “A title you say?”
“I have had my heart set on a baronet for quite some time.”
“And 490,000 livres is your price?”
“Yes, for the chest of stones. The great blue is an additional four hundred thousand livres,” he said. “Plus the title.”
Colbert gasped in anger, but the king dismissed his objection. “I feel certain that we can make arrangements, Monsieur Tavernier. It is not every day that I am presented with a stone such as this.”
Tavernier cast a longing glace at his precious blue stone. “Indeed,” he said. “Diamonds such as that one are most rare.”
“So are titles,” Colbert growled.
“A worthwhile
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