<論説>オランダ東インド会社によるダイヤモンド交易 : J・P・クーンの書簡集を中心に

Abstract

オランダ東インド会社によるダイヤモンドの購入は、まずボルネオ島北西岸スカダナを中心に始められ、一六二〇年代にコロマンデル海岸を積み出し港とするインド産のものへと拡大していった。後者は埋蔵量・産出量ともに豊富と見なされ、会社も当初は大きな期待を寄せたが、実際には現地での紛争・政策等に左右された不安定な供給量、購入価格の高騰に悩まされ続けた。そのため、会社はインドでの取引開始後も、互いに供給を補完するような形で双方の産地で取引を行い、これにより継続的に原石を入手し続けようとした。これは本国の研磨技術の発展とも結びつき、今日まで続くオランダのダイヤモンド研磨業の基盤形勢に役立ったと考えられる。また、東南アジア各地の君主へのダイヤモンド売却の例は、当時ヨーロッパにおける研磨業の中心であったオランダの技術がこの地域でも好まれ、取引の要件としても重要であったことを示唆するものである。

Diamonds had not been obtained except from India and Borneo before mines were found in Brazil in the 18th century. While in India they have been valued highest of all of the precious stones since ancient times, in Europe, coloured stones like rubies and sapphires were preferred because diamonds could not be cut and polished as beautifully as they can now. As the technique of cutting and polishing developed, especially in the Netherlands, from the latter half of the 15th century, their value rose. In the early 17th century, diamond trade by the Vereenighde Oost Indische Compagnie (V.O.C.) was found both in India and in Borneo. At first, until around 1620, the V.O.C. purchased diamonds mainly from Sukadana on the west coast of Borneo, and then, after the discovery of new mines in Golconda in 1621, the diamond trade was organized in Coromandel on the southeast coast of India. In the 1620's, the diamond trade in both of these areas influenced each other. When the company could obtain only a few diamonds in one area, it ordered the staff of another area to purchase more. The diamond trade was deeply connected with local rulers. In Golconda, all stones which were more than about 8 carats had to be offered to the king. He controlled mines and sometimes closed them. Some rulers in Southeast Asia bought polished diamonds from the V.O.C., sometimes at a higher price than in Europe. They seemed to like the European style cutting by Dutch polishers. Diamonds did not have the greatest volume and were not the most profitable for the V.O.C., but their continuous purchase in the early 17th century was deeply connected with the development of polishing techniques in the Netherlands. Even now the diamond industry in the Netherlands is very developed and famous.