Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t1.11

v2.c43.s3.t1.11

Pricing (mūlyam) of diamond and other gems was elaborately discussed in most of the Ratnaśāstra texts (AM, 49-52; Br. Saṃ. 79.12-16; RP, 39; Finot, xxx). From the data, it appears that price of diamond (in kārṣāpaṇas) per unit mass (in taṇḍulas) varied approximately with the square of the mass. With a tenfold increase in mass (from 2 to 20 taṇḍula or 4 carats) price per unit mass increased 100 times (200 to 2 lakh kārṣāpaṇas). Thus absolute price increased proportionately with the cubic power of the mass of the diamond sample. The price came down with various kinds of defects which were listed.