Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-89) was a French explorer who undertook six voyages to the East Indies and Persia. He amassed a fortune in the trade of precious stones having dealt directly with the rulers of Mughal India. Tavernier was one of the first Europeans to visit the legendary Golconda diamond mines, and in 1668 he obtained a 112 carat blue diamond. This infamous stone, now known as the Hope Diamond, was sold to King Louis XIV of France and was recut in 1673.