Introduction of ‘Monazere-y-e Goharhā’ (Debate of Jewels): the most comprehensive prose debate in the Persian literature

In the treasury of Persian manuscripts, there are many books on the subject of mineralogy under the name of ‘Javāhir-nāmeh’ or ‘Marifat-al-jawāhir’. The subject of jewelry is the introduction of gems, the description of traits, types, mines, flaws, maintenance methods, their medical properties and prices, and even the recognition of some of the least valuable gems, metals, and sometimes perfumes. Similar to other works in the field of natural sciences, they are written in a scientific, simple and fluent prose and their contents involve repeated themes adapted from Al- Jamāhir’ and ‘Javāhir nāmeh’ by AbuRayhān Al-Biruni and Nezāmi, respectively. A unique version of ‘Monazere-y-e Goharha’ (Debate of Jewels), which is held in the Islamic Consultative Assembly Library, is written in a completely different style. Its unknown author has used an inventive format of debate to introduce twelve jewels. In this way, he/she has shifted from a scientific style to a narrative and attractive one and has created the most comprehensive Persian prose debate. It’s exact and, sometimes, unique information about some jewels and their Indian synonyms have added to the distinctiveness of the work.