Dragons, gold and property
Humans often believe that many dragons have an "inborn fascination with jewels or precious metals." It might be closer to the mark to say that dragons have an inborn fascination for anything shiny or flashy. Temeraire as a dragonet mistook pyrite for gold until Laurence explained the difference to him. Arkady, who as a feral dragon did not have the background to make such distinctions, was quite overwhelmed when Admiral Jane Roland presented him with a brass chain and a medal (a dinner platter) inscribed with his name. Even Temeraire, who knew brass was worth less than gold, bristled a bit over the size of Arkady's medal. Temeraire was also drawn to the bright, spangly jewellery he saw dragons wearing in bazaars along the Old Silk Road, even after Laurence explained that it was only tin and glass.
Thus, dragons appear to be attracted to jewellery not because of its monetary value - a human concept in any case - but because it can be used to boost their status in draconian society. A dragon displaying flash and glitter - what might be called, in 21st century terms, "bling" - is making a statement that they are ready, willing and able to defend their hoard against challenges from other dragons. Behind the psychological importance of social status lie some bluntly practical reasons a high status is preferable. When food and warm, dry sleeping spots are in short supply, it's the high status dragons who get what they need and the low status dragons who must do without unless a high status dragon chooses to share. A dragon who no longer cared about maintaining their status would be in fact a dragon who no longer cared about staying alive.
Under normal circumstances, it would be almost impossible for a dragon to willingly give up status items to which they had formed an attachment. Among other consequences, this makes it impossible for humans to ask dragons to transport large amounts of gold and jewels for long distances on the humans' behalf. By the time the journey is over, the dragons will have become attached to their cargo and simply won't give it back.
The concept that gold and jewels also have monetary value and can be used as "capital" is not natural to dragons but one that they acquire quickly from humans. A handsome pavillion does just as well for displaying one's social status as a lump of gold - perhaps even better, because it's larger - and dragons readily grasp the principle of using one to purchase the other.
With purchasing power comes the human concept of "property". As Temeraire pointed out, if he bought a cow he could eat it, if Laurence bought an estate they could live upon it and if Laurence bought him a jewel, he could wear it. This does not shed a good light upon the human practice of using money to purchase other humans as slaves or to purchase dragon eggs.
A dragon's natural understanding of property is somewhat differently founded - a dragon displays their jewellery for the sake of making a statement that they are able to defend it. To leave property lying about undefended is, in a dragon's view, an open invitation to help oneself. To leaving property lying about and then argue about its disappearance after the fact is plain nonsense. Thus when Temeraire and the ferals were attacked by Turkish dragons after helping themselves to Turkish cattle, Temeraire sniffed that "those dragons had no business lying out of sight like that and leaving the cows for anyone to take, if they did not like it."
Obviously, the difference between human and draconic concepts of property has the potetntial to create conflict. Humans rely on their property rights under the law to keep their property safe even in their absence, an idea that is nonsensical in draconic terms. Sir Edward Howe noted that this was true even in China, where dragons routinely used marks to purchase goods against accounts held in their own names and disdained to use false marks. "They will without hesitation or any consciousness of shame seize any opportunity which offers of taking a beast from an unattended herd or stall and never consider leaving payment behind; this is not viewed by them as any form of theft." From a dragon's point of view, the herdsman or stall-keeper had no business leaving the beast unattended for anyone to take, if they did not like it.
