Gemscentric

Written by Julian Robov


Twenty Four


It was an important day. Denise Wong and Potch were awaiting Rudy at The Blue Color Club on Soi 23, Sukhumvit Road. Potch checked the time, and before she could switch on her cell-phone, Rudy arrived. Just on time. He was always like that. She liked it and complimented him with a juicy kiss on his cheek. After introducing Denise, they moved to a comfortable place for the real business. It was just the three of them.
“Denise likes to collect beautiful things in the world, including people. Am I correct?” Potch said glancing at Denise. Instead, she nodded with a wry smile. Rudy knew it all. Denise was really beautiful. He could hardly believe there were so many beautiful women in Asia.
“Can I call you Rudy?” Denise interrupted.
“Of course.”
“I don’t know much about gemstones or blue sapphires, but Potch had only good things to say about you. I would very much appreciate it if you could explain it in a simple way the intricate facts, when it comes to judging blue sapphires. I have a lot of friends in Hong Kong and mainland China, who to tell you frankly don’t have a clue about gemstones, but love collecting them for personal adornment or whatever. So what should I look for, when it comes to appreciating blue sapphires?” Denise asked smartly.
“Well, blue sapphires don’t come in that perfect blue hue. Quite a lot of them have either a tint of green or violet, which in turn decreases the overall beauty of the gem. I may have to remind you that beauty is still in the eye of the beholder. Some people do like these hues—that is, greenish blue or violetish blue. There is now a common understanding among the trade—that the best blue sapphires should be free from any secondary colors—such as violet or green with a medium tone, because a dark or light tone can ruin the overall color of a blue sapphire. Once you get that ideal color in the gem—that becomes the benchmark to judge other stones. Then, of course, the color should be evenly spread with no color banding or zoning—with minimum eye distracting inclusions, followed by a good cut. When you have all those qualities in the gem—that blue sapphire obviously must be a beautiful gem to be appreciated for the rest of your life. And, lighting is also important. Blue gems tend to look washed out under incandescent light, while fluorescent lighting enhances the overall color of the gem without any doubt. So the trick is if blue sapphires look a good blue under incandescent light, then the gem has already passed the test. These are the factors you need to keep in mind, while judging blue sapphires assuming you are color normal,” Rudy commented.
“Wow! You made my day. I haven’t heard anyone describing how to judge blue sapphires simply. I should have met you a long time ago,” Denise glanced at Potch with an appreciating smile. Potch nodded. Denise began to like Rudy. It was the beginning.
“Let’s have something to eat,” Potch interrupted. She had already made the arrangement cleverly with Sheraton Grande, her favorite. It was noon.
“Why don’t you come to Hong Kong? I am sure there are quite a lot of them who may want to listen to your advice, don’t you think so? You can stay with me if you like,” Denise said.
Potch became alert.
“Sure. Why not?” Rudy added. But he was careful not to go further knowing the consequences. He hoped they knew nothing of Jeffrey Generall, especially Seri Fonhlaeng. Hong Kong was one of their main markets. Anything was possible given the time it took for gemstones to travel around due to their portability.
“Denise will be staying only for two days in Bangkok,” Potch continued. “I think Rudy will have some nice blues to show us.”
Rudy nodded.
After the meal, Rudy extracted a small box of blue sapphires, and spread the gems on a white tray for her to view. He wanted to show her how these gems looked under skylight as well.
“Aren’t they gorgeous?” Denise commented, even before Rudy was preparing to say something. She was hooked and he knew it immediately. In fact, he didn’t want to drag her time by showing the difference by displaying low commercial, commercial, fine, and extra-fine quality. He had more important things in mind—his business and the right people. But he didn’t wanted to offend Potch. So he brought the best quality (the second best quality) for her to view.
Altogether there were twenty stones: five were from Mogok (Burma), ten were from Pailin (Cambodia), and five from Kanchanaburi (Thailand). All were untreated with light inclusions and fair to good cut.

Denise and Potch viewed all the twenty stones, which were laid face-up (table-up) and they had difficulty choosing the best. He explained in a simple way the intricate differences between each stone without even uttering its price. The sky was clear with no dark clouds. After gazing at the twenty blue sapphires for more than half an hour, Denise picked five stones—five Burmese blue sapphires—each weighing 8carats, 14.57carats, 9.01carats, 18.88 carats, and 7.77carats respectively.
Then all of a sudden, Potch picked two pairs of Pailin sapphires weighing 9carats each closing the deal. Rudy remained quiet waiting for the next move. They were viewing the gems under the incandescent and fluorescent lighting in the room. They looked the same, but looked much better under skylight.

Rudy had the price calculated separately for their convenience. There was no bargaining. He knew Potch had already done the briefing. After receiving the check, they shook hands and went back to their seats. A perfect day.

This was his first deal after the Cambodian ordeal. His instincts were back.
And by now Denise had gone to the toilet. He leaned forward to thank Potch, instead she kissed him hard giving the surprise of the day. It all happened so quickly, he remained quiet. He knew that she was doing all she could her way of course to help him. It was an indirect message as well. She sighed, as Denise returned to her seat.
He glanced at his watch. Potch noticed it and signaled him to stay a bit longer.
“It’s just amazing how you get these blue sapphires. You should be really enjoying this profession,” Denise commented, while sipping the orange juice.
“Yeah. It’s in my blood, I guess. I really enjoy the thrill and reward. It’s not for everyone, but in my case it’s destiny, I suppose,” Rudy added.
Meanwhile, Potch was talking on her cell-phone to someone, away from the dining table. She was a busy woman.
“I wish I had known a bit more about gems a long time ago,” Denise said. “We are in the real estate and commodities business. Money is good, but sometimes my husband doesn’t understand the meaning of love. You know what I mean?”
Not again. Rudy had enough. This was a common statement from all the rich women he had known with time—fucking love. It was missing in their lives. Now Denise was showing all those symptoms. He became alert.
“I’m afraid no,” Rudy commented sheepishly. Instead, she laughed.
“You don’t know what love means? I can teach one or two lessons. I like the way you are looking at me. You are so innocent. I like it. You are so sweet,” she said affectionately.
Rudy sat perplexed, as Potch joined them at the table. Denise was enjoying the conversation. He had no idea what these women were after even though he made a good kill from the deal.
“Busaban will be joining us in a moment,” Potch said. “We will move away from gems and talk about something else instead. By the way, a lot of things are happening in Malaysia and Indonesia, which is not good. I really don’t understand why the media hates Mahathir and Suharto. They are our good friends and have given us good business in the region, aren’t they? What’s going on?”
Rudy knew the politics in the region. Full blown cronyism and corruption were part of the culture, and it remained a blessing in disguise for people like him, when it came to selling gems. Other well connected politicians-cum-businessmen always took advantage of this unique relationships through favorable contracts and commissions—thus enhancing their wealth and status. Potch and Denise were no different. They did business with Mahathir and Suharto cronies maintaining that strong and durable relationship, despite a deep outcry from the people and media. It was everywhere in Asia, and a very few took advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I don’t think there should be anything to worry about. Mahathir and Suharto know the end game. At the end of the day, they always win. And we always like to win, don’t we?” Denise said plainly.
“You’re right,” Rudy added. “The powerful always win. I like your statement.”
Potch seconded.
Rudy had learned one thing in his life. Nothing was permanent except change.
Relationships changed all the time like the weather. That’s why he liked the gem business. Super gems and the rich were like magnets. It was part of their culture. And the desire to obtain these beauties had not changed much. They wanted more and more and people like Rudy was born to quench their thirst for beautiful gems.
“There she is,” Denise commented as the front door slammed open. Busaban had a way of always frightening people, and the ladies loved her gimmick.
“Oh my dear, it’s so nice to see you again,” Busaban embraced Rudy with a forceful hug. He felt squeezed, but pretended that he was enjoying her company.
“When will you be moving to our new house? It’s ready, and I’ve personally taken care of the details so that you shouldn’t have any problems during the course,” Busaban said.
“Thank you. I should be moving shortly,” Rudy replied.
“I have brought some wine. Okay, where are we going next?” Busaban asked.
“I think Rudy would also like to join us too,” Potch said glancing at him.
“But where?” Rudy quipped.
“Pathumthani,” Potch said quickly. “I would like to show my new collection to Denise.”
“I have got to make a call. Excuse me for a sec,” Rudy said. He called James on his cell-phone, while the ladies moved to another room.
“Are you there?” Rudy waited.
“What the heck is going on? Seri just called. Then came a call from Rasami saying it’s fucking urgent. Are you in deep shit?” James asked.
“Pretty close, but smells good,” Rudy continued. “I sold a few pieces and I must be with these ladies for the moment. God knows when I can be out of this place. We are going to Pathumthani with Denise—the lady from Hong Kong, a real knockout. You have to do something to keep them engaged, know what I mean?”
“I understand,” James added. “I’ll try my best. But don’t be too late. We need you and our friends shouldn’t feel that you are callous.”
“Never.” Rudy hung up.
The ladies were still in the next room. Potch was talking again on the cell-phone. This time a bit louder.
“I’ll drive the car,” she said switching off her cell-phone.
“Let’s go!”