Gemscentric

Written by Julian Robov


Sixty


It was a clear Thursday morning when Seri arrived at Paratip Court. Ms Jambo was waiting for him in the lounge. There was a guarded smile on his face, as he accompanied her to an unmarked suite. Though strange, he knew she was in his territory and anyone playing tricky games knew their fate—dead meat. He wasn’t wrong. She was beautiful but strong. There was an aura in her personality. Like a mature fruit, she looked sweet with an appetizing smell. Mentally he was glued to her—like a bird and mammal attracted to a ripened fruit. He wanted to eat and digest her without excreting the seed. She was still smiling radiantly, as she shook his cold hands.
“Sawadee Khrap!”
“Good morning! I heard only good comments about you. Mr Jack Quartez told me all about you.”
“Did he? You know him too?”
“Yeah! Can I get anything for you? Perhaps, drinks?”
“Not now, may be later,” he said tactfully. “I believe you are interested in buying good quality blue sapphires, and I have something that others don’t have.”
“I knew you would be having those qualities,” she said warmly. “Let’s see what you have.”
Seri looked up at her face once more before opening his briefcase full of blue sapphires. He had several stone boxes of different sizes without price quotes. He wanted to prove that he was man a who knew the numbers—like a good computer. Click and display.
But he was alarmed, as he saw gem instruments, slide projectors, and gem related books, neatly placed on a nearby desk along with a laptop computer. Though unusual he remained calm placing ten stones boxes for her to view. She selected three blue sapphires studying its identity first, and later its quality. Seri was not dumdum. He had other ideas.
The three selected stones weighed 6.00carats, 5.45carats and 8.00carats respectively. She wasn’t sure of its origin. It didn’t matter. She looked satisfied after a quick refractometer test. They were all blue sapphires. After viewing the gemstones under incandescent, fluorescent, and sky light—the color was graded as good taking into account their hue (color), saturation (intensity, vividness), tone (relative lightness or darkness) and color zoning (unevenness of color). Then she proceeded to check their clarity. With a loupe, she couldn’t confirm if it was natural, synthetic or treated. It was difficult. With the help of a microscope, she studied their inclusions. The presence of three-phase inclusions(solid, liquid and gas), liquid fingerprints, and silk (rutile needles) confirmed the blue sapphires as natural, untreated. Finally, she moved to evaluate cut. The stones were oval, mixed cut. Proportion, symmetry, and finish were evaluated as good. Overall, the three stones were classified as well-cut stones with good brilliance flashes, thereby showing life.
He sat quietly watching her use the instruments—like an expert. Newin had been right. She was knowledgeable. Now came the difficult part. PRICE.
“Do you have an asking price for the stones?”
Seri paused. “Are you interested in all the three pieces?”
“I guess so,” she said. “They are beautiful. Are they from Pailin?”
“No. Sri Lanka!”
“It doesn’t matter,” she added. “They are natural, untreated and……..”
“What?”
“The price!”
“I’m willing to sell 6.00carats and 5.45carats for the same price,” he continued.
“Twenty five thousand dollars per carat. The 8.00carat piece will be forty thousand dollars per carat.”
She studied his face intently, as he leaned back in his chair, feeling relaxed and confident.
“I want to bid,” she said. “I would like to quote ten thousand dollars for 6.00 carats and 5.45carats, and fifteen thousand dollars per carat for the 8.00carat piece.”
Seri wasn’t happy, but waited saying nothing. The woman was not Jack Quartez. She was acting tough.
A few minutes later, he uttered, “The price is not right. I will show you some other stones.”
She knew he had changed his tactic. He was refusing to give up, instead playing another gem game.
He took another ten pieces from his briefcase for her to view. She decided to pick seven blue sapphires—all above ten carats. The stones weighed 10.01carats, 10.99carats, 11.50carats, 12.00carats, 13.00carats, 13.01carats, and 15.65carats respectively. Again after taking their refractive indices, it was confirmed they were all sapphires. The colors were violetish blue—with varying saturation (intensity, vividness), tone (relative lightness or darkness), with no color zoning (unevenness of color). Overall the colors were good face-up (table-up). With a loupe, she saw a few inclusions, but mostly they were tolerable. Microscope examination revealed they had fingerprints, feathers, exploded crystals, dissolved silk, and iron stain confirming they were natural, but heat treated. The gems proportions, symmetry, and finish were graded as fair instead of good due to pavilion bulge, depth percentage and other symmetry faults. Overall, the cut was graded as fair.
She waited.
He looked up at her first, and then without hesitation wrote the prices on a writing pad for her to peruse.

10.01carats : US$30000 per carat
10.99carats : US$35000 per carat
11.50carats : US$37000 per carat
12.00carats : US$39000 per carat
13.00 carats : US$42000 per carat
13.01carats : US$40500 per carat
15.65carats : US$62500 per carat


After considerable thought, she quoted her numbers after some readjustment.

10.01carats : US$12000 per carat
10.99carats : US$14000 per carat
11.50carats : US$14800 per carat
12.00carats : US$15600 per carat
13.00carats : US$16800 per carat
13.01carats : US$16200 per carat
15.65carats : US$25000 per carat


From a quick glance, her quote was forty percent less than his asking price. He was slowly getting the feeling that she was after something unusual. Yet he decided to show no sign of displeasure. He decided to continue playing the gem game.
She said, “I think we need a break. Coffee or tea? By the way, I have green tea.”
“I will go for green tea,” he replied. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“You are beautiful,” he said hesitantly. “I really want to do business with you.”
“I know, but your prices are too high. You need to make some adjustments. I am serious,” she explained.
“I haven’t seen you before in Bangkok,” he said. “It’s quite difficult nowadays finding big stones of good quality. But we can work out a fair deal if you cooperate.”
She turned around and looked at him seductively, as she prepared the tea. That look had the power to melt even a rock. He got a quick arousal by the way she walked towards him. There was a chemical attraction.
“I like the size of your lips, and also I see something bulging in your pants. Are they blue sapphires too?” she said smilingly, sipping the tea.
Seri laughed. He didn’t want to lose her. Something strange was happening. He could hardly take his eyes from her magnetic face, posture, and the sweet voice. They had a special feature with a magnetic pull. He wanted to enjoy her once all for the sake of a few blue sapphires. And this was his best opportunity, before it was too late.
“Would you like to loupe them like you were doing with some of my stones?” he asked, staring at her passionately.
“I would like to if you give my price,” she said. “Grading and valuing blue sapphires are always subjective, aren’t they?”
“You’re different,” Seri added. “I have never met a woman like you before. You are tough, but sweet. You are sexy, but businesslike. Who are you?”
“Me?” she said, staying cool and confident. “I want to buy blue sapphires and you look tense. By the way, I like the size of your cock. Can I loupe the piece?”
Seri looked down at his bulging flesh, and then said, “I will allow you to do that after we have closed the deal.”
“Sure. I want to see more blue sapphires, anywhere between ten and thirty carats,” she announced.
He placed ten more blue sapphires on the desk for her to view. As she was performing the ritual of grading color, clarity and cut with her loupe and other gem instruments, he sat quietly observing her postures. The woman was a sex bomb. He had never seen such a female species in Bangkok before—not in the last twenty years. She was the ultimate woman. A man’s dream.
She was taking more time than usual testing the stones. The blue sapphires were quite different from the previous lot. She was checking the gem books and slides to match the inclusions of three blue sapphires. The rest were fine except the price. She liked the three blue sapphires. They had a personality of their own, but first she wanted to know whether they were heat-treated, synthetic or surface diffusion-treated blue sapphires.
He watched her perspire amusingly. He had all the time in the world to wait having known the identity of the stones.
Two hours later, she gave up, slumping in a sofa, soaked in her own sweat. She looked more beautiful in her wet clothes. He could see everything. She was perfectly transparent. Her expression was charming, especially her magnetic eyes. They were the color of dark blue Nigerian sapphires—with luster. She had an unusual beauty—tropical, almost sculpture-like—with the right-sized cabochon breasts, and crystal-like magnificent legs. Only a Buddha-like species would have looked away, yet he was conscious of her very oblique stare.
“I don’t know the identity of these three stones,” she said, sighing heavily.
“They are blue sapphires, my dear. Why are you so restless?” he said calmly.
She paused. “What’s the price?”
“Let’s clear up the confusion,” Seri continued. “Seriously, how many stones do you want to buy? I can help you work out the prices.”
After a noted hesitation, she said, “I want to buy twenty stones, and more perhaps, if you readjust your price—simple as that.”
“The deal is, I will sell you thirty stones at your price provided you allow me to take off your wet clothes. You look very uncomfortable. And finally, I will tell you the result of the last three stones you were trying to identify. They are from a new source, unknown to the trade. As I said earlier, I have what others don’t have. I promise I’ll give you the best result,” he commented.
She knew the time had come and pressed a secret button below the sofa. He was no different from a coyote—smart and adaptable. He had been playing his game—like an intelligent coyote waiting to mate first, and finally eat at his convenience.
“Deal,” she said, extending her hand.
Minutes later, he was herded to her bedroom, leaving the stones behind.
As he was undressing her, she whispered, “I want to loupe your big piece, can I?”
“It’s yours my girl. I will do anything for you,” he said, sucking her naked flesh.
She fished out a blank paper and a pen from a pillow for him to sign. The incandescent light in the bedroom made it difficult for him to read. He was more interested in licking her flesh than reading the content. He didn’t want to miss the elusive opportunity.
“I will sign any fucking paper for you. What’s it?” he asked, while licking her nipples.
She said nothing, holding his cock with one hand, making sure he signed the paper as intended.
After the ritual, they locked themselves in an igneous embrace, letting off the body heat. Their bodies became unified, as they surfed for better positions extracting maximum pleasure.
As they lay in bed distilled in their own liquids, she asked, “You okay?”
“This is the best fuck I have had in decades,” he said, breaking the silence. “Listen, I know it’s not right, but I want to say something. Stay with me, marry me. I will teach you everything I know about blue sapphires—natural, heat-treatment, surface diffusion- treatment, synthetic, imitations—fucking everything. I have it all. The experts know nothing. They know something, but don’t have the balls and brains to identity my special stones.”
A few moments later, she louped his cock, and said,” It’s big and natural.”
He laughed loudly at her comment. “Who taught you this script?”
“No one. By the way, tell me what were the three stones?”
He paused. “You want the answer now?”
She waited.
“They are special blue sapphires. In fact, the stones are flux overgrown on a flame- fusion seed, and then surface diffused. You need very high magnification to see the tell-tale signs. Your standard loupe and microscope magnification are useless. So there you are,” he said proudly.
“You are fucking one big great flesh,” she answered, laying on top. “Let me kiss you again. Your lips are hot and juicy.”
“I’m thirsty too,” he reminded.
“Let’s have some chocolates,” she replied, holding his arm.
He was a happy man again after fucking a beautiful farang (foreigner). His wicked mind was speeding—like a comet wanting to do several things with her, if everything went his way, before losing energy. She was soft but hard. A balanced mix. A new find. It wasn’t a difficult choice marrying a farang (foreigner) in Bangkok, given the countless number of women coming from around the world for a fix. To his utter amazement—like a beautiful gem quality blue sapphire crystal in a gravel, he had discovered her. He didn’t know whom to thank.
Seri froze in horror, as they emerged from the bedroom. Rudy was lounging on a sofa flicking a Playboy magazine, sipping the tea.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Rudy smiled. “Why don’t you put some clothes on? Someone is gonna laugh watching your wet cock and heavily included chest hair. I can grade if you give me a loupe.”
Immediately he turned his attention to Ms Jambo, and then shouted, “You are bad. You set this up. Who are you?”
She decided to remain silent, disappearing to her bedroom.
“I want to buy your special stones,” Rudy answered. “You know, the flux overgrown on a flame-fusion seed, and then surface diffusion-treated ones.”
“Okay,” Seri said. “Allow me to put my clothes on. I have the stones you are looking for.”
His briefcase was lying open stuffed with blue sapphires, plastic bags, condoms, and stone boxes. He had been trapped once again, and under no circumstance was he going to lose the game.
It was a tense moment, as he looked up once again at Ms Jambo. She wasn’t in the vicinity at all. In fact, he wanted to go back to the bedroom and fuck once more, before it was all over.
Later, he gave up the idea. His hands moved swiftly inside the briefcase searching for a weapon secretly hidden beneath a false bottom. His mind picked up speed, focusing on Rudy.
He then pulled out a gun aiming at Rudy.
“You!” he called out.
Though unexpected, Rudy remained calm as Seri inched closer, holding the gun focusing on the target. Seri had always wanted to kill Rudy.
“What’s up? You want to kill me? Then, just do it.” He was using the reverse psychology.
Seri wasn’t sure what to answer. Instead, he said, “I want you, fucking asshole. I am angry. It was a set-up, and you’re the loser this time.”
Rudy smiled, standing firm. “She wanted to buy blue sapphires from you, and instead you were offering her something different. Aren’t we partners? Why are you doing this? FULL DISCLOSURE. That’s what the new trade, the consumers, and the fucking world want from us today. People are sick and tired of lies and meaningless jargon. We all need to change for the good. Why is it so difficult to understand?”
“Have you drunk milk before, uh?”
Rudy stepped back, staring at Seri. “What am I supposed to do with milk. It’s a different industry. I am not even in the milk business.”
“Can you give me one milk brand that is safe to drink?” Seri barked.
“I told you already I’m not in the milk business.” Rudy edged closer, but carefully.
“That’s right. Difficult. Quite a lot have antibiotics, aflatoxin and bacteria in fifty to seventy percent of pasteurized milk and raw products. The so-called one hundred percent fresh milk labels don’t give you the complete answer. It’s a big business Rudy boy. The government protects the dairy manufacturers, powdered milk importers, and dairy farmers one way or other, at the expense of the consumers, at least in this part of the world,” Seri said in exasperation.
“What are you talking about?” Rudy asked defiantly.
“A few scientists did do some sample testing,” Seri scoffed. “The tested milk differed in quality, as they were taken from different places—like the blue sapphires from different sources. You know all that origin and treatment stuff. They say, if the quality is inconsistent, it means that the low quality milk could be only temporary, and not a permanent problem.”
“So?”
“Read the label—then the expiry date, color, and the taste of the milk,” Seri said.
“That’s FULL DISCLOSURE. So what’s the big problem?” Rudy gave him a surface diffusion-treated smile.
Seri paused. “But the truth is with a naked eye it’s difficult to identify antibiotic content and contamination. Meaning—they want the consumers to take their chances.”
“Who are they?” Rudy looked up seriously.
“No one is transparent. One side is confusing the other—like in any other industry, with difficult to understand laws and technical jargons, and yet they are concerned public with health—like us.” Seri reasoned.
“Who? Me?”
“Milk is a food for health. Blue sapphires are beauties, sometimes man helping the nature at an affordable cost—to make someone happy. If you don’t cheat, you’re dumb,” Seri said reluctantly.
Rudy’s gaze became insistent. “Asshole! I know what you are up to. No wonder you have difficulty accepting change and transparency. I should have known this a long time ago.”
“Mixing powdered milk in the right proportion with water has the same nutritional value as fresh milk. Natural and synthetic blue sapphires have the same chemical, physical and optical properties. The treated blue sapphires are also natural, but as I said earlier, we beautify the gems—to make them look good and proud—competing with the original ones. That’s what the experts say nowadays,” Seri added.
“FULL DISCLOSURE. I’m repeating again. If you don’t, then it’s a rip-off.” Rudy warned.
“It’s a political issue, Rudy boy,” Seri continued. “We’re talking about profit and loss. I want to win this time. That’s all. I don’t care what you—the fucking trade, the world, and the consumers think about me. I dictate the rules, not anyone else. You want to fuck with me? Then do it to me, son. I’m ready. You’ve already seen the size of my cock.”
“Stop it, you asshole, “ Rudy said. “Now I’ve become your fucking son? What’s this? Put your gun down. Let’s talk about blue sapphires—not milk. It’s no use. We’re adults, aren’t we?”
“I hate you,” Seri cried. “All my friends have gone because of you. You killed them all. You set this up. I knew it.”
“Don’t talk to me like that,” Rudy answered. “You have no proof. I’m still your partner. We’ve a lot to settle, but not with a gun. That’s foolish.”
“It was a big mistake.” Seri repeated, holding the gun straight.
“You think so?”
Seri moved closer sticking the gun hard into his ribs. For a split-second Rudy thought Seri was going to blow his head off in front of Ms Jambo.
“Move over you asshole,” Seri ordered.
Rudy followed his instruction moving in slow motion. His eyes were glowing like embers. Seri
grimaced when a pinpoint flash lighting was switched on. He felt a chill run down his spine.
Standing behind him, looking calm, was Ms Jambo—holding a gun. Seri was frozen, as she pulled the trigger. Suddenly, he felt blood gushing out of his brain—like a geyser. He slumped face down—curled up, quiet, in a pool of blood.
“Is he dead?” she asked.
And finally, he said, “Get the hell out of here.”