"Zircon has a hardness of 8, and it can’t scratch jade but can scratch glass, because the hardness of glass is between 6 and 8."
"I remember seeing zircon products for sale in this store when I first came in. If the lady doesn’t believe it, you can get another zircon product to test. Comparing the two products should determine the outcome."
As Huo Sining spoke, he took the zircon necklace from the saleslady’s hand and drew it across the corner of the glass countertop. With a sharp and ear-piercing ’zzt’, a scratch appeared on the glass.
The saleslady’s eyes swelled with shock, and she bit her lip, unsure whether to listen to Huo Sining or stubbornly insist that the necklace was a diamond one.
She looked to her colleagues not far away for help, and soon, several other salesladies gathered around.
Seeing the necklace, their eyes met with a flicker of understanding that there was an issue. One of the more articulate and astute salesladies said:
"Sir, it might be that our staff got the jewelry mixed up when placing it, putting the zircon products in this counter instead. How about I consult the manager for you? What do you think?"
Ouyang Jun didn’t express agreement or disagreement, although he didn’t know diamonds, he’d seen plenty of such fraudulent methods.
Many brand stores had these kinds of tricks up their sleeve; some managers exploited their authority to swap the products sent down by the company with their own fake items.
Usually, customers wouldn’t realize the alteration, but then the managers could use the brand’s reputation to sell fake goods and make a quick buck on the side.
If a customer did realize the truth, they had an excuse ready: just say the items were mistakenly placed. Those customers would find it hard to make an issue out of it as such accidents were conceivable. However, those who spent hundreds of thousands to end up with fakes were indeed unlucky.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a thirty-something man in a suit hurried over. Upon seeing the necklace, his pupils contracted slightly, then he quickly plastered on a smile and said:
"My apologies to both of you, this is indeed a zircon necklace. There might have been a slip-up with our staff members. It was all hustle and bustle this morning when the exhibition started, and there may have been negligence while setting up the merchandise. We are very sorry. Why don’t you two take a look at some other products? We have many high-end diamond pieces in our store, all designed by renowned designers!"
As he spoke, the manager tried to lead Huo Sining and Ouyang Jun toward another display in the store, while signaling to the salesladies.
The girls quickly understood his intentions: some started to pack away the necklace to destroy the evidence, while others came to take over the manager’s role, enthusiastically introducing new products to Huo Sining and the others.
Ouyang Jun, seeing the manager’s behavior, didn’t intend to expose him, realizing that such phenomena were all too common in retail stores.
With luxury items like jewelry and diamonds, no company can guarantee 100% authenticity. To not be deceived one has to rely on professional judgment and luck.
But ordinary customers often don’t know enough about diamonds to discern their authenticity, leaving them suffering silently from their losses.
The clever saleslady took over from her colleague and led Huo Sining and Ouyang Jun to the displays with the newest and most expensive jewelry.
Huo Sining ran a jadeite shop, how could she not understand the intentions of these salespeople? Yet, she did not point it out, instead listening attentively to the saleslady’s pitch.
Ouyang Jun just walked over when he spotted a beautiful silver necklace, with a heart-shaped pendant that was embedded with a round blue diamond, which shone like ice under the light.
"Miss, can you show me this piece?" Ouyang Jun asked with a smile, pointing at the necklace.
The saleslady was thrilled inside, for the necklace was quite pricey, and if she made the sale, she could earn a commission of over ten thousand. She quickly took the necklace down and handed it to Ouyang Jun, introducing it with a smile:
"This is a new piece that just arrived in our store, an authentic South African diamond, a 3.2-carat platinum jade belt necklace, handmade, designed by the Italian master Carol J. Diwei. This diamond necklace is priced at 580,000!"
Ouyang Jun carefully examined the necklace and nodded, saying with a laugh, "Blue diamonds are rare in themselves, and the color of this diamond is not bad; its purity is also quite high. The cut and workmanship are top-notch. The only flaw is..."
A diamond this perfect has a flaw?
The saleslady’s smile froze upon hearing this, and she watched Ouyang Jun nervously, feeling quite frustrated inside. With such a diamond, you wouldn’t say it’s a fake, would you?
"The only flaw is, this diamond is too small," Ouyang Jun joked.
The joke sent the saleslady into a flurry of emotions but, realizing he was only complaining about the size of the diamond, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Take another look at it for me, will you? You seemed quite knowledgeable just now. You said you didn’t know much about diamonds, but I think you’re at least much better than a layman like me. Help me check this necklace to see if you can spot any other issues."
Ouyang Jun smiled and handed the necklace to Huo Sining.
Huo Sining couldn’t help but give Ouyang Jun a sidelong glance before she took the silver necklace, bringing the blue diamond closer for a careful examination.
The diamond really was as exquisite as the saleslady had described, a top-grade blue diamond. However, looking at the platinum setting that held the diamond, Huo Sining hesitated.
Seeing Huo Sining with a frown, Ouyang Jun was taken aback. Could she indeed have spotted an issue with the necklace?
Without speaking, Huo Sining clasped the diamond in her palm and soon, under her Heavenly Eye, she saw the Purple Spiritual Qi covering the diamond; it seemed that the stone was real.
After confirming this, Huo Sining silently chided herself for being too suspicious and was about to return the necklace to Ouyang Jun when at that moment, her Heavenly Eye Skill revealed something within the platinum setting.
Huo Sining couldn’t help but freeze, looking more closely, and soon her expression turned cold, and her brows furrowed deeply.
This blue diamond, upon superficial inspection, had a color and purity that could be considered top-grade, and with its 3.2-carat weight, it was impeccable both inside and out, truly a precious stone indeed.
But the most valuable aspect of a diamond is its flawless integrity. However, looking through her right hand, Huo Sining discovered that the part of the diamond set in the platinum had a chip in it—it was actually a defective and fractured piece!