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98
Gem Trader
trash wholesale, and when he didn't make the expected fortune he sold the secret process to anyone who would buy. Of course, rubies went flop."
Jacob grunted his contempt for all fools, particularly in the gem business.
I said: "Well, then this Professor Verneuil was struck by another idea. He started off, not with powdered ruby, but—since ruby is but corundum, after all—with corun­dum itself. Corundum is a form of alumina, which occurs abundantly in the soil anywhere, so the professor took some alumina, experimented with it for a while, and finally produced the true scientific or synthetic ruby."
"And a lot of good synthetic rubies have done anyone," snorted Jacob.
"Well," said I, "if by 'anyone' you mean the trade, I grant you the synthetic ruby hasn't done any good. But for industrial purposes it is just as good as the Burma, and after all, most manufactured rubies are absorbed by in­dustry. As for the trade, there are the usual tests. By the way, Jacob, I suppose you've had the tests applied to your latest acquisition?"
"Bah," said he irritably. "Scientific bosh. I trust my own knowledge all my life. You can't teach the old dog new tricks, my friend."
"Precaution is precaution," I said. "Did I tell you what happened to me? My late partner in Paris had a ruby consigned to him from Amsterdam and I sold it in London to an expert, and he sold it to a West End jeweller. All honest men! But the ruby was a dud. The experts all along the line had trusted each other to apply the test. It was