Blood rubies
Not that serious.
Just a personally notable gem deal I did whilst on deployment in Afghanistan.
People have a distorted image of the Middle East. People soak up what they’ve been told on tv, but mostly it’s a beautiful country with the majority being decent people living in a peaceful culture.
Within and around some military bases they have bazzaars. Within these bazzars they have gem merchants.
Before heading on deployment we all heard stories of soldiers heading into these shops to buy exotic gems. We heard stories going both ways. A soldier spends 1k USD (everything on deployment is USD, even for the locals) and brings home a 15k diamond. And some other guy, spends 10k and brings home a fake. It was a role of the dice.
You could get a beautifully cut heirloom or a complete fake. Some of my colleagues brought gem tester kits with them. I have no idea how they work, but apparently you can get an accurate reading by tapping the sensor onto a diamond.
When I saw how enthusiastic my mates were with their research I decided to also test my luck and did some research of my own.
The merchant shop I entered was well presented and the man selling the gems had a very courteous smile and pleasant demeanour wearing traditional afghan attire. Most interactions between locals are cordial and actually quite warm.
He showed me some of his stock.
As he explains what’s in front of him, I act like I know what he’s talking about. Nodding in agreement. I notice how enthusiastic he is. He seems to genuinely love his job and had a keen eye for detail.
Although I was oblivious to what was happening I still had a plan. I had $300 USD. 300 I could live with if I didn’t get a good outcome. I wasn’t willing to spend 5k on something I knew nothing about. But 300 was a fair gamble.
I knew rubies were a good choice. They were less likely to be fake and I’d read you can get beautiful ruby gemstones from the Middle East. I also loved the red. Diamonds were transparent and I personally think they lack any character other than to present yourself as pretentious.
But a beautiful cut dark red ruby made into a ring or a necklace is pure class. In my opinion.
The man told me he had rubies and showed me. They were huge. Bigger than I was expecting. He told me I could buy them for $90 a piece. They were various sizes. I said “if I take 3 of these, and give you 300. What else can you throw in?” He nodded in agreement and proceeded to grip at the various square clear topped containers on the table in front of him.
He told me he can also give me
A small square fine cut ruby maybe 1:3 of the larger ones
A small tourmaline gem
A small oval aquamarine
A pink heart shaped gem (this was later confirmed fake but no offence taken)
I immediately agreed to his offering. I didn’t barter or attempt to wear down the price. Those gems look huge and at 90 a piece, it seemed like a great price.
We exchanged money/pleasantries and shook hands and I went on my merry old way.
I placed the gems in my lockbox trunk, which eventually would be sent home.
Upon getting home I decided to do some research and find someone who could evaluate the gems. I bought them as soon as I arrived in country, and for the most part, after so long, they were a completely distant memory.
I gave the gems to the owner of a Melbourne store after a family recommendation. He had them for a few days and sent back his report
For insurance purposes the entire evaluation came out to over 17k. He said the rubys were roughly 2ct a piece and beautifully coloured. His most astonishment came from the aquamarine. A noteable comment stated how beautiful it was and that it was the finest he’s seen. A random throw in for 30 bucks!
Is it the deal of the century? No. But for 300 bucks, in 2012! for a dude who knew nothing about gems, I think that’s a pretty sweet story.
No. I have done nothing with the gems. It’s 2026 and I still have them all. In the same clear square container he game them to me in.
I’ve always pondered about what I should do. A necklace, a ring, earrings, bracelet etc. eventually they will be family heirlooms. A nice story to tell along with them also.