by K.T. Landon
The appraiser holds the ring to the light
and turns it carefully towards us: see, here,
where one of the smaller stones fell out
and was replaced by a cheaper one.
Under the microscope he looks for flaws,
stands the diamond in in a lineup
of greater and lesser gems. For the final assay,
he scratches the shank into a pane of smoky glass,
white line etching the polished pane. He drops
a clear bead onto the glass and with the tip
of the bottle draws acid across the scratch.
Whether metal dissolves tells you it’s worth.
We wait: time and damage the only proof.
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