Chapter 5: Sky-High Prices
No, with this gemstone, the value of those gemstones you just mentioned is comparable to that of stones by the roadside" Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, the appraiser's eyes began to shine, and he excitedly said to Jiang Hai.
While comforting myself internally that this trip has been somewhat worthwhile, the appraiser over there has nearly completed the evaluation of the items.
Oh? However, just as Jiang Hai was about to become numb to the situation, the appraiser over here suddenly exclaimed, focusing intently on the gemstone in his hand. This time, he fiddled with it for nearly ten minutes before finally raising his head to look at Jiang Hai
380,000 US dollars, one carat? Then 31.6 is 12 million, US dollars? Hearing the appraiser's words, Jiang Hai's mind seemed to be suddenly struck, feeling a bit dazed, but the appraiser did not seem prepared to let him off easily
One of the two individuals is a middle-aged man, appearing to be a master craftsman, while the other, a young man, is likely an apprentice, coming to gain knowledge and hand over items. After the two entered, a brief introduction was made, and Jiang Hai also took out the stones he had obtained from the cave.
After identifying more than ten pieces in a row, Jiang Hai was somewhat helpless. However, fortunately, the prices of these crystals did not fall below 2,000, which means he has managed to recoup the appraisal fees.
You are quite lucky; this piece is not natural crystal, but rather a natural sapphire, approximately ten carats in size, valued at one million two hundred thousand. Upon hearing the appraiser's words, Jiang Hai was momentarily taken aback; the appraisal fee was now justified.
In the blink of an eye, the appraiser has examined one hundred and thirty pieces, and among them, only nine are gemstones, with two pieces remaining unexamined
Early the next morning, he arrived at Phillips' office with his backpack.
Although there is a significant gap between the millions or even hundreds of millions that Jiang Hai had imagined, seven million is still quite good
It seems that I was a bit too optimistic. I murmured softly to myself, while simultaneously putting away those items on the table that were similar in appearance. Since they are all crystals, there is no need for authentication.
Hiss... I seem to be a bit dazed. Wait, don't talk to me, I need some quiet...
"Did I make a fortune? Well, I suppose I did make a small fortune, considering those gems are worth over 7 million. " After a self-deprecating smile, in a certain sense, I indeed made a fortune.
The appraisers over there are also indifferent, after all, there are too many varieties of gemstones and too many outsiders, so there is no need to scam such money
Jiang Hai's main objective is this! After making the call in the evening and arranging to meet at his office the next day, Jiang Hai breathed a sigh of relief; everything would have to wait until tomorrow
About another hour and a half later, the appraiser sat there silently with the gemstone in hand.
Mr. Jiang, is it? Your appointment is at 9:00 AM, and it's almost time. Let me take you to the third reception room to wait for a moment, and I will go call Manager Zhang down. Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, the girl first smiled and nodded, then led Jiang Hai to a VIP lounge. After serving him a cup of tea, she left. Shortly after, a man in a suit walked in from outside. He appeared to be around forty years old, but looked very capable. As soon as he saw Jiang Hai, he smiled.
He obtained a total of 213 unbreakable stones in the cave. After assessing, he found that the money he had was insufficient, so he could only evaluate whether these assessed stones were valuable. If they were not, he would have to sell a batch and reassess.
It's like this, I have a batch of gemstones and I would like to ask for your help to identify them. When shaking hands with this person, Jiang Hai also briefly explained his own background. Upon hearing that it was about identifying things, this person was not surprised.
There is no problem, but if all goes well, Mr. Jiang, you may be in for a windfall. Looking at the pink hexagonal gemstone in his hand, which is roughly the size of four thumb nails, the gemologist's eyes were gleaming with excitement
I see, then I will choose the fixed option! After some thought, although Jiang Hai is unaware of the value of these items he possesses, what if there are treasures worth more than 200,000? In that case, the second option would be more worthwhile than the first. He is confident in his gemstones. Seeing that Jiang Hai has made his choice, Manager Zhang said no more and went out to bring in two people.
Two sapphires, when combined, are worth four hundred thousand. When added to the original appraisal, they are worth only one million six hundred thousand.
Hello, may I help you with anything?
Appraise a gemstone for two thousand yuan. He gets a commission of one thousand five hundred yuan. Jiang Hai is also giving him a raise.
After thinking for a moment, he put back into his bag the crystals that had already been identified, and took out the remaining 132 pieces that were not quite certain. He piled them up next to him and looked at the workload. The appraiser couldn't help but laugh, but he didn't say anything because this was his job, and he earned a commission in this area.
In Europe and America, it was estimated to be merely a second-tier top auction house. However, everything changed in 1999. In November 1999, this auction house was purchased for £70 million by the owner of the renowned luxury brand "Aiyo Wei" and was incorporated under the world's largest luxury goods group, Aiyo Wei.
Oh, hello. I called yesterday to make an appointment. My surname is Jiang. The girl at the front desk nodded.
Basically, those with a large size are natural crystals, while those that can be recognized as gemstones are relatively smaller in size.
It may be due to the presence of this sapphire that the appraiser examined it more carefully, but crystal is still crystal; no amount of careful observation can transform it into a gemstone. Among the remaining gemstones of Jiang Hai, there are one hundred and twenty-one pieces, all of which are natural crystals
When combined, they can be sold for around 1 million, which means the total value of these stones is 7 million RMB
This piece of stone, I can tell you with ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent certainty, should be a pink diamond. The craftsmanship of the four Cs is exquisite, with a net weight of 31.6 carats. Do you know the transaction price of such a diamond? The transaction price per carat is three hundred eighty thousand dollars! At this moment, the appraiser seemed unwilling to let this pink diamond disappear from his sight for even a second, speaking with a serious expression.
This is natural crystal, and it is not valuable. A piece this large is worth around 3,500 yuan. However, soon after, the person finished examining the first "gem". Upon hearing this person's words, Jiang Hai sighed. He knew about crystals; they might have been quite valuable in the past, but since they can now be artificially produced, the price of natural crystals has remained low. If it weren't for the decent purity of his piece, it might not even be worth 3,500 yuan.
I know this, but I am not aware of the charging standards. Jiang Hai nodded gently; he had already inquired about this before coming. The appraisal by the auction house naturally incurs a fee, and in fact, this is where they primarily make their profit. As for the auction itself, it is a matter of not opening for three years and then making enough to last for three years.
He is now reluctant to use snake scales for planting flowers, thinking that these stones must be worth the appraisal fee
After all, coming here is not for appraisal, but for auction. Even if it is for auction, there will still be an appraisal beforehand. In Jiang Hai's view, this is perfectly normal.
No, not just that, your pink diamond is a complete pink diamond, a complete pink diamond of 31.6 carats, at this price, it should be at least twenty times more!
The most valuable piece is a 12.37-carat ruby, valued at 2.3 million.
The remaining three gemstones, two aquamarines and one golden green, each weigh approximately fifty carats, which is about ten grams.
The remaining three pieces of emerald are collectively worth approximately 1,600,000.
Soon, the young man returned, holding many machines in his hands, and then the appraiser began to test them one by one
Among the last two pieces evaluated, one is a natural crystal worth several thousand yuan, but when examining the final piece, the appraiser's eyes suddenly turned green...
Therefore, the main projects he operates are Impressionist oil paintings, as well as contemporary artworks and furniture
"Is this Mr. Jiang? I am the client manager at Phillips Auction House in the capital, my surname is Zhang. How may I assist you?" After shaking hands with Jiang Hai, the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
There are also two smaller rubies, which can be sold together for around 500,000
"Uh, is there a problem?" Jiang Hai asked with some curiosity upon seeing the appraiser's expression
Our auction house has two main types of appraisal fees. The first is to charge a commission of one percent of the value of the item being appraised as the appraisal fee. This option is suitable for collectibles valued at several thousand or tens of thousands. The second option is a fixed appraisal fee, which is two thousand for a single item. " Looking at Jiang Hai, the client manager said with a smile.
Phillips, an auction house established in 1796, can be considered a century-old establishment; however, with only a few hundred years of history, it is far behind Sotheby's and Christie's, and originally had no qualifications to be compared with them
He kept looking at the stone, continuously gazing at it for nearly half an hour. After half an hour, he turned his gaze to his assistant beside him and instructed him to fetch a certain machine
This is certainly possible, but it is not easy for our auction house to operate. As for the appraisal, a certain fee is required. Manager Zhang said with a smile as he and Jiang Hai sat on opposite sides of the coffee table
Subsequently, it seized the opportunity presented by the scandals surrounding the two major auction houses to invest heavily in Phillips, focusing not on antiques, as he knew that no matter how competitive he was, he could not compete with those two companies.
The two individuals prepared the instruments, and Jiang Hai also took out some stones and placed them on the coffee table, watching as the two began the appraisal.