* * * * *

The sign next to the door read ‘Honest Ike’s.  Gemstones bought and sold.  Metal ores assayed.  Special offer on quartz geodes.’ Inside, several counters displayed rocks for sale.  A much older man sat at desk writing. A small bell jingled as Winston eased the door open.

“Hello?” Winston called. 

“Good afternoon, Deputy,” the man at the desk said as he stood.   “I’m Karl Eisenhower.  How may I help you?”

“I’m Winston Cooper, Sheriff’s assistant. I’m trying to solve an unfortunate incident, and have a clue I don’t understand.”

“I’m happy to help, but what can an assayer and gemnologist do for you?” Karl asked.

Winston opened his satchel took out a small bottle, and shook out from a single crystal. 

“I was curious if you could tell me what this is?” Winston asked. “It’s a beautiful color, but I don’t recognize it, and it was on the scene of the crime.”

Carl stared at the deep violet stone.  “Never seen the like,” he announced. He stared through magnifier. “Looks to be a nice clean crystal, no flaws or inclusions, more like quality window glass than one of our local gems. I can do two fast tests which might give a clue.  Do you have more?”

“Lots.  Don’t worry about breaking it.”  Winston watched while Karl did a few things with equipment on the shelf behind the counter, then shuffled through line of books.

“Specific gravity is way high,” Karl announced.  “It’s harder than corundum, not as hard as diamond.  My standard handbook doesn’t list anything like that. I’m embarrassed to say, Deputy, that it’s not a standard local mineral. It’s not even a rare local mineral. I’ve never seen it before. To say more, you need someone to crush it up, analyze it, say what it’s made of, but I don’t have the equipment for that, and I’d hate to destroy something this pretty. It’s very pretty, especially for a young woman with eyes close to that shade, so I suspect there’d be a market for it.”

“Well, sir, thank you anyhow,” Winston said, tipping his hat.

“Wait.  One more test,” Karl said.  “Takes a few minutes.  Borax bead analysis.  That sand will be the easier, unless those violet stones gave you some dust.”

“A tiny bit.”  Winston watched while Karl pulled out a bottle, ignited a Bunsen burner, touched something at the ends of two wires to the sand and the dust. Finally he pulled down another book and ran his finger down a long table.

“The colors should tell us which elements are present—yes, it’s a bit more complicated than that.”  Karl turned off the burner.  “Those combinations of bead colors…there’s no such thing, and that table is supposed to be complete, every known element.”