novelraw Chapter 146: The Price of Gems
Chapter 146: The Price of Gems
On the other side of town, Leon strolled through the rain, heading toward Clint’s Blacksmith Shop.
He wouldn’t be able to visit Emily for now. Instead, he planned to ask Clint about the selling price of gemstone ores, then wait until the evening when Emily would be working at the Starfruit Saloon to consult her about prices. That way, he could avoid running into Haley.
“Leon, what can I do for you?” Clint, as usual, was zoning out behind the counter. Only when he noticed Leon in a raincoat stepping inside did he snap out of it.
“Clint, could I ask you about the prices of gemstone ores?” Leon stood at the doorway.
“Of course, but at least come in. Why are you standing there?” Clint nodded but also looked puzzled at Leon’s reluctance to step inside.
“I’m soaked. I don’t want to dirty your floor,” Leon explained.
“No problem. The temperature in here is high—any water will dry up quickly. Come on in.” Chuckling, Clint walked over and ushered Leon inside.
“What gems are you selling, and how many?”
Once Leon stepped in, Clint brought over a chair for him, then returned to the counter to fetch a strange-looking pair of glasses. He didn’t forget to ask his question.
“Yellow crystal and amethyst.” Leon pulled the two stones from his backpack and placed them in front of Clint.“Let me check the clarity. Hold on.” Clint lifted the two differently colored crystals, put on his odd glasses, and examined them carefully. After a moment, he gave his quote.
“Standard purity, decent size. I can give you 210 each for the yellow crystal and 330 each for the amethyst.” He returned the stones to Leon.
“Thanks.” Leon wasn’t in a hurry to sell—he had said from the start he was just here for information.
“The price is on the lower side since these are raw stones—uncut and unpolished. If they were made into wearable jewelry, the value could multiply several times.” Clint took the chance to explain how to maximize a gem’s value.
“Are all raw gemstones cheap?” Leon asked.
“No. It depends on rarity. Yellow crystals and amethysts are common—they’re easy to find and mine, so the price stays low. If you go deeper underground to the frozen soil layers, you might find emeralds and aquamarines. Those go for more—about 550 for an emerald and 500 for an aquamarine, assuming good clarity and preservation.
“Go even deeper, into the lava layers, and you’ll find emeralds and rubies—precious stones with low yields and rich colors, highly sought after by jewel merchants. Both can reach 800 or more, with deeper color fetching higher prices.”
Clint’s tone was patient and thorough.
“What about diamonds?” Leon noticed Clint had skipped over them.
“Diamonds are extremely rare. If you find one, you can sell it for at least 1,500G. And that’s just a baseline—the bigger the stone, the higher the price.” Clint added.
“I see.” Leon couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. The prices were higher than in the game, but not by much.
“They’re still raw stones. Without processing, they have little commercial value,” Clint reminded him.
“But you could ask Emily. Her parents are famous jewelry designers and gem merchants in the Fanjier Republic, and she’s inherited their skills. If you can convince her to process your gems, the price will go way up. You two could even partner up. That way, Emily wouldn’t need to work at the Starfruit Saloon anymore. Designing jewelry pays far better than waitressing.”
“Thanks, Clint. I’ll think about it. I’ll be going now.” Leon gave him a sincere nod, though he also felt like grumbling.
Clint clearly had Emily’s best interests at heart, but if she really partnered with Leon in jewelry design, Clint might see far less of her. Maybe he’d thought of that, but decided her future mattered more than catching glimpses of her at the saloon.
Leon didn’t understand it, but he could respect it.
Leaving Clint’s Blacksmith Shop, Leon thought for a moment, then headed toward the beach.
After all, Willy’s fishing rod—his gift—had broken. Leon needed to explain and buy a new one, or his fishing level would stay stuck at zero, which really bothered him.
On rainy days, the beach felt like a sponge underfoot. Each step left a print, and shoes could easily soak through with the seawater trapped in the sand. Luckily, Leon wore rain boots, so he avoided that fate—though walking was still tiring.
Perhaps due to the rain or the low tide, Leon spotted many shellfish washed ashore.
Naturally, he didn’t let them go to waste and gathered them all.
“Clam (Fish): Something once lived inside.”
“Cockle (Fish): A common saltwater clam.”
“Oyster (Fish): A bivalve mollusk that lives in colonies.”
All three were bivalve invertebrates, differing mainly in size and shape. Clams were round and plump, oysters were flat and elongated, and cockles were large and round—about the size of a palm—two or three times bigger than regular clams.
Leon was familiar with all of them—they were regulars in seafood soup, though they were a bit of a pain to clean and didn’t yield much meat under their hard shells.
Aside from eating, these three shellfish were also needed for the crab pot bundle in the old Community Center—an unexpected bonus from his beach visit.
Knock, knock, knock.
Leon rapped on the wooden door of Willy’s Seaside Fish Shop. Soon, Willy answered, wrapped in a blanket.
“Oh, Leon! Seeing you out in this heavy rain is a pleasant surprise.” Willy pulled him inside quickly, closed the door, and poured him a cup of hot water.
“What’s with the blanket?” Leon asked.
“Whenever it rains, my knees and back ache. Keeping them warm is the only way to feel better,” Willy explained.
“Ah, rheumatism. Makes sense.” Leon understood—it was no wonder, given Willy’s life by the sea.
He didn’t say it aloud, but instead suggested, “Maybe you should get a fireplace.”