She looked for a long time, then said with annoyance, "You said it wasn't failing, but look at the surface, it's like a turtle shell. How can you not lose money?"
I said, "For someone who runs a jewelry city, you can't tell what a stone will yield? These cracks are large, but they haven't damaged the meat. They won't affect cutting out cabochons. To put it simply, six cabochons from three pairs would be worth over a hundred thousand. Do you think that's losing money?"
She still didn't quite believe it. No matter how she looked, she couldn't see how so much could be cut from it.
I said, "Let's put it away for now. We have more important things to do."
Quite some time had passed. I wondered how Wen Siqiang was progressing.
My gaze drifted towards the pre-cut jade area, where a crowd had gathered, seemingly arguing. It looked like things were already in motion over there.
I said to Jing Lei, "Let's go pick out another stone. I'll gamble this time."
Jing Lei replied, "You gamble then."
Clearly, she had lost confidence in herself and was dissatisfied with her previous results.
We had to pretend we had nothing to do with that group; I was just there to find a bargain.
I led Jing Lei to the jade stones from the Mo Wanji mine. I had noticed them when we were picking out the Hou Jiang stones earlier.
Although this pile of stones was also black sand (hei wu sha), there was a fundamental difference from the kilogram stones they were scrambling for. Those stones were clearly screened waste, merely having a black sand skin; they lacked substance and character, designed to prey on greedy gamblers seeking fortune.
Black sand jade can be gambled on, but you need to bet on its substance and visible signs. With prominent veins and snowflake patterns, there's a chance of a good yield.
Mo Wanji black sand jade, if it shows potential, is prone to increasing in value, easily absorbing color and possessing good substance. The appearance of Mo Wanji black sand has a distinct difference from other black sand mines: it has white spots under its skin.
Most people easily overlook these characteristics because the black is so heavy. You need to look closely or even touch it to make an accurate judgment.
Even though those kilogram stones were selling for only a thousand per jin, I still found them expensive. These stones, also black sand, would likely fetch several thousand or even tens of thousands per jin, but they were worth it.
Jing Lei looked puzzled as I brought her here. She said, "Didn't you say you don't look at black sand jade?"
I replied, "Let's gamble on one too. Let's see if our luck is still with us."
Jing Lei said, "You just criticized them, saying a thousand per jin was too expensive. These are probably even more expensive. And you still want to gamble?"
I said, "Jade gamblers all love black sand jade because it's high-risk, high-reward. Hidden beneath its thick skin are so many unknowns, sparking endless imagination. If you could use a few hundred grams' worth of money to gamble on a stone weighing over ten jin, wouldn't that grant you more dreams?"
The previous stone, weighing just over two hundred grams, cost fifty-six thousand. It was only about the size of my palm. Here, fifty-six thousand would buy a stone weighing over ten jin.
Jing Lei responded, "You've said it all. Anyway, we're not betting big today. I want to see if you're right."
I said, "That's not certain. Perhaps small money can achieve great things."
She asked, "Are you that confident?"
I replied, "Let's try. Anything is possible."
I crouched down and began sifting through the pile of stones. Black sand jade, if it yields, can produce high-grade green jade with pure, unadulterated substance. If the substance is sufficient and there are floating patterns, a set of bangles could exceed the stone's cost.
At worst, it could yield a bean-green jade, preventing a loss.
The premise, however, is that you know how to look.
Gambling on jade, as the name suggests, relies on luck. But that's not entirely true; skill and mental fortitude play a significant part. Luck is merely a coincidence.
This is why some people repeatedly lose. They gamble purely based on the fact that if a batch of stones has yielded results, they'll rush in, as if every stone there is Imperial Green.
Now, let me explain why so many people were gathered around that pile of black sand. Those "plants" were using high-grade green jade to lure them in, making them believe that these stones could yield high-grade green jade, that a few thousand or tens of thousands could result in millions.
If those stones were truly that valuable, would Crown Prince Kang be willing to let everyone pick them as kilogram stones? Wouldn't he open them up and place them on display racks for auction?
I shook my head, wondering about the outcome for that gentleman who had spent tens of thousands of yuan on a wrong bet. I didn't think it would be good. That stone showed no potential, only a shiny skin. It lacked prominent veins, snowflake patterns, or even cracks and flaws – a complete piece of worthless material.
Stones like that could be sold before being opened, but once opened, they were worthless, merely taking up space.
I spotted a stone weighing over ten jin. Its skin was oily and shiny, with a heavy waxiness. Crucially, diagonally from the center downwards, there was a prominent vein. The undulation could be seen on the skin surface with the naked eye, and felt with a touch.
On either side of the vein were subtle snowflake patterns, visible only upon close inspection.
Black sand jade doesn't need a light to reveal anything; even the strongest light won't refract any details. When gambling on it, you must look for visible signs. If there are no signs, don't touch even the most beautiful skin.
This stone resembled a small pillow. If the color was continuous, it could yield a batch of pendants and three to five sets of bangles. Don't worry about the substance; when gambling on black sand, you bet on the color. If color is present, the substance is bound to be good.
You also have to gamble on full color. If it breaks, the value will be greatly reduced.
I showed the stone to Jing Lei. It was a bit heavy, so I didn't let her lift it. I supported it, letting her examine it, to see if she could discern anything.
Jing Lei looked for a long time, then shook her head and said to me, "It's no different from the others in the pile. They're all oily, black, and shiny. I don't see any difference."