Miller scraped the inside of the band with a brass file to check the underlying metal, then stopped. He reached for a small black bottle and dropped a bead of acid onto the fresh scratch. The liquid stayed clear. He wiped it, applied a stronger solution, and waited. Nothing happened.
“That’s odd,” he muttered, adjusting his magnifying loupe. He walked over to the electronic tester on his workbench and touched the probe to the band. The digital display blinked green instantly.
“It’s eighteen-karat yellow gold,” Miller said, turning to look at Hannah over his glasses. He switched on an incandescent lamp above his desk. Under the warm light, the dull grey stone suddenly flushed a deep, velvety red. He switched back to the cool fluorescent bulb overhead. The stone shifted instantly to a bright, teal green.