Chapter 554
The smile on Celeste’s face instantly stiffened.
Everyone’s shocked gazes converged on the necklace around Helena’s neck.
Helena looked as though she had been struck by lightning, a suffocating wave of despair crashing over her.
She instinctively raised a hand to cover the necklace, her voice trembling as she stared at Quentin Pierce in disbelief.
“Master Pierce, did you make a mistake? My necklace absolutely cannot be a fake.
I spent a fortune trading for this unique royal piece. Multiple… multiple collectors in the industry have appraised it, and no one ever said it was fake p>
PR Director Macy Zeller stepped forward immediately, taking the initiative to help Helena out of her predicament.
“Mr. Pierce, before this exhibition began, I personally oversaw the reception and management of all the jewelry.
Before they officially entered the venue, we specifically invited certified appraisers in the industry to conduct a unified screening.
Temporary appraisal certificates were issued for all the pieces.
At that time, everyone confirmed they were genuine. There is absolutely no mistake p>
The surrounding socialites began whispering among themselves, with the majority instinctively leaning toward Helena.
Helena’s face showed a second of embarrassment.
But she quickly adjusted, looking at Quentin Pierce with a mix of reverence and a hint of mockery.
“I naturally respect your status, Mr. Pierce, but I don’t blame you. After all, it’s a younger generation’s world now.
Perhaps you don’t know me, so naturally, you don’t understand my history with jewelry p>
Her words were a clear jab, implying he didn’t know what he was looking at.
Quentin Pierce just smiled faintly, stroking his beard without saying a word.
Instead, murmurs arose from the crowd.
“What’s Mrs. Sterling’s status? Not to mention she’s the matriarch of the Sterlings, her maiden family is also highly ranked in the Capital. Would she be short on that kind of money p>
“With such a massive fortune, she could easily buy ten genuine royal sapphire sets. There’s no need for her to degrade herself by wearing a knockoff p>
“Exactly! Plus, professional appraisers checked them beforehand p>
In the crowd, Sienna and Thea exchanged a knowing smile.
Looking into Quentin Pierce’s eyes, Sienna spoke respectfully, “Mr. Pierce, could it be that this replica’s craftsmanship is just too realistic, causing a crament p>
Before he could respond.
The appraiser who had been invited to review the jewelry beforehand hurried forward and spoke firmly.
“A misjudgment is impossible. When our team inspected it, we found no obvious signs of forgery.
The shape of the entire set and the antiquing process matched historical records perfectly, so we concluded it was a genuine antique. וי
The crowd’s agreement and corroboration instantly gave Helena immense confidence.
She lifted her chin and looked at Quentin Pierce, hiding a bit of displeasure, and sarcasm in her eyes, her words subtly dripping with doubt.
“Mr. Pierce, I respect you as an industry master, but no one can beat the passage of time. You’ve been behind the scenes for years.
Could it be that your eyesight has deteriorated with age, and you’ve mistaken my heirloom treasure for a fake p>
With this challenge, the atmosphere in the room grew even more tense.
The guests wavered; some believed in Helena’s wealth and the preliminary appraisal results.
Others didn’t dare casually dismiss Quentin Pierce, who had been retired for years but held an unrivaled reputation.
Faced with a room full of doubts and Helena’s blunt sarcasm.
Quentin Pierce’s face remained composed, merely curving the corners of his mouth slightly.
Looking completely unfazed, he spoke slowly with sharp professionalism.
“Mrs. Sterling, ordinary collectors can only judge the shape and condition; they cannot spot the flaws in the deeper craftsmanship.
A genuine century-old royal sapphire has natural, exclusive ice-crack textures inside.
It forms natural rutile silk inclusions that can be seen by the naked eye under a light p>
As he spoke, he pointed to a very delicate spot on the base of Helena’s necklace.
“But this gemstone is far too clean throughout, and it only has the curved growth lines typical of synthetic creation.