On The Fly

“I have a book here, said my friend Hercule Peridot, as we relaxed by the evening fire, which I think, Adamas, that we simply must pursue.” Peridot paused to take a sip of his wine. We had made our way to Peridot’s study, and were seated in the leather chairs in front of the cozy fireplace. "When you say pursue - what exactly do you mean monsieur ?” I asked. “Recently my fascination has been the birth of the Renaissance. Many identify that period with Leonardo da Vinci, however, this small book has convinced me that another genius 100 years before da Vinci had already made staggering contributions to mathematics, architecture, and pure reason, l isten to this." “On August 19, 1418, a competition was announced in Florence, where the city’s magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, had been under construction for more than a century:" " Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main dome of the cathedral under construc

Upon our return from India we spent a few days unraveling the sapphire mystery at Peridot’s home in Los Angeles. Not long after I was hired to teach at the school of Gemology, Hercule Peridot completed his sabbatical there and resumed his duties at the University. He had long since retired from his teaching as a tenured professor of Geological Sciences. The son of a wealthy businessman, he never wanted for money. He had moved west to earn his Ph.D. from Stanford. The access road was a narrow winding climb. What emerged was a low profile bungalow nestled in the Hollywood hills. Peridot’s home at 1740 Tsavorite Lane was rather spartan on the outside but would prove quite comfortable inside. “Thank you for the kind invitation.” I said as we entered through the large turquoise door, the feeling of spaciousness was overwhelming. The entryway contained Amethyst geodes, sentinels guarding the front entrance. Large skylights filled the space with soft light. “Welcome to my

Photo by: Robert Weldon “Meet me at the airport in Atlanta this Saturday,” was the text message I received on my iPhone early that morning in my study. It was still dark; about 4:30 a.m., I knew Hercule Peridot kept odd hours. I immediately texted Peridot back - “Que se passe-t-il?” Instantaneously an  email  from Peridot popped up, “We will review the facts on the flight –  we're  off to India. Click the attached link in this e-mail; Your flight is confirmed.” My name is Adamas Bontemps, G raduate  Gemologist ( G.G .). I'm an avid student of gemstones and the lost art of deductive  observation . My heritage is French. However, my formative years were spent in the Midwest, the Chicago area. My home is in California; as  you will see,  the nature of my work allows me the freedom to travel the world extensively. My good friend and mentor, who you will come to know through our adventures, Hercule Peridot, always had a surprise up his sleeve - but this one was more mysterious t