Sheldon’s eyes lit up. “Ah! A scientific inquiry! We can determine its authenticity using thermal conductivity, refractive index, and—"

“I watched a documentary on gemstone economics last Tuesday.” Later, Georgie tried to give the ring to his girlfriend, but she laughed. “That’s not real, Georgie.”

Mary smiled. “When did you get so wise?”

Georgie whispered to Sheldon, “Thanks, little brother.”

“Then we’ll visit Professor Linkletter at the university. He has a diamond tester.” At East Texas Tech, Professor Linkletter reluctantly agreed to help. He placed the ring under a handheld device. The reading blinked: .

“Not a diamond,” Linkletter said. “It’s a lab-created silicon carbide. Pretty, but not valuable.”