Case Of The Tough Break

Detective Nose once again arrived at the jewelery store, a route he has become rather familiar with for all the wrong reasons. The previous owner of the store, having being arrested for committing fraud, left the management of the store to his son. It was the store owner’s son that called Detective Nose into the store.

“Detective Nose”, said the young man, “I know that my father hasn’t been an honest person, but I assure you that I am trying to make amends for his tainted reputation.” Detective Nose examined the young man closely. Neatly and smartly dressed in a navy blue suit and matching striped tie, the young man was a stark contrast to his father, and looked every bit as refined and educated as a young person could hope to be.

“I called you in because someone has sold me fake diamonds, and I want you to work with the police to catch these despicable crooks!” “I was hoping that my father’s reputation with his suppliers would still be intact, but I believe that they simply preyed on my inexperience in this trade.”

“What is it with this jewelery store and crooks?” Detective Nose thought to himself. “Show me where these fake diamonds are”. The young man produced a velvet pouch, from which he took out several glittering stones and laid them out on a mat on the counter.

“I had tried the scratch test, and indeed they were scratch resistant against sapphires, but when I tried to hit them with a mallet to test their hardness, the stone shattered.” The young man sounded devastated, and what Detective Nose had to say would prove even more disastrous for him.

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“No need to call the cops,” Detective Nose quipped, “there’s been no deception here.”

What was the jewelery owner’s mistake? And why did Detective Nose not call the cops?