Bobby Clark is just sixteen when he drops out of school to follow his big brother, Jim, into the jewelry business. Bobby idolizes Jim and is in awe of Jim's girlfriend, Lisa, the best saleswoman at the Fort Worth Deluxe Diamond Exchange.

What follows is the story of a young man's education in two of the oldest human passions, love and money. Skilled at the art of persuasion, Bobby is drawn to Lisa, but also to the myriad scams and frauds of the jewelry trade, where the power to appraise also means the power to bait and switch and cheat like hell. Clancy Martin's gripping debut novel takes us behind the counter, where diamonds and watches aren't the only precious commodity.