This evening, on my way back from eating at the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants,  I passed the Versailles store. I wrote about their ostentatious jewellery in an earlier post. This time, instead of walking on by, I stopped and went inside.

I tried to look nonchalant, as if I frequent super expensive jewellery stores on a regular basis. There were five sales assistants. I was the only other person in the shop. I find it hard to believe they can ever all be busy with customers at the same time.

One of the sales assistants approached me. I asked him the price of the largest piece in the window. He opened the back board behind the display. I confirmed that this was indeed the item that I was interested in. He leant in and peered at a small card label tied to the piece.

He closed up the case and we walked back to a counter where he took out an electronic desk calculator. He showed me the price –  265,500QR or £43,570 or $72,900. I thanked him for the information and as I left the store, I tried to look as if I was pondering a potential purchase.