The False Gems

Despite quietly loathing his wife’s penchant for fake jewellery, Mr and Mrs Lantin are happily married.

When she dies, finances force him to sell her gems and he discovers that one of them is not only real but worth a significant sum of money.

What keeps niggling Mr Lantin is that he didn’t buy it for her – so who did?

‘The Fake Gems’ is a cautionary short story from the pen of a master. The perfect addition to any collection of Maupassant’s works.



Hailed as one of the pioneers of the modern short story, Henri Ren Albert Guy de Maupassant (1850 - 1893) was born in Dieppe, France. After his parents’ divorce, Maupassant was cared for by his mother who had a passion for literature.

During his secondary education, he was introduced to the acclaimed novelist, Gustave Flaubert, who was to play a prominent part in Maupassant’s literary career.

The Franco-Prussian War saw the author enlist in the Navy, and his experiences influenced many of his books, including ‘Boule de Suif.’ Flaubert was to take him under his wing after the war, introducing him to realist and naturalist authors, such as Émile Zola and Ivan Turgenev.