ABSTRACT
Two diamond traders in London’s Hatton Garden examine a handful of precious stones. They agree a sale. The buyer says she needs three days to obtain the finance for the cash transaction. The deal is agreed. There has been no discussion of the authenticity of the information provided about the origins and specification of the stones. By tradition, such deals have been conducted with no legal or written exchange. Their bedrock is the intangible bond of trust between the two traders.
