Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-25
THE AGE OF DIAMONDS.
The sparkling Brilliants sssal I'm style
with SvveIls and Hsiff.rAff-Pnssi,s Ne.
gus Gems.

with SvVell0 and k61kfsrotf-R0eet'n Be-
From the New York Graphic
The beauty and charm of diamonds Is attested
by their sustained position with the swels despite
their popularity with the riff-ran. II diamonds
could be made to 60 out Of style the ex-chamber-
maids and theatrical advance agents snide actors,
&C, who travel in them, breakfast in them and 1t
Is surmised sleep in them, would accomplish that
end, but now, despite the headlights that adorn
such collarless shirt-fronts Billy Mc0lorys for
instance, diamonds are still trump& A great
many of these people who display gems out OF
keeping with their fortune, position and surround
ings, have purchased them merely As investments,
and take the glory Of wearing them merely "a q
sort OF Incidental interest.
Diamonds are among the safest Investments
They nuctuate less than stocks or bonds or real
estate. They don't bring IN much but their
footed burglar they never melt into thin air and
leave not q wreck behind, as is the habit OF most
human property. Even real estate has too often
tax collector. A man who had the handling OF the
funds OF an immense syndicate year or two ago
astonished some OF his acquaintance by the iber-
AMY OF his gifts OF 1ewelry to his wife The wife
was kept in Europe. II his c0nfreres in business
had known about It they would not have taken
Of nature; quite the Contrary. The a. indicate did
not succeed In buying up the legislature, as they
counted on doing; their great scheme for benefit
IL
lar fell through, their affairs are in q mess and
our friend with the beJeweled wife Is now living
On those timely boarded stores You see. II the
would nave been able to replace the money he
drew from Its capital, and not being SO he knows
too much about It's shady transactions in bribing
Government officials &C., to be in danger OF prose-
cution. Diamonds he settled upon as the most
convenient form to have his stealings In. They
of flight than gold, and are less conspicuous and
compromising In q foreign country than United
Diamonds unset are the best investment Unset
Is the only proper way to buy them, because IT is
the only way In which they can be thoroughly ex-
amined. or course the veriest greenhorn knows
tnat ne can't tell anything about O diamond set
with back to 1t; but many people are not so well
warned against the possibilities OF doublets.
Dou b may present good backs and fronts and
be. An expert dealer was fooled not long ago. and
now he takes no diamond whatever without first
removing II from It's setting and then submitting
1T to bath Of alcohol The latter process is to re-
move the aniiine wash that has been recently In.
vented TO augment the brilliancy Of diamonds II
1cal used In the manufacture OF paste.
That paste now equals for all ornamental pur-
poses the true gem was proven when Patti was
here last. Her diamonds interested the society
ladies as much as her voice. Their ''ohs" and
"ahs" created a soft breeze through the whole
house when she appeared In the famous necklace
around her beautiful neck. But 1t wasn't the orig
inal necklace at all! There is no telling how much
II the dear public had known that 1t and all the
rest OF the Patti diamonds displayed for their
lectattOn were nothing but paste duplicates. The
originals were lying c0ziy in safety deposit vault
In London. Patti had pair Of diamond earrings
and a pin and couple OF rings with her; that
was all All the paste were however, exact dupli-
Gates of diamonds in her possession II that is any
comfort. The passion Of mankind for bargains
is worked TO advantage by the diamond dealers,
Just as 1t Is by the dry goods people With their
remnants" the clOthiers with their damaged
goods" and the furniture and bric-a-b rac dealers
with their sales at ''private residences" OF the
household goods Of suppOsititi0us families. Every
Sunday there are In the papers lot OF advertise
ments something like this:
Awidow, suddenly reduced in fortune finds herself
Obliged at any sacrifice to part with portion Of her
four and quarter carats; one diamond in ring four
and quarter carats. Address B., - Office.
OF course the smartie that thinks ne sees a
chance here TO get twice as much as he pays for
thinks he is judge OF diamonds The whole trans
action is cleverly managed to keep up the impos-
ture. He finds Mrs. B., or sometimes her male rep
reSentattve, very unfamiliar with busineSs-des-
perately anxious to sell, but obliged to raise q
certain amount. Still, the price seems much be-
low the value OF the showily set gems; these set
tings are very apt to be 'Od fashioned, conse-
quently, you see, closed up at the back" No
dealer would buy them thus, but the smartie
thinks he knows a thing or two, and lays In q lot
OF imperfect, spread and off-cOlOr stones.