, 1888-01-14
MILLIONS IN DIAMONDS.
Extraordinary Window Displays Guarded
by Sharp Detectives.

by Sharp Detectives.
"Diamondsl Did you ever see any
thing like this d~isplayl' These words
were spoken by an admirer of the spark
ling gems to n gentleman who was show
ing him the beautiful things to be seen on
Broadway. They had been looking in the
windows of dealers in precious stones,
whose stores are near the postoffice, and
where they are spread out in the most
tempting way to catch the eye of r"ss-
erB by.
"Since l see you are a lover of dia-
monds l would suggest that we walk up
as far as the hotel where you are going
to stop, and we can, l believe, see more
diamonds than can be seen in the shop
windows of any other street in the
world" was the answer. Then they
started up Broadway on a diamond in
spection.
II have lived in New York nearly all
my life" continued the last speaker,
land the fact is / never before saw 30
many of these gems at one time as are to
be seen in the store windows here this
winter. l was remarking this fact to
one of the largest dealers here only a few
evenings ago, when he said in explana-
ton that the success of the experts of
Europe in initiating the genuine stones
has to a great extent rendered even the
finest quality of diamonds unpopular.
They can be bought there now fully one
third cheaper than they could ten years
ago. In the meantime the love for them
in this country has grown greater year
by year. and as our wealthy class is con-
tinually getting larger the demand for
diamonds is steadily on the increase.
sour dealers find it profitable business
to bring them over from Europe. You
would be surprised, too, if you knew the
thousands and thousands of dollars worth
of these gems that are smuggled over
here. There are men-and women, too,
for that matter-whose business it is to
smuggle diamonds into the United States,
and they realize an enormous profit by
their nefarious trade"
They were walking leisurely up town
and stopped to gaze into the window of
each jewelry store as they passed. When
they had got as far as Twenty-first street
the display had grown to be really mar
velous. There were diamonds whose
sizes ranged from the smallness of the
head of a pin 10 thirty-seven carat
weight, and in colors they were from the
deepest orange to the most brilliant steel
blue. There was a necklace valued at
$780, 900 and brooches at $40, 900. One
pair of solitaire stones were noted which
were made for ear pendants. They were
pure white and weighed thirty-f four
carats each. A diamond crown, which
consisted of several stars composed of the
purest stones, and which was labeled as
having once belonged to the Empress
Eugene, was con%spicuously displayed in
a window, and attracted a great deal of
attention. 1t was surrounded by hun
dreds of other precious stones, and the
value of the display in that window
alone wa estimated at more thar $780,
900. The eye of a clerk inside the store
was constantly on the window, while a
detective, it is said, is kept always on
duty OF the outside.
The employment of detectives to guard
the outside of windows at this season of
the year, when the finest display is made
by tho diamond dealers, and when tho
streets are filled with strangers and many
thieves, is very IN This precau-
ton is always taken now, since n few
years ago n window wa smashed in and
diamonds Of great value were stolen
New York Evening Sun.