The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-04
THE yEwELEY TRADE.
The Business Outlook for the Year Good
Centennia Year OF the Trade.

Il
The Business Outlook for the Year Good
Centennial Year OF the Trade.
The past year has been far from salts
factory TO the manufacturing jewelers. OF
| this city as we'll as in other localities.
This business has been as much depressed
as other branches and in the
opinion OF many OF the leading manufac-
turers OF jewelry, much more so. This Is
due TO the fact that jewelry of any
kind Is more OF luxury than necessity
and when the first tidings
of financial stingency were
felt early in the year, the jewelers. were
among the very first 10 suffer. AS one
prominent member OF the fraternity
stated to News reporter yesterday,
"jewelry il more for a moment than
every day use, and while in these times n
man must have collar button and shirt
buttons, he can, without any discomfort,
go without his fancy scarf pin and watch,
or his elaborate cuff buttons.
He doesn't miss those but he could not
get along without the former and you can
readily comprehend what the effect on
the jewelry industry has been from this
economy"
These are words OF truth, and explain
the situation beyond argument. How
ever, with the coming of the new year
there seems to have sprung up a
more hopeful feeling OF bet
ter times and the jewellers
while cautious about putting out their
products are still pushing forward gradu-
ally, and hope soon to see the market
fully recovered.
The local manufacturers have
taken advantage of the depressed
condition OF affairs in the past year, to
evolve new designs and styles in jewelry,
and when the spring trade opens there
will undoubtedly be general influx i'm the
market OF original specimens of the
makers handiwork.
The trade is under the opinion that the
year will develop n good business, al
though the prospects point to holding
back of orders and a carrying over OF
stocks on hand. Each manufacturer will
undoubtedly get his share OF the business,
and 1t is not expected that there will
be any falling behind. However,
it will probably be another year
before the market will return to its con-
dition of usual activity, and until it does
the fraternity will deal with considerable
caution.
AS for the new designs the manufac-
turers are exceedingly reticcnt in making
public their ideas. II is known, however,
that some startling designs in fashionable
jewelry have been produced by energetic
makers, and the spring opening is
awaited with great anticipation.
The present year possesses more than
ordinary interest to the jewellers. 1t is
the centennial year OF the manufacturing
of jewelry in this city. In 1874, just
one hundred years ago, Nehemiah
Dodge, a local jeweler, began the manu-
facture OF jewelry by new and improved
process which so cheapened the cost OF
production as to bring jewclry within the
reach Of all. Previous to this the
work had been done mainly
by hand and was extremely costly.
Dodge being probably the first man to
manufacture for the trade Is rightly styled
the pioneer manufacturing jeweler
in the New England states.
While he was the pioneer Of
New England, 1t is thought by many,
that he was the pioneer in the coun-
try, inasmuch as the manufactur-
ers i'm New York were making
for individuals and catered but slightly to
the trade, and as Dodge overlooked indi-
vidual patronage, dealing solely with re-
taiers he is oftentimes considered as the
first manufacturing jeweler in the coun-
try.