The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-02-15
HOW WOMEN BUY DIAMONDS.
Prominent J<weIer Refuses to Place
Price on a Gem.

Prominent Jswe1er Refuscs TO Ts"ee
Price Gem.
To the private Office of a prominent
ieweler the other day entered a mid
die aged woman, richly caparisoned IN
fiounce and furbelow, and evidently
forming part of the dough that makes
the upper crust. She held in one hand
a diamond earring. The Jewei was
large and brilliant. With entire cool
ness of demeanor she said: Il lost inc
mate to this VIII you be kind enough
10 tell me what it will cost to get an
other exactly like it?''
| The ieweler eyed her keenly and then
said. MADAME, where did you lose
Your earring?"
The effect of this simple question
anon the woman was surprising. she
was evidently unprepared for the
emery. and there was certainly soIle-
thing in it that disturbed her. 1t
makes no difference where l lost II,
she answered in decidedly sharp tone.
"yyhat will it cost me to obtain announcer
exactly like this?" and she held up the
sparkling stone.
"Djd YOU advertise for the one you
lost. madame?" persisted the Jeweler
blandly.
.Yhat has that got to do with the
n,atter?" she replied in an angry tone.
swell, madame" was the smiling re-
ply. eff you advertise for the earring
which YOU lost you might recover 1T,
and then you would not be placed I'M
der the necessity of ascertaining what
it would cost to replace it. ADVERTISE
first, madame, and if you do not re-
cover the jewel come in again and VIII
answer your questions" Saying TINS
the diamond dealer politely bowed the
now fretting and Tuning woman to the
door.
.Nhy will women lie in such small
affairs" said the jeweler, YEARLY, and
why will nearly every purchaser of a
diamond look upon the merchant with
HON he or she deals as rascal? That
woman hasn't lost an earring. She has
purchased pair, perhaps, on trial
and she will go to nearly every jeweiel
in town with that pretty lie and en-
/ deavor to get price upon that stone
1t is one of the finest OF diamonds ant
l evidently came from one OF our lead
inf. dealers, whom she insists on he
, lieying is engaged in "a scheme to rol
her. The chances are that she VII
: eventually get in the hands of some un
scrupulous merchant, whom she cal
, find even in big stores. He will tell he
!, that the stone is 'off-colored and con
oh he n
!. diamond of the same size as the other
/, and fix upon it price which he know
3 is less than the fine brilliant could b
/. sold for. The. result viii be tina
q madame will ecnd her fine brillian
II back in a rage and buy the iHferio
l. stone for twice what it is worth. Thi
& evil has grown to such an extent tina
" it is sometimes impossible to detect tn
: fraudulent character of the storie
:. brought us. They are all very ingeniu'
n AS result big houses, except in rar
v cases, refuse to place prices upon jew
5, els brought to them
IT The jeweler continues: People haS
the queerest notions about diamond
end other jewels, and some of thel
give us much trouble. The most gel
cral delusion is that diamonds have
standard value Just as arbitrarily fixe
as that of double eagle. You will fir
quently hear people say: 1T isan e.
IF cellent investment TO place your none
in fine diamonds, for they are wort
ID ;ust so much carat, and you can q
ne ways sell them for just what you pa
fl for them My lady buys hand on
brooch for $500, and after wearing it
~ year or two endeavors to sell it to HI
&c jeweler, or, perhaps, to his rival. 81
nd is offered 5000 for it. She then throw
) up her hands and lifts up her voic
iF land protests that she has been swi
died. What nonsense it all is! WI
diamonds as with other merchandi
a stone is worth exactly what it w
bring. Were it otherwise there cou
!. be no profit in diamond dealing. He
TIC could l make money in selling dout
eagles when 1 would have to pay !
for them, and could not sell them +
tain a penny more?
I ar. 'Here is very fine Indian brillia
upon my finger. l bought it at fore
sale and paid nearly $500 for it. Y
. terday l was offered 81 300 for it, b
~ would not sell because 1 am in lo
. = with the stone. Yet 1 cannot say til
z the stone is worth 81, 800. 1t was wor
I 4 1t at the time that sum was offered !
4 it by one who wanted it, but if l We
7 compelled to sell it next week at
4 hours notice l might not get 5000
it. Why should a woman expect
= wear a brooch for two years and til
Z obtain for it the same money she p;
! for it? Last week bought a new C
4 riage and paid 81 800 for it, said t.
4 friend: Come and take an $500 DIR
\ with me- He looked at me as if
! thought rue insane. Il mean it, SO
kkk There is a carriage that cost me :
,r,d,s 800. We will drive in it through I
ut q park. Tomorrow l will not be able
pairs obtain $1,000 for it." With jewelry
than Is much the same way."-Philadelp
and Times.
after. |
s,x Right in Style.