Daily camera., 1898-11-11
TELL OF GOOD TIMES.
Business Prosperity Indicated by
the Diamond Trade
The Importation of Jewels May B.
Taken as . Sort of Business
Barometer Present Signs
Are Good.

There is an old saying among dia-
mond dealers that by the volume of
the Importation of precious stones
from abroad the condition of business
in this country may be correctly
gauged. When times are good the de-
mand for diamonds is large; when
times are bad, diamonds, being lux
urv, are in less demand and the i'm
portation of them declines. Just now
there is largely increased demand
the claim made in the saying quoted
this should be another indication of
pervasive good times. The treasury
bulletin recently issued in Washington
corroborates distinctly the claim of
enlarged importations of diamonds.
Here are the figures for the two years,
the two fiscal years, ending July l,
of 1897 and 1898, of diamond importa-
tfons into the United States: 1897,
S1.9S5,S1O; 1898, S6955,7S9. The in
crease of importations of diamonds is,
however, not the only one in the lire
of decorative jewelry," so to speak.
The import tions for the two years
of other precious stones, rubies,
sapphires, emeralds, pearls, opals,
etc, are as follows in amount: 1897,
S1,573,7SS; 1898, $3,440,O76.
The two chief foreign ports from
which diamonds are sent to this coun-
try are Amsterdam and Antwerp.
From Great Britain considerable
amount of jewelry is exported to the
United States. but much Of it comes
from England in transit. particularly
from Switzerland. a country having
few direct trade relations with the
United States. In the fiscal year of
1894, following the depression caused
by the financial Disturbances of that
ear, the exports of jewelry to the
United States fell off one-half in
amount. The expectations of French
iewelry fell off two-thirds and from
Holland four-fifths. but the losses sus-
taired in the amount OF the exports
have been more than covered this year,
as the trea7ury figures show. The
American Port which practically gets
all The jewelry, dian onds and precious
stones sent into the United States is
New York, the importations into
other American ports being insigniti-
cant in amount, notwithstanding the
fact that a considerable share of the
country's jewelry business is done in
New England, particularly in the city
Of Providence. The explanation of the
matter is that New York is the mar
ket of supply for the whole country
IN jewelry and precious stones.
though New York has only part of the
trade in diamond and precious stone
setting.
The largest country of export of
uncut diamonds to the United States
is Holland, and England follows
through the. development of the dia-
mond interests in Africa. In the i'm
Fortation of jewelry and precious
stones other than diamonds, France
leads and Holland follows. The va
riances in the amount of business
done in diamonds and precious stones
Ga trade peculiarly susceptible to
trade conditions) is shown in the case
of Belgium. In 1894 its total exporta-
tions to the United States were to
the value of S74OOO in diamonds, jew
elry and precious stones. The year
before they were S21O,OOo, or three
times as much. The year after they
were S5OO,OOO, or seven times greater.
The same assertion which is made
concerning diamonds and precious
stones as trade barometer has been
made assiduously for champagne, the
importations of which are always
largest when business is good and
smallest when times are dull.-N. Y.
Sun.