Evening journal., 1898-11-26
TELL OF GOOD TIMES.
Business Prosperity Indicated by
the Diamond Trade.
The Importation of Jewels May be
Taken as a 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
gagged. When times are good the de-
mand for diamonds is large; when
times are bad, diamonds, being q lux
ury, are in less demand and the inn
portation of them declines. just now
there is q largely increased demand
for diamonds, and e there be merit In
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 !,
of 1897 and 1895, Of diamond importa-
lions into the United States: 1897
81, 9s5. $40; 1898, S6,955,7s0. The in
crease of importations of diamonds is
however, not the only one in the line
Of decorative jewelry," so to speak.
The importations for the two years
Of other precious stones, rubies,
sar phires, emeralds, pearls, opals.
etc. are as follows in amount: 1897,
S1,573, 7ss; $685. S3,44o,o76.
Tie two chief foreign ports from
which diamonds are sent TO this couu-
try are Amsterdam and Antwerp.
From Great Britain a considerable
amount of jewelry is exported to the
United States, but much Of il 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
rear, the exports of jewelry TO the
United States fell of one-half in
amount. The expectations of French
iewelry fell off two-thirds and from
Holland four-ffths, but the losses sus-
tanned in the amount of the exports
have been more than covered this year,
as the treasury figures show. The
American port which practically gets
all the jewelry, diamonds and precious
stones sent into the United States is
New York, the importations into
other American ports being insignih-
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.
r 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.
r The largest country OF export o.
{ uncut diamonds to the United Statei
D is Holland, and England follows
through the development of the dia
mond interests in Africa. in the i'm
, portation of jewelry and precious
, stones other than diamonds, Franc,
leads and Holland follows. The va
e. frances in the amount of bushes.
g done in diamonds and precious stones
e Ga trade peculiarly susceptible t'
trade conditions) is shown in the CASE
of Belgium. In 1894 its total exporta
. tons TO the United States were {,
the value of $4,000 in diamonds, jew
elry and precious stones. The yea
before they were $4,000, or three
y times as much. The year after the.
we're $500 600 or seven times greater
The same assertion which is mad
concerning diamonds and preciou
\ stones as trade barometer has beer
=. made assduously for champagne, th
d importations of which are Away
It largest when business is good ant
n smallest when times are dull.-N. y
j. Sun