Evening journal., 1898-11-07
TELL OF GOOD TIMES.
Business Prosperity Indicated by
the Diamond Trade.
The Importation of Jewels May De
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
ury, are in less demand and the inn
portation of them declines. just now
there is a largely increased demand
for diamonds, and # 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 1898, of diamond importa-
tions into the United States: 1897,
s1,0s5,slO; 1898, s6,055,7s9. 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,
sapphires. emeralds, pearls, opals,
etc, are as follows in amount: 1897,
s1,573, ,7ss; 1898, $3,44o, ,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 1t 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 off one-half In
amount. The expectations of French
jewelry 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 preciou,
stones sent into the United States il
New York, the importations intC
other American ports being insignia
cant in amount, Notwithstanding th'
fact that considerable share of tn,
country's jewelry business is done il
New England, particularly in the city
of Providence. The explanation of thu
matter is that New York is the mar
ket of supply for the whole countr.
in jewelry and precious stones
though New York has only part of thu
trade in diamond and precious ston,
setting.
The largest country of export o
uncut diamonds to the United State
is Holland, and England follow
through the development of the dia
mond interests in Africa. In the i'm
portation of jewelry and preciou
stones other than diamonds, Franc
leads and Holland follows. The va
riances in the amount of busines
done in diamonds and precious stone
Ga trade peculiarly susceptible t
trade conditions) is shown in the cas-
of Belgium. In 1894 its total exporta
tions to the United States were I
the value of $4,000 in diamonds, jew
elry and precious stones. The yea
before they were $4,000, or thre
times as much. The year after the
were $4,000. or seven times greater
The same assertion which is mad
concerning diamonds and preciou
stones as q trade barometer has bee
made assiduously for champagne, tn
importations Of which are alway
largest when business is good an
smallest when times are dull.-N.
Sun.