The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-23
IMPORTS OF DIAMONDS.

More than thirty million dollars
stones were brought into the United
States in the fiscal year just ended
The Department of Commerce and La
Dor through it's Bureau of Statistics
statements shows that the total impor-
tations of diamonds and other precious
stones in the eleven months ending
with May, amounted to over twenty
eight million dollars in value and as
the figures for the month of May alone
were about three million dollars, it is
evident that the June figures will bring
the grand total of diamonds and other
precious stones up to a full thirty mill
lion dollars for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1903.
This is the largest Importation OF
diamonds and other precious stones
ever shown in a single year of our
commerce. Prior to 1887 the total had
seldom if ever reached ten million dol
lars per annum; from 1887 to 1898 the
total gradually moved upward until it
reached sixteen millions, then it rapid
~ fell to five and one-half millions in
1894, seven and one-half millions in 1895,
six and three-fourths millions in 1896
and two and one-half millions in the
fiscal year 1897 In 1898 the total in
creased to nearly nine million dollars.
in 1899 to over fourteen millions, in 1901
to twenty millions. in 1902 to twenty
three millions and in 1903 will be fully
thirty millions. making the total for
the year just ended not only more than
in any preceding year but fifty per cent
in excess of 1901, double the figures of
1899 and more than six times the aver
age during the period 1s94-7.
This rapid growth in the importation
OF diamonds, while it suggests general
prosperity, also seems to indicate the
development of a comparatively new
industry in the United States, the cut
ting OF diamonds. The total importa-
lions OF diamonds alone in the eleven
months ending with May amounted to
twenty-four million dollars and OF other
precious stones four and one-half mil
lions. or the twenty-four million dol
lars worth of diamonds imported, ten
millions were uncut diamonds; this
total of ten millions Of uncut diamonds
is a large increase compared With the
importations OF uncut diamonds in pre-
ceding years, the figures for eleven
months OF the year 1902 being five and
one-half millions, while for the cor
responding period OF 1901 they were six
and one-haIf millions; for the CORE
spending months of 1900 three and one
half millions and for the corresponding
months OF 1895 but a little over two mil
lions.
The diamonds imported are divided
by the Bureau of Statistics statements
into two groups. viz: Diamonds I'M
cut including miners. GLACIERS and en-
gravers', not set" and Diamonds cut
but not set" The value of diamonds
uncut, including miners. GLACIERS, etc,
imported in eleven months ending with
May, has grown from two and one-half
millions in 1898 to ten millions in 1908.
while that OF diamonds cut but not set
has grown from four millions in 1898
to fourteen millions in 1908. these fig
ures being in each case for the period
of eleven months. This inference, that
the cutting of diamonds is becoming an
important industry in the United
States. which is suggested by the rapid
increase in the importation of uncut
diamonds, is strengthened by the fact
work show that the total value of
production of lapidary work in 1906