Arizona republican., 1903-07-13
DIAMOND DEPOT
The U. 5. Becoming a
 Great Treasure House
OVER THIRTY MILLIONS
Brought Into the Country Last Year.
 A Sign Not Only of Prosperity but of Progress in Art of Diamond Cutting

Washington, July 12.-More than 3o million dollars worth of diamonds and other precious stones were brought in to the United States in the fiscal year just ended. The department of Com merce and labor through it's bureau of statistics statements shows that the total importations of diamonds and other precious stones. in the eleven months ending with May. amounted to over 2S million dollars in value and as the figures for the month of May alone were about three million dollars. 1t is evident that th- June figures Will bring the grand total oi diamonds and ether precious stones up to a fuI 3g
 million dollars for the fiscal year end ing June 30, 1903.
 This is the largest impOrtat ton uf dia- monds and other precious stones ever
 shown in d single year or our com
 merce. Prior to 1SSI the total had sell
 dem if ever reached ten million dollars
 per annum: from 1SS7 tu 1898 the total
 gradually moved upward until it saCn-
 ed Is millions. then it rapidly Tell to
 five and a half millions in lS@i. s-va-
 and half millions in 1885. six and
 three -fourths millions in ISy6. and two
 and half millions in the tscai year
 of 1897. In 1898 the total increased to
 nearly nine million collars. iu 1898 Co
 over II millions. in 1901 to 70 uilli. IFS.
 in 1902 tO = millions and iU 1906 ,yil be
 fully % millions, making the total fog
 the year just ended not only mo-o than il any preceding year but J0 per cent
 In excess o, 1901. double the figure of 1899 and more than six times the aver age during the period 1Sgf-s.
 This rapid growth in the impCI taJiou l Of diamonds. while it suggests general prosperity. also seems to indicate tho | development or a comparatively new | industry in the United States. the cut { ting of diamonds The total iInPu-ts- ! tiOns of diamonds alone in the eleN "a months ending with May amounted Co 1 2i million collars and Of other precious stones four and one-half miIliCas- or ! the 24 million dollars worth Of di1- mouds imported. ten millions were un- | cut diamonds; this total of ten millions | Of uncut diamonds Is a large increase | compared with the imp1rtatiOnS of un- i cut diamonds in proceeding years. the 1 figures for eleven months Of the year 1 1902 being five and One-hdlf millions i while for the CCrres bonding period nC | 1901 they wSTe six and one-half mil l uOnS- Tor the CCrreSpOnQlnE months or 1 1900 three and One-half millions. and | for the corresponding months of lSsS | but little over two millions.
 | The diamonds imported are divided l by the bureau Of statistics statements i into two groups. viz "DiamCEds uu- 1 cut but not set has grown from four ! engravers'. not set" and Diamonds ! cut but not set" The value If dia- ! monds uncut. including miners. Elaz- | iers'. etc. imported in eleven months 1 ending with May. has grown from two ! and Oue-half millions in 1898 to ten 1 millions in 1903. while that of diamonds i but but not set has grown from four : millions in 1898 to 14 millions in l9a1- ] these figures being in each case for the period of eleven months. This infer ence. that the cutting of diamonds Is | becoming an important industry in the 1 United States. which is suggested by ! the rapid increase in the importation of uncut diamonds. is strengthened hy the fact that the census statistics of | ''lapidary work show that the total ! value of production of lapidsry work l in 1869 was over five and one-half mil , lion dollars against less than half a l million in 1890 and that the value oi the materials used in this work in lgof
 was over four and one-half millions
 against less than a quarter of mil | lion in 1890