The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11
fSALT LAKE FOND
OF DIAMONDS
City's Jewel Bill Is High This
Season.
OUTSIDE TRADE is HEAVY
NECKLACE FOR $4,000, RINGS
FOR LITTLE LESS,


When Salt Lake comes to figure up
her Christmas and holiday bill for 1894.
she viii find that diamonds and other
precious stones represent no small
amount OF the total expenditures. This
fact may be better appreciated when II
is known that the diamond business OF
the largest iewolry house i'm Town.
which may be taken as standard. has
been iargcr during The SIXTY DAYS end
ing with the second week i'm this month
tfan Tor any bike period before.
Every day small fortunes go across
The counters Of one or another Of the
leading hOuses-this representing the
purchase price of diamond ring. "a
watch, or a necklace of gems. This city
Is one of the standing refutati6ns. ac-
cording to local diamond merchant.
o. the statement that "the best business
in retailing diamonds is done in cities
where there IS the largest sporting pop
ulation."
salt Lakes population is much more
Tree from the sporting element than
any other city of its slae in the west.
On the coast. fistic and turf admirers
are to be found in plenty. No one viii
accuse this city Of being the cynosure
of sporting mems eyes.
Salt Lake Good Diamond Town.
But far from being a poor diamond
retailing city. Salt Lake is the pu-chas-
ing point not only for large home
population, but for several adjacent
Estates. Indeed. the largest purchases
are not infrequently made by outsiders
or tourists
According to the jeweIer before men
tloned, there is scarcely "A young man.
o. old one either, residing i'm this state
but that is able to buy a diamond for
his promised one as soon as he is given
The opportunity. These men represent.
IN the main. thrifty residents II they
;Ve satisfied, their future trade is as
sured.
Sporting men, on the other hand. Of
ten are ready to sell back one week
what they have bought the previous.
They are not reliable purchasers.
As TO sales, probably the most ex-
pensive pieces of jewelry sold are neck
laces. Not long ago one of these. a
beautiful rope of diamonds, was pur-
{ chased by a local woman for 81. 1000.
Not infrequently sales of from 81 800 TO
$4,000 are made. Rings for which over
u 900 are paid generally contain sew
eral stones, either a pearl or ruby with
diamond setting, or several diamonds.
OF course some are satisfied with
Clipped" diamonds. which may be
purchased at from s. to S1OO. according
TO the quality OF the metal in which
they are set. If gold predominates and
the design is beautiful, Clipped dia-
mond rings, crescents and other jewels
can be sold at higher prices than If
they were made of eight or twelve
carat rolled plate" which means they
are mostly brass or copper, or COM
pOsite material.
There are few solitaires sold for 81 600
in this city or any other city in the
west. The number of persons wearing
sOlitaiTes upward Of $500 in value coll
stitute it is safe to say, a large minor
lily Of the population First water
stones" the highest quality. can be had
for this sum.
jewelers. find that most men who pay
this price for ring make several such
purchases during the year. Thus, there
are a number of Salt Lake families
whose accounts run up into five figures
annually. OF course, this does not mean
that precious stones alone are pur-
chased. a few watches at 500 to $500
apiece and a chest Of plate at few
hundreds more help swell the figure.
In speaking on this subject. the man.
2SeF OF large local JeWeirN store,
which makes a speciality of diamonds.
SAID:
salt Lake has an outside business in
diamonds and fine jewelry that is inn
p mCnse. In the past few years 1t has
grown to unprecedented proportions
These outside buyers come from every
part of the state Today for instance
foreman on a large engineering work
not a great ways from this city pur-
chased a watch valued az $500 and a
diamond ring valued at the same fig
Ire.
Two other fine rings were bought to-
Gay, one Of which was set TO order. for
a woman temporarily in this city. Each
is valued at $500, one containing a $500
pearl. surrounded by diamonds. the
other a ruby between two large dia-
mcnds. 1t is seldom that solitaires
worth more than $500 are purchased. al
though, Of course, where the ring con
tains several stones the price will run
much righer
Medicine VS.. Diamonds.
Not long ago a woman who had
come TO Salt Lake almost i'm despair Of
,.A.afaffacs har. 1nea h..IeA 600 80.