The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-31
WHAT MAKES JEWELRy DEAR
Steady Rise Of Materials and
Labor Responsible
PRECIOUS STONES DOUBLE IN PRICE
STRONG ADVANCE is PREDICTED
FOR THE IMMEDIATE
FUTURE.
PRECIOUS STONES D0uBlE IN PRICE

The steady rise in the prices of ma
terials and labor is bearing heavily on
the manufacturers of jewelry and sill
verware. The latter already have
raised prices and may have to repeat
the operation. Semi-preciOus stones of
the better qualities have doubled in
price, while the poorer ones have ad-
vanced in sympathy; platinum is
worth today anywhere from $34 to
$40 an ounce. Gold is advancing, cop
per has basing price of 10 cents adj
vance more than that of a year ago.
Tin touched AZ cents pound recently.
and is now nearly the price of nickel
Under these conditions the manufac.
turing jewelers. are bound to raise
prices ultimately, and the rise may be
immediate. A prominent jeweler re-
Gently said that the trade must expect
strong advance in the price of goods.
1--WE manufacturers he said, "have
talked the matter over in it's different
aspects, and it seems to be the gen.
eral opinion that under the present
conditions there must be a strong ad-
vance in the price of jewelry AS the
trade must know the price of labor
has increased materially and raw ma
terials of all kinds have taken very
strong upward flight in prices, and we
are laboring now under the difficulty
of having goods catalogued and hav
ing statesmen for jobbers travelling all
over the country selling goods, on
many of which the prices were made
two or three years ago and under con-
ditions then existing
"A large part of the prices were
made new last spring when the price
of platinum was $1.10. Now it is $1.90
per hundredweight. Some semi-prec-
ious stones, which at that time were
Sc, which is more than we charge to
the wholesale trade, and still we are
expected to hold our prices for an
other six months. The trade must I'M
derstand that we have received no.
tees from our supply houses that they
will advance prices without further no.
tice at any time: that in ordering
stones we never know what the price
will be; and still our trade expects us
to hold to old prices, however much
we may lose by it. These conditions
which we have to overcome ought to
be explained so that the trade will
appreciate our conditions more and
will be willing to accept raise in
price and not think they are being
cheated when manufacturers say it is
necessary. Some of the New York
Jewellers have advocated raising their
prices to conform with, and at the
same time work with the eastern
manufacturers, in doing the same
thing"
This goes far toward explaining the
steady tendency to tighten mountings
which all in the trade have observed
has been the practice for the last
three years. This year it is extremely
marked in all stone-set goods. partic-
ularly in the cheaper rings. Formerly
the manufacturer could save himself
by complying with the jobbers' re-
quest to 'lower the carat quality lit
tie but with the national stamping
law soon to take effect. this recourse
is no longer available, and as the
goods are now too light in many in
of vlyinn
come as the next step.-New York
Commercial