Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-16

Inc omC.al 1udBe oil gems carefully
opened folded sheet OF tissue pa
per revealing four good sized dia.
monds. They were rough stoues
fresh from the mine. Then, putting
his lips close To the paper. he breath.
cd on them gently.
you see" he said, they take OH a
slightly yellowish cast when do that.
Diamonds, oven In the rough. are SO
bright that the eye does not easily
discern an off color tint But when
one breathes on them. the slight coat
Ing of moisture takes away their bril-
lianee for a moment or two. 80 tina
one is ablo To distinguish with Ger
tainiy any defect of the kind"
More than forty million lollars
worth of imported gems OF yariou,
Kinds, the bulk of them diamonds.
passed through the hands of this gov
ernment expert, who had his Ofllce in
the appraisers building of tho Now
York custom house during the last IFS
cal year. Il WAS his lusinass to de-.
termlne the value OF every precious
stone that entered the port: and, as
may well be Imagined. the tasl, was
one requiring inc highest skin. II
his estimate In any case was deemed
too high by the importer. tho latter
usually appealed. ana hot contes,
was made before the board OF nm
praisers. This board holds court with
great iolemnity In a court room OF It's
own. 1t consists OF nine members
who are paid annual salaries OF sew.
eh'y'ilve dollars each. The places
they hold are considered among the
fl.AEt N TN .vtrt a
ernment. These men constitute n Il.
nal court of appeal in all matters
where values are concerned.
Accordingly. the official expert finds
II desirable not to make mistakes. A.
the same time. the values or gems are
not easily Judged. No two diamonds.
FOR example, are alike. Bit diamond.
are thecasiest Of all precious stones
TO value with accuracy. because they
are a standard article. The price OF
which Is absolutely fixed BY n single
Institution, the so-calied diamond syn.
dictate.
The expert declares that II ia ten
times more difficult to judge ruby
an emerald or sapphire. To nut
values on such colored stones Is much
Ike trying 10 appralse oil paintings
Besides. they are commonly more or
less ilawed,--it is rare emerald, for
instance that has no snch Detects
and how Is one to tell just how mucn
TO subtract from the estimated value
of a gem for each little flaw?
Imports of diamonds are n pre[ty
good index of national prosperity.
When business Is going badly, they
iaii OF; when II is booming, they rise
People laiy precious stones only when
they have extra money to spend.
Practically all the gems that come
10 the United States arrive packed In
small wooden boxes, sealed and haav-
lily insured; and every importer. has Il
policy which runs by the year, cover.
ing all shipments of stones made 10
MN from Europe. The express com.
pAnles charge one-fourth of one per
cent. OF the value OF all gems Wills.
they carry across the ocean. where
q package of diamonds, for example
Is worth some hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars. the cost of transportation
runs UP pretty high. Accordlngly.
such stones are commonly forwarded
through the postonice by registered
mail, marked on he outside win an
INSCRIPTION indicating their contents.
Inc postohice sends them 10 Are ap-
praser's building, and there they ara
examined by the official expert.
About ten million dollars worth of
rough diamonds are imported into III :,
country in n twelvemon,h. This
means that the diamond syndicate,
which has its headquarters in Lon.
| don. allows us 10 buy that many. II
1t chose, it could destroy the diamond
cutting industry in America. which
has developed so remarkably during
me last few years. by simply refus
Ing 10 sell any rough diamonds for
export TO the United States. BY lin.
iting our Imports of these gems to
ten million dollars worth a year. The
syndicate compels lis to buy twenty
five million dollars worth OF cut dia.
monds In Europe each year. thus
keeping the factories of Amsterdam,
and Antwerp busy Washington Star