The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
JEWELS NOT TO BE- CHEAPER
INCREASED IMPORTS Nor A
SIGN or LOW PRICES.

WILLY sA@~0 - ~ LID
VERT Msntfs OF the Panic-Aiwau
q Demsnd FER Jewels 1hat VIII FIJI
tho Orders or Particular Customer.
Some Of those who read the recent
statement Of George W. Wanmaker, Ap-
praiser OF the Port, that the import OF
diamonds in April was s., Ooo, 900 in e1oess
of the diamond import Of April, 1905, and
that the total import Of precious stones
in the I period WAS six times as much
a. in April OF last year are wondering
whether the increased supply Of diamonds
viii make prices go up or down.
The head OF q leading New York jewelry
house answered that question by saying
that there 10 no prospect At. all Of a drop
in the prices Of precious stones for the
reason that during the last eighteen
months or more every grade OF precious
and semi-precious stones has been quoted
at bottom prices. II anything prices will
advance q little for the best stones.
.Eighteen months ago. said this man,
some Of the smaller retailers here and
in other cities in order to turn over their
stock sold diamonds and other stones
at q very close margin. They we're forced
TO-. Money was 30 tight and customers
30 scarce that any sort Of a sale was better
than none, they felt. The larger retailers
in New York. however. made no change
whatever In their price schedules. They
were selling little enough. 10 be sure.
but they could afford to keep their stock
in a safe and wait for better times. In
The ieveIrv business things happen that
Nav every once In q while.
Last spring retail dealers over here
were having very little to do with the
Importers, not because they were selling
no goods, for business was beginning 10
pick up then. but eau their STOCK was
big enough they thought to meet all the
business In sight. This fact accounts for
the unusually meagre importations OF
precious stones in April. 1908, INC the
extra large imp~ortations last month.
adding the importations for the two
reasons together the result gives Just
about a normal average for that length
Of time. II does not indicate at all. as
some persons seem TO think. that the
American public is tumbling or about
to tumble over itself in order to buy
precious stones.
THE truth of the matter is this: A
good, steady. normal demand for pre-.
cious stones is again showing itself, and
this demand Is expected to continue for
III ltIIIc W SoLIV. AhSh NJ ~
Except in the case Of fine pearls, which
are very scarce, there will be very little
advance over the normal figure, by which
| mean the figure which was maintained
before the Late financial depression TN
settled the market. The most that can
be said with truth is that prices In the
finest grades may be q trihe sitter. ten-
~sational reports to the contrary notnith-
sta nding.'
The great bulk Of the millions Of dol
lars worth OF precious stones receutly
received at this port came in ioose. the
dealer said. the mounted stones being
subject to q 60 per cent. duty. Of
will stay right here in New York-stay
here. that 10, until purchased and carried
of by visitors from other cities to whom
leading jewellers here owe about one
half their prosperity
Suppose a woman living in Philadel-
phia or Denver or Seattle or San Fran:
cisco wants to buy a pearl or diamond
tinued. Now in All probability there
are jewelry esta bfishments in or near
her home city or town which have hne
stones in stock. but Ia she satiSned to
Eelect from designs shown her In those
Not until she has been to New
ten chances to one, where very costly
bit Of jewelrv is concerned, she will
purchase II in New York.
-Westerners. especially newly rich
Westerners. are among the best customert
OF the New York jewelry establishments
Formerly the Western woman knew les4
about fine stones than Eastern women.
They went in more particularly for snowy
effects. IL is not often like that now.
women are becoming expert.
They are buying more pearls.
The spring OF the year is not the season
when the New York women buy most
precious stones. They buy wedding
presents and a good many eemi-precious
stones then, but their biggest orders
are placed later in the year, when the
opera season begins.
The leading stones in popularity
with the rank and file of private buyers
just now are diamonds. pearls. emeralds
and sapphires in the order named. With
the very wealthy who have well filled
jewel baskets pearls lead OF. and when
I say that New York women buy com.
%paratively few jewels at this time OF
year I should have excepted those who
place orders for perfectly matched pearls
and other stone which sometimes 1t
takes several years to fill, As fast as We
in place OF some other stone in a collar.
necklace or whatever the piece Of jewelry
happens TO be. A string of perfectly
matched pearls or emeralds car no
had in a day or a week or a year some
times, and there are New Workers who
are satisfied only with perfectly matched
we keep these customers in mind and
are constantly on tho lookout for stones
Of the color and size required to fill their
In this respect New York women