The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-10-23

I termining the value of the diamond
are its color, its purity and the fSsu
according to its rarity Purity appears
TO be the most essential qualit!, DC
cause every flaw dimlnlshes the VatuS
OF the stone, and furthermore Only i've
per cent OF the production or the mines
IS absolutely pure. Hesuiarlly u
form also plays an important part IN
the valuation OF a diamond because
upon this depends, more or less, me
/ quantity OF waste in cutting and the
size OF the finished article IhereioFe,
in judging large rough diamohus, tie
dealer has to proceed with the great
/ est caution, for any slight flaw, Whlch
one might think 10 be merely on the
surface, and consequently easy 10 re-
move, may, in the process OF cullins'
/ penetrate the whole diamond and oc-
casIOn serious loss.
In buying and selling diamonds the
also in determining their price. and
this weight rs gagged by scale Pc
euliar 10 this trade only.
Mele diamonds are the small mixed
ones. Weighing less than one-fourth OF
carat or one grain After weight.
the dealers usually count by grains,
one. TWO. three, four, five, six, up 10 II
grains. after which the term carat is
used. That is 10 say, a carat is equal
TO four grains. but II is customary
among merchants 10 speak or earats
under II grains Thus: One-half carat
I Is two grains, "a carats are called 10
used for the sale and purchase of the
diamond is the carat. though the
weight differs in different countries.
The carat OF France is the highest;
that OF Leipzig a trifle heavier, and
that OF Holland and Antwerp the heaV
Test, This difference in the weight OF
the carat has led 10 many difficulties,
and an attempt has been made time
ana again TO reach a universal stand
ard, but the conservatism of some mar
kets and the false pride OF others have
prevented complete success in this di-
rectiOn. There has been a strong move
ment 10 introduce the metric carat
which would do away with all the diff
ficultIes arising from lack of uniform
ity. The metric system is already leg
ally adopted in France and Spain, while
in Belgium and Holland strenuous eff
forts are being made TO bring about
legislation with this object in view.
The greatest opposition, however, is
met with in England and as the lar
gest market for rough diamonds is in
London, there is little hope of the met
ric carat becoming universal until
British prejudice has been overcome.
Not all diamonds are what they
seem. There are two kinds-the real
diamonds. called the "brilliants," and
the roses, the latter OF which are
used to meet the popular demand for
diamonds in spite of higher prices. In
my former report on this subject l ex-
planned that in the cutting OF diamonds
the rough crystals are first examined,
and as far as possible they are Clipped
INTO shape by tiny wedges before be-
ing actually cut and polished on the
revolving wheel The various flakes
] thus Clipped off are themselves cut and
polished 10 the best advantage. to form
rose" diamonds, while the bulk OF the
crystal is cut into a brilliant" ObVi-
Ously, then, roses are cheaper and also
less bright than brilliants; but their
Juoieious use, either with brilliants or
with colored stones, enables manufac-
turers 10 produce articles which read
lly take the public fancy. and which,
wholly or in part the brilliant
goods OF the earlier times, and very
effectively, too.
With regard 10 the cost of diamonds.
certain. parties have tried to establish
prices by scale, sliding in proportion
10 the size OF the diamond. Nothing
however, could be more arbitrary, mas
much as the value OF diamonds be-
sides the ordinary fluctuations caused
by supply and demand depends on
thickness. length. transparency, color.
| purity, polish and country of origin
Besides this. the scarcity or abundance
| or stones. the demands OF the market
sales-whether made for cash or on
credit-the financial rating OF buyers
etc. all these influence TO a great ex-
/ tent the selling price. Again. a bril-
/ liant Weighing carats will cost nine
/ times as much as another would that
/ WIS 10 bAig DuC carat ana an eight
carat stone would cost Ga times as
much, etc. 1t is therefore utterly i'm
/ possible TO ascertain or fix the market
value Of diamonds.
/ Formerly Paris enjoyed the mouoDoIv
/ OF the cut diamond trade, in view of the
| fact that the Antwerp and Amsterdam
/ merchants at that time sought no di-
/ rect market, but were content to sell
/ the product of their factories 20 the
merchants Of that city. Certain French
! houses made enormous fortunes by thus
/ acting as middlemen. for it was 10 Paris
/ that the jewellers OF the entire world
came for their supply. Today all this
/ Is changed, and IL is 10 Antwerp and
Amsterdam that the buyers come as the
leading diamond markets of Europe
/ Diamonds are considered the most
expensive of all luxuries. When two
years ago the financial panic broke out
in the United States there was a great
falling off in the diamond trade of Ant
werp, and especially in the exporta-
tions OF these precious stones to our
country. However, ever since the early
part of last summer this trade has re-
vived,' and boom has set in. carrying
the sales of diamonds up TO an unpre-
eedentedly high figure, as will be seen
from the following ia bles. showing the
value OF exports of diamonds to the
United States from Amsterdam and
Antwerp for the past five years.
Year. Amsterdam. Antwerp.
1903 ...... ...s12.441.243 s1291479S