Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-08-08
WANT PINK PEARLS
Fashion Leaders Demand the
Expensive Rare Variety.
Custom House Figures for Recent
Months Show Increased Imports
of Rare Gems-Deaiers Dis
count the Duties.

New York.-The high cost of living
has not decreased the demand of the
American people for diamonds and
other precious stones. The imports
Of gems to the United States IL the
fiscal year ending with June will
amount to more than S50,000,000. &C.
cording to an estimate made by a
Maiden lane authority, who bases his
prediction on the total gem receipts
at the port of New York in the first
eleven months.
The appraised value Of the dia-
monds and other precious stones that
have already passed through the New
York custom house is $43,686,2S0,
record-breaking figures for a similar
period in any year. The figures for
this year are estimated at $5O.00o000i
Fear on the part d the big New
York gem importers that they Will
have to pay higher duty on gems
under the new tariff bill has caused
them to rush in large quantities OF
diamonds and other precious stones
since the provisions of the bill be-
came known. In May the receipts
totaled $4,606,32 record-breaking fig
ures for that month. In April $685.
681 worth of gems passed through the
appraisers stores. The figures for
March reached $4,341,179. February
receipts totaled s4,299, 435, and in Jan
uary $3,899,995 was the appraised
value of the gems imported. Under
the present tariff schedule the cut
gems are dutiable at ten per cent,
and there is no duty on the rough
| product. The Underwood bill pro-
vides for a duty of 20 per cent on
cut and 10 per cent on uncut gems.
The New York gem merchants, work
ing through their association, are
fighting for a retention of the present
schedule.
In the fiscal year which ended on
June 80, 1912, the importation OF gems
to New York amounted to 500, 445,2S5,
of which amount the cut precious
stones and pearls are reported by
Jewelry Examiner William B. Tread
well at $29,261,79 and the uncut
stones, principally diamonds, at $40,
1S3,491. In 1911 the total reached
s3S,374,891 and in 1910 the highest
previous record was made when the
receipts amounted to $44,SS5,0 57. The
Imports in 1907 were $41,112,371 and
in 1906 $40,217,542, which are the
only fiscal years which have reached
the $40,000,o00 mark.
There has been tendency on the
part of the De Beers Consolidated
Mines to increase the price of dia
monds during the year now ending
and there is now present large mum
Der of New York dealers in the Euro
pean markets who report that they
have difficulty in getting gems suit
able for the American market,
There has been a marked increase
In the demand for colored stones, an6
fine Ceylon sapphires Of 10 and !:
carats have been sold at from $500 tc
$500 a carat, which is an enormous
increase In price since the beginning
of the year. These gems are the most
fashionable at present and It is pre-
1icted that fine sapphires will soor
rank next to emeralds II they do MOI
surpass them in price. One reason
for this is that there are no fine sap
phires coming to the market and only
the reserve stock is being offered a
high prices.
The demand for fine pearls hal
been unprecedented in the last yea
and there are at present. few desirable
gems of this kind offered to Amer
lean dealers. The increase in tn,
price of these gems has been phenom
email. Ludwig Nissen, New Yorl
gem dealer, on sailing recently TO
Europe, said flne large pearls from
five to fifteen grains in weight hav'
advanced at least rs per cent in th'
last fifteen years. and EXCEPTIONAL.
fine pearls have shown much great
or increase. He said that the reasol