Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-09

platinum and pearls are the most ultra
IN high class Christmas jewelry this
war platinum for the mountings of pre-
cious stones of all kinds and pearls as
the most expensive ornament.
DIamonds always hold their own, but
(, there is quite a demand for colored
,tones of every description. especially for
Ia vallieres, rings, watch chains and
bracelets.
Precious stones of all kinds are in
ereaslng in price each year. The demand
Il always much greater than the supply
And as for pearls, the two great sources
Of the worlds supply-the Ceylon and
perslan Gulf fisheries-are each year
Yielding less and less.
Since the European war started the
South African diamond mines have been
closed down. The syndicate which con-
trolls these mines permits a certain al
lotment from their reserve to be placed
on the market each year. This year Ii
would seem as If the greater part of the
allotment has been imported by the
United States. Certainly the most money
and the best market is here.
According to statistics Issued by the
jewelry examiner at the appraisers
stores in New York, the importations for
the month of November, 1915, of precious
stones were valued at s5,O56,752, as COM
pared with Sl,O39,23t for November, 1914,
and Ss32,593 for November 1918. Most of
these were diamonds.
I'VE are selling more high-priced jew
ery this year at Christmas than ever be-
Banks e. Biddle. People seem to have
the money and demand the very best in
everything. 1 could not say If there is a
special demand for any particular line.
II one wants the finest possible in gems,
Of course it is pearls; If the finest in a
watch it Is platinum.
WRIST WATCHES THE VOGUE.
Wrist watches are in great demand, and
for men they are no longer looked upon
as an effeminate fad. People have had
their Jokes about them but the joke is
on the Joker now. They are becoming
< necessity. Look how convenient they
are Take day like today, a man
wants to consult his watch He has first
to unbutten his overcoat, then his inside
coat and reach away into his vest pocket
and then reverse the performance before
he Is through. See how handy the wrist
watch is under similar conditions. He
simply raises his hand and the watch Is
right there For dress or any other oc-
sion the mans wrist watch is the latest
In efficiency. Two years ago when we
offered them as high as $50 each we were
laughed at. We are selling them as high
as 500 today.
There's a man just gone out the door,"
he said, who one year ago told me he
hoped his friends would place him in an
insane asylum IL he was ever caught
uyaa ID ls .g,,nr
"As for ladies'. they really never had
proper place to carry n watch before
the wrist watch was introduced. We are
selling such watches for ladies up to
1900 each.
Loose link watch chains set with
colored precious and semi-precious
stones, La Vallieres In platinum set
With diamonds, wrist watches of every
description are most in demand at the
present time" said BARLEY j. Doyle,
PRESIDENT OF the Keystone Publishing
Company. which issues the jewelers.
Journal.
GREAT DEMAND FOR FINE PEARLS
"As for pearls. the supply of genuine
pearls is small and the demand very
reat. There Is no limit to what a pearl
necklace may cost; they have been
valued as high as half million dollars
Ior one celebrated string. 1t takes years
70 collect even a small string of grad |
uated pearls. perfectly matched in color.
AND perhaps no gem is more easily imi-
Atedi even an expert can almost be de-
seiYed- Reconstructed pearls, as the |
nhest limitations are called, are now
MADE exactly similar in color and weight |
70 real pearls and you can place one |
On the floor and stand on 1t without |
ooins any damage. They are not cheap. |
eaings of them are made to sell as high |
PLATINUMS HIGH COST.
Tne demand for platinum jewelry has |
p0osted .,,' the price of that precious metal |
ul u Is now double the price OF gold. |
sswelers are manufacturing a white gold |
sa,. "nicn looks like platinum and is not |
eulte as expensive.
~ was the sweethearts of the Canadian /
syluier boys who went to fight in Europe |
nno made the mems wrist watches so /
sopular' Nearly every one of them wore
shs Ag as parting token, and they proved
,hsn ,h convenience so well in the trenches
st vlat they became almost universal in /
Asland- Amn- They will soon be as popular in