Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-12-09
PASSION FOR DIAMONDS.

Have Greatly Increased in Price an;
Dealers Can't Keep up With Demand.
The world has gene mad, over pre-.
cious stones. 49,. ....
! People that have never before in.
du!ged in such jewelry are buying with
an. eagerness that mounting prices dc
mot even dampen. Countries that were
! hardest hit by the, war are taking
their places in the forefront of the
gem buyers. Countries that have been
traditionally indifferent arc now en-
thusiastic purchasers.
Gems are moving from market to
market in a volume never before
known, and the demand is increasing
daily.
Diamonds that sold at 500 karat
five years ago are selling now at 5000.
Authority of these statements was
found yesterday among the principal
importers of New York. Demands
upon them, il was said, were steadily
increasing in instance but fulfillmcrt
is as steadily becoming more difficult.
Some Extraordinary details were
come upon IN the course of the in
quiry.
Workmen and Farrcro Buying.
Workmen and farmers ir the United
States are buying large quantities ol
diamonds. and diamonds of n" "~"'
quality. The increase in the country
is almost intircly connned, to =. g.
class Partly this is due to high wages
and high prices for products during
the war: partly il is due 20 4 desire
for fnery that still has an absolute
invc5tment value.
The fact Of the situation, however,
is to be foGnd in demand in the
cities tat is about normal, while fror!
the industrial centres and the agii-
cultural districts of the middle west
and the west retailers are buying and
buying in an effort to keep their stock
up.
Until six months ago the United
States was buying more precious
stones than all the rest of the world
put together. IT was taking, 10 be
specific, G5 per cent Of the cut and un-
cut gems that came into the market.
Now the tide has set in against this
country, ard while the percentage is
still more than half it is falling and
another year nay see the situation
entirely changed.
Six nations caicay yarc responsible
for this chaagc-Gcrnany, Russia,
Turkey, India, China and Japan.
Germany; Turkey and Russia are
buying because currency in those lands
has d"nr2ciat&i 50 heavily and he
cause securities have suffered in keep
ing with currency.
Diamonds arc the one stable in
tcrnational mcdiEm," the trade cX-
plains. Their value nuctUates, but
it AuctuatCg throughout tho world, not
in this nation or that alone. y Gja-
mond is worth us much in Germany
as in the United States; as much in
Turkey as in England. Value may
shift, but Tor many years now the
shift has all been upward"
Putting Savings Into Gems.
SO in Germany, Russia and TURKEY
thousands are gathering together what
the war has left them ana are putting
il into diamonds. 1t Goes not yield an
income in this form, but it-docs hold
its initial value, and when an oDpor-
tunity comes for emigration wealth
may be taken alon@ in its least bulk
and with the greatest assurance tina;
exchange will not run against 5alN.
Japan and China, which have not
heretofore been classcd among the
gem buying ration, although royalty
and nobility nave, OF course, AWAY"
owned jewels, have got into the. great
game for The Oldest. Of reasons.
Native dress is more ard. more cX-
tcngivcly being cast aside for occi-
dental fashions. With Paris gowns
there must bc necklaces and tiaras;
with trousers and high hats there
mus. be rings. This is the declara-
ton OF the trade with respect to these
nations, although due allowance is
made for the fact that in Japan c5-
peci&lly great fortunes were made
through war contracts.
India has taken to buying gems be
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