The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-31

Conditions in the diamond trade
of this country are unusual. In fact,
the demand for goods has erron-
eously been described in some quar-
tiers as hysterical and the position
of the diamond importer and cutter
is not a happy one despite the fact
that never in the history of the
trade has he experienced such de-
mand for all kinds of diamonds as
he does now.
To sum up the situation in nut
shell, the demand for diamonds,
not only in this country, but all
over the world, has gotten so far
ahead of the supply that the stocks
of importers and cutters have be-
come exhausted and the orders of
their customers cannot be filled in
full no matter how urgent the de-
mand made by the customer, nor
how DESTROYS the importer or cut
ter is of satisfying it.
Some time ago the scarcity of
goods began to be apparent but for
a while it was confined to small
sizes or particular kinds of goods;
but the condition instead of getting
better has grown worse until now
practically all lines and all sizes of
goods are out of the market as far
as stocks of the big houses in New
York who supply the same are con-
cerned.
The condition, while primarily
due to the general prosperity of
this country and the demand for
diamonds from jewelers. Of all
classes, is aggravated by the fact
that shipments from Europe have
been fewer in comparison to the
demand; that rough is scarcer than
it has been for some time, and that
even the production of the South
African mines has been affected
not only by the policy inaugurated
by the De Beers Consolidated
Mines, Ltd, to conserve the output,
but by physical conditions in South
Africa, such as the outbreak of in
fluenza among the workers some
time ago that had serious effect
upon the output arranged for. But
coupled with all this there comes
news from Europe to the effect
that the sales of diamonds and
gems in the big European countries
is unprecedented. The demand in
England and France is particularly
great, but particularly in Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, Holland, Swift
zerland, and even in Germany and
Russia, sales of diamonds are re-
ported to be increasing all the time.
and there is an absorption Of these
gems totally out of proportion with
what should be the normal demand
under the present business condi-
tons.
Whether this is due to the fact
that despite the war the workers
in these countries have made more
money than usual. or whether it is
in greater part due to the fact that
people with wealth in those coun-
tries are trying to put their money
into gems which are easily hidden,
carried away and convertible into
money in other parts of the world,
is a question about which there
may be some discussion; but what
ever it is, the condition is there.
With a circumscribed output of
rough, Europe is buying diamonds
as never before at the same time
the American public are calling for
the greatest amount of gems that
have ever been asked for from i'm
porters and cutters.
From some wholesale and retail
jewelers. who are not in touch with
the situation in New York have
come complaints to the effect that
their orders were ignored or their
demands for goods from the houses
which they regularly buy from
were not acceded to. Some people
felt they were personally discrim-