The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-07
OUR NEW INDUSTRY.

Ine Value OF the diamonds in the
United States at present is apparently
more than $1,000. 100000 AS early
as 1900 a distinguished diamond ex-
pert of the United States said, 'It
may be safely said that $500, 900, 900
worth of diamonds are owned in the
United States" and compilation just
made by The National City Bank of
New York shows that the value of
diamonds imported since 1900 is $685.
100000. This alone would bring the
total value of the diamonds of the
country above the billion dollar line,
but when it is remembered that s1T5,-
100000 worth of the diamonds i'm
ported since 1900 came in the uncut
state. and that their value was doubled
by the cutting process which occurred
within this country, it is apparent that
the value of the stock in the country
is considerably more than $1,000, 900, :
600, to say nothing of the further fact
that prices of diamonds have increas-
ed materially during the war.
About one-half of the worlds dia-
monds are now apparently owned in
the United States. An estimate made
in 1900 put the value of the worlds
stock of diamonds at more than ST.
900, 100000, and indicated that the
United States then owned about one
third of the total known stock. With
the rapid additions to our own stock
thru the importation of $5O6,0OO,OOO
worth since 1900 it seems probable
that fully one-half of the worlds stock
of diamonds is now held in this coun-
try. 4 -----=
Prior to 1914 about two-thirds of
the diamonds imported were classed
as "cut but not set while only about
one-third of the total value was class
ed as uncut" The diamond cutting
of the world was carried on prior to
the war chiefly in Netherlands, Bel
GUM and France, and that industry
was of course entirely suspended in
Belgium, in considerable part in |
France. and also materially affected
In Netherlands. AS a consequence the |
value of cut diamonds imported into |
the United States dropped from $27,-
100000 in 1913 to $1S,OO0,O00 in 1914
and 100000 in 1915. BY 1915 the !
uncut diamonds began plainly to take |
the place of the cut diamonds in the |
and in 1918 for the first |
time showed a greater value in i'm
ports than those classed as "cut but
not set" In the very latest period. |
the eight months ending with Sep
tsnbers 1915 the imports of uncut |
diamonds amounted to s1O,424,00O.
and the group. 'cut but not set &c.
sol. 900.
Prior to the war only a small pro-
portion of the diamonds entering the
United States came by way of Great
Britain, altho SO per cent of the
South African colonies. OF the $685.
100000 worth of diamonds imported
n the fiscal year 1914, all of which
preceded the war, only about $6,00O,-
100 worth came from Great Britain,
nearly $10,000,000 worth from Bel
yium, approximately ss.0OO.0oo worth
rom Netherlands and about 100000
worth from France. By 1917 the sup
by from Belgium had entirely termi-
iated, that from France was only ST.
100000 value. and that from England
bout S13,000,O00 as against $6,O00,-
700 at the beginning of the war. The
Increase in irnportations from England
almost exclusively in the I'M
tut diamonds which she had apparent
y drawn direct from her South Afri-
an colonies and sent in the uncut
orm to the United States, which has
Lctively developed the diamond cut
ing industry.