Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-10-31
--omhEojR. UNITED STATES
Half the Worlds Diamonds Arc Here
~. :. Worthca Billion.
(New ..York4 Tribune. }

y - :, worth biiIlon. ..
(New Y orka Tr1bpne.)
While the war was on,eyeryone ex-
cept the buyers and sellers was too
busy to noticesit, but q thriving trade
has been, driven in diamonds in Amer
|ica the last year or so. ~ . ~"
AS q result it is declared thet today
ope-half of the worlds gems are own
ed in the'united States: s.
But more than that, an overlooked
phase of the war has been the build
ing up of q great diamond-cutting in
dustry on thisT side of the Atlantic.
Today when, You visit a jewelers. shop
and pick out. an engagement r:as as
likely as not you will select one which
has been cut in New York city actords
ing I'd the new accented rules for tpfn-
ing out a full fashioned brilliant"
which has become the trade standard.
The extent Of the increased volume
of diamond cutting In, America isiin-
dicated by a few significant figures.
Prior to 1914 about two-thirds of the
diamonds imported were classed a.
"cut but not, sets, and only about one
third ,of. the total value was classed
as s.uncrts' The diamond cutting OF
the world was carried on before the
war chiefly in Holland, Belgium and
France; and was Of course, entirely
suspended in Belgium and in consider
able part in France, and materially af-
feeted in the Netherlands. 80
/ AZ consequence, the value Of q cut
diamond imported into the United
States dropped from $4,000, 900, n,
1918. to $4,000, 900 in 1916. The year
1915 for the first time showed q greater
value. in uncut imports than those
classed as "cut but not set9t In the very
latest period, the eight months, ending
Sept. ,19I8, the :. imports OF uncut
diamonds exceeded SIC, 900. 600 and the
group s.ent but not set,' dropped to
only $4,000, 900:
There are other unusual phases Of
the business developed by fhe wa.
Before 1914 only small proportion
of the diamonds entering the United
States came: by way Of Great Britain.
although 9S per cent. Of! thehworld's
diamonds are. produced in her South
AFRICAN colonies. or the s25.000.000
worth of diamonds imported in 1914.
all tof which preceded the war, only
about es6,980,000 worth came from
Great Britain. nearly SIC. 100000 worth
| from Belgium, approximately sS,o00,-
600 worth from Holland and about
81, 00O, 0a0 worth from France.
py 1917 the supply from Belgium
had entirely terminated: that from
Franco was of only, one and one-hdlf
million dollars value; and from Eng
land about $4,000, 600. The increase
/ in importati5ns from England oc-
curred almost exclusively in the uncut
diamonds, which she had apparently
drawn direct from her South African
colonies, and sent in the uncut form
ITO the United States, which then ac-
lively developed the diamond cutting
industry. - 'gr9 ~
| The value Of the diamonds in the
United States at the present time Is
approximately more than $1,000, ,O0o.-
900. .a......,. g.. =. .c..... Il.
sAs early as 1900 distinguished
diamond expert !: of the United States
said: ut may be safely said that
$500, 100000 worth of diamonds are
owned in the United States" and a
compilation just made ny the Natloiisi
City Bank of New York shows that
the value of diamonds imported since
1900 exceeds $500, 900. .OOO. This alone
would bring the total value of the d.a-
monds of the country above the bill
lion dollar line, but when it is remefn-
bered that SITS, ,oo0, 900 worth OF dia-
monds imported since 1900 came in