The Denver Jewish news., 1924-05-08
Jews and the Dia-
mond Trade
BY ALEXANDER REHR
Copyright. 1924. Jewish Telesraphic
Ayencyl

cred in Antwerp, but it is only in COM
paratively recent years that the dia-
mond trade has developed to that ex-
tent as we find it today, forming an
important factor of the worlds COM
merce and providing employment to a
large number of people.
The. great demand for diamonds
that began in the early part of the
10Th century, subsequently attracted
a large number of Jewish merchants
to Antwerp, who not only have nat
ural aptitude for affairs, but partic-
ular inclination for business in prec-
ious stones, which requires risky and
speculative transactions, permits a
quick turnover and it is trade which
appeals to the temperament of the
Jew; but it demands also an infinite
capacity for taking pains, minute OBJ
servation and skilful and patient ma
nipulation, qualities which Jews also
have shown to possess. Above all,
however, it is the intuition of the Jew
which is the secret of his success in
tle anu
The origin for his preference to his
particular trade may be traced to
those times, when the Jew was ex-
posed to persecution and economic re-
striction and was compelled to choose
an occupation which he could carry on
without molest or hindrance, transfer
it from place to place where he was
forced to wander and carry the prop
erty with him.
The dispersion of the Jews to the
various parts of the world has no
doubt greatly facilitated the develop
ment of this business-in which conf
dence plays an important part-just
as the dispersion of the Spanish and
Portuguese Jews after the Inquisition
has been greatly responsible for the
development of the export trade, at
time when credit on international lines
was not known, and trade with distant
lands was carried on between the diff
ferent branches of the exiled families.
The diamond trade at Antwerp,
which was temporarily interrupted
during the years of the German occu
patton, has not only regained its pre-
vious Importance, but it has even
achieved predominance over the other
centers of the diamond industry. This
is largely to be attributed to the fav-
orable exchange of Belgium, but it is
also in no small measure due to the re-
source and initiative of the Jewish
merchants in Antwerp, who have
stimulated the export trade.
Many of the merchants being from
Austrian Poland were on the outbreak
of war technically of enemy origin,
and they were forced to take refuge
in Holland, which has maintained it
great traditions to hospitality and
asylum. But it was not long after
hostilities had ceased that they were
invited by the authorities to return to
Belgium and to resume their occupa-
ton, just as the Spanish now desire to
see the return of the Jews to Spain,
for it was recognized to what extent
the diamond industry of Antwerp and
the employment of the thousands Of
workmen depended upon them. They
availed themselves of the invitation,
and the menace to the industry of Ant
werp has. been averted.
A traveller to the Far East has re-
Gently described meeting an Antwerp
diamond merchant who was proceed
ing to sell jewels to the Court of Siam,
but it should cause no surprise when
one is acquainted with the vast ma
nipulations of the merchants of the
city on the Scheldt. They have repre-
sentatives or correspondents scattered
from China to Peru, and there is
hardly civilized place on the globe
where the diamonds of Antwerp or
Amsterdam do not find their way.
But the greatest outlet for dia-
monds is found in the vast continent
of America which absorbs more dia-
monds than the rest of the whole
world together. During the twelve
months ending June 80, 1928, the
value of diamonds imported into the
United States exceeded $4,000, 900, of
which more than one-half came from
Belgium, the next largest exporter be-
ing Amsterdam. A large number of
Antwerp and Amsterdam Jews, as
well as Flemmish polishers have
| therefore found their way to America,
and there is regular interchange of
co-religionists engaged in the diamond
trade between New York, Antwerp
and Amsterdam.
A great deal of the business is con-
Quoted in the diamond exchanges, of
which there are four in Antwerp with
/ in stones throw of each other,
housed in palatial buildings where for