The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-10-16
Jewel Sales
Are Sign of
Prosperity
Buying of Fine Articles
Is Increasing in
New York.
BY HELEN WORDEN
Times Special Writer

Times Special writer
NEW YORK, N. Y, Oct. 16.-An
upward trend in the jewelry busi-
ness is another sign of returning
good times
The s450OO0 diamond and
emerald bracelet. which was shown
around New York last spring. hasn't
been sold yet but the buying Of
fine diamond rings, bracelets and
watches rapidly is increasing
Col. Edward II. r. Green son Of
the thrifty Hetty Green, is a con-
sistent purchaser of fine diamonds,
jeweler told me yesterday. The
Colonel treats them as investment.
The jewels repose in vault of a
bank.
Institute Buys Rare Stones
Another buyer of rare Jewels,
principally unset stones, I was told,
is the Rockefeller Institute. The
ieweler thought this was purely for
investment purposes though many
of the gems are specimen pieces.
Peggy Joyce is said to retain the
record for owning the largest COL
lection of jewelry. The Dolly sisters
are a close second.
Among the important older Jewel
collections are those owned by the
Vanderbilts the Whitneys and the
Astors. Quality beautiful but con-
sentative settings and an indif-
ference to current fashions distin-
guish the pieces.
II is said that the families whose
chief source of income was from
railroads put up jewelry as col
lateral during the depression,
Many of Old Mined Variety
Many of the diamonds were Of the
old-mined variety, which means
that they we're mounted when dia-
monds were cut for size rather than
brilliancy. NeW-mined stones came
in around 1900
RubieS, sapphres and emeralds
have been initiated successfully IL
synthetic stones. but this has not
interfered with the sale of quality
stones. Many of the important col
lections feature a certain gem. Mrs.
George F. Baker goes in for emer-
aids.
The cultured pearl definitely has
cut into the sale of Oriental pearls.
In many instances it is only by
drilling a pearl and studying the
filings under a microscope that the
difference between a natural and a
cultured pearl can be determined.
Necklace Had Great Value
The loveliest ORIENTAL pearl neck
lace I ever saw was owned by Mrs,
Spencer PenrOSe, Colorado Springs
The pearls were a rose tint and the
center one about the size of a mar
BILE The necklace was valued at
several hundred thousand dollars.
Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd and
Charlie Chaplin are the big -time
lewelry buyers of Hollywood They
go in for quality merchandise.
Barbara Hutton gets most of her
iewelry in Paris, though the jade
necklace which her first husband,
the late Prince Alexi Mdivani gave
her for birthday present was pur-
chased through a local dealer, He
was only the agent, however. A
Chinese merchant really sold the
Jade.
Finest Workmen in U, s.
The finest platinum workmen and
diamond settlers are in this country
because they get the biggest wages
here. Enameling work, such IS that
used on lipstick sets. cigaret cases
and vanitieS, however, is usually
finer If made abroad. and, before
the new rate of exchange was much
less expensive,
The S450,0oO emerald and dia-
mond bracelet which went the
rounds last spring had a large CEN
ter stone which shot the price up.
But, at that, the more conservative
dealers said any piece would have
to be of phenomenal quality TO war
rant such price.
Sometimes the pieces are drama
tied The $450O00 bracelet was a
bracelet with a past. It's legend in
creased the value.
Majority Carry Memories
The majority of jewels carry
memories. l know of one very
wealthy man who asked his wife TO
give away all the jewelry she owned
before he married her. When she
did, he presented her with an en-
tire new set of jewels.
What would the Hope diamond be
without its tragic story?
Jewels with history always are
worth more. The diamond bracelets,
earrings, brooches and tiaras owned
by Edith Rockefeller Mccormick
brought twice as much when they
were auctioned off because she had
owned them