Show DIAMONDS FOR ALL it you have not a diamond you are unfortunate in the past ten years the united states has imported worth of diamonds this country is said to possess one half 0 the diamonds known to exist more than 36 ill llon dollars worth of diamonds and other precious stones have been imported into the united states during the present calendar year this importation of diamonds and precious stones Is by tar the largest in the history of the united states the high water mark in earlier years having been 3 millions in 1903 while 1904 showed but 2734 4 millions in the ten months of 1905 ending with the month of october the total is over 31 million dollars or more than in any full year prior to 1905 this imports im porta tion of the ten months amounting to gives an average of over 3 million dollars per month so that it may reasonably be assumed that tho figures for the two remaining months will bring the total up to 36 million dollars as against 27 34 3 4 million dollars in 1904 and 2812 2 millions in 1903 it was not until the year 1901 that imports of diamonds df amonds and other precious stones ever passed the 20 dollar mark in the period from 1888 to 1892 the importations of diamonds and other precious stones averaged about 12 million dollars per annum with iha depression which followed however the importation dropped to about 71 2 million dollars in 1894 and a little les 5 anili lions in 1896 and to about 61 2 millions in 1897 but began to increase in 1898 when it reached nearly 10 millions and was by 1899 1612 2 million dollars in value in 1901 more than 23 millions in 1903 2812 2 millions in 1904 2734 4 millions and in 1905 as already indicated seems likely to be fully 36 millions this group diamonds and other precious stones which will aggregate SG million dollars in the imports of the year Is composed chiefly of diamonds tho other precious stones forming but about one fifth ot the total value ot ahe group and diamonds forming about four fifths it ie probable that the value of diamonds alone brought into chis country during the present year will be nearly or quite 30 million dollars and the other precious stones approximately 7 million dollars the diamond importations ot the present year will b about three times as much as those ot 1890 aria nearly six times as much as tho average during the period one interesting feature of the record of diamond importations shown by the department of commerce and labor through its bureau of statistics is the rapid growth which has occurred in that group of diamonds claase fled as diamonds uncut an attempt was made a rew years ago to establish a diamond cutting industry in the united states and this has apparently been extremely successful since the value of uncut diamonds imported has greatly increased during the last decade in the value of uncut diamonds imported into the united states was in 1897 practically 11 2 million dollars in 1898 I 1 about 2 12 1 2 millions in 1899 over 4 12 1 2 millions in 1901 about 61 2 millions in 1902 over 8 millions n 1903 over 10 millions and in 1905 will also exceed 10 millions the growth in the diamond cutting industry in tho united states Is evl danced not only by the increase in the I 1 importation ot uncut diamonds but also by the census figures showing that the number of persons engaged in lapidary work increased from 93 in 1896 to in 1900 and the value of the material used increased from in 1890 to in 1900 and the value of products grew from in 1890 to in 1900 the value of uncut diamonds imported in the decade ending with 1905 will ag gregath about CO million dollars andoe uncut diamonds about million dol lars the value of other precious stones imported in the same period amounts to considerably more than 36 million dollars |