DIAMOND BOOM

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 150, 22 December 1922, Page 18

DIAMOND BOOM

BUYERS FROM BANKRUPT NATIONS. Conditions in the diamond market have improved so appreciably during the last few months that merchants are busy, both in London .and Paris, declared the "Daily Mail." Sales are reported from most ' quarters of tho globe, especially irom the United States, India,'and the East generally, but the strangest fact is that aven in those countries in Europe whose exchanges are going frmn \ )at' worse, the diamond business done in continually increasing, tho reason being that tho purchasing public in those countries consider tlio gems as tho only security to hold in preference It* their ever-vary-ing currency. Parcels of diamonds, containing mixed sizes from one-fifth of_ a carat to 16 stones per "carat, have increasod hi the last two months between IS and 20 per ce7it. in price. Small brilliants between 40 and 100 per carat havu been especially hard to find, and have .appreciated in value by some 10 to 15 per cent. As far as large stones are ■ concerned the purest qualities have maintained good prices, and are fairly scarce, ' while the medium anil cheap grades, which during the "slump" had depreciated very considerably, arc now slightly on the- increase and have risen by about 10 ''per cent, in 'the last two.