ing
a number of years, convinces, that whether one makes a specialty of
white and perfect stones, white imperfect, lower grades, or any and
all kinds, the most successful, eventually, and who grow to be foremost
in their respective cities, are those who sell goods for what they are,
and of them, the man who sells the best, is usually in the van. The
great jewelers of the United States have not become so by robbery and
misrepresentation. They may have been able to command large profits,
but their business has been established on principle, and has been
free from deception and chicanery. There is a strong and general desire
to buy under current rates. It is quite proper for one to buy as
cheaply as possible, but the desire often leads the purchaser to do
just the opposite. This is a bargain-counter age. A constant perusal of
the morning papers leads one to infer that everything is now sold at a
reduction. Inasmuch as the reducers grow rich, after spending many
thousands of dollars to induce the public to buy their profitless
wares, some preparation was probably made in the original price for the
reductions advertised. Whatever the facts about dry-goods and other
staples may be, dealers know that advertised bargains in diamonds are
usually deceptive. Undoubtedly there are bargains, and for various
reasons, diamonds are occasionally sold much under market price, but
they are usually bought by dealers who know diamonds and their market
value. The public generally get the " one-third off " goods, after the
price has been marked up fifty per cent. If a diamond stock were
offered at one-third off a reasonable price, dealers would not leave
much of it for the public to buy. As a rule, " bargains " are un-
