Precious Gem stones production in 1913 Page 114





	IMPORTS. The imports of precious stones into the United States during the calendar year 1913, as reported by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, were the largest ever recorded, $45,431,998, and exceeded those of 1912 by $4,068,673 and those of 1906, the year of next largest imports, by $1,829,522. The principal increase was in diamonds, the greatest increase being in rough or uncut stones. On the other hand, the imports of precious stones during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914, decreased over $15,000,000 in value¹ from those of 1913. The large decrease may be explained by heavy importations during the middle of 1912-13 to take advantage of the duty then prevailing, since the increase of duty under the new law was expected. The following table shows the value of the diamonds and other precious stones imported into the United States from 1906 to 1913, inclusive: i Jewelers' Circular-Weekly, July 8,1914.