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DIAMONDS COME TO AMERICA
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upon
it. He studies this and perhaps two or more others. He says: "All the
same cut?" The dealer nods. No further proof is necessary because the
diamond business is one of faith. The other man across the table chews
on his sandwich, swallows some coffee, and says in broken English:
"I'll give you $500 for the package." Our dealer pours himself another
cup, stirs slowly, and gives a decidedly negative shake of the head.
"Five fifty," the man across the table says. Our dealer stirs the
coffee, gives another negative shake of the head, then says: "Six
hundred dollars or nothing." The man across the table gets up
impatiently. "I'll give you $450 or nothing," and makes a pretense of
going —not from the club but to another table, because he knows if he
can't get a bargain at one table he may at another.
Our
dealer by this time is panic stricken but he does not show it. "I
should give you this package for $450, for $500, for $550, for $600—for
$700! When the melee, she is going up every day, yet. I'll not take
less than $500."
The
man standing across the table reaches over and grasps our dealer's
hand. Then he sits down and writes out a check, takes the package of
small stones, folds it, and puts it in a fat wallet. Except for club
formalities, the deal is over.
That
goes on all day long. But if the deal has not been consummated, the man
across the table goes to another table and consults another dealer, and
our dealer goes to another table and consults another prospective
buyer, and the air is full of haggling and bargaining. Club officials
certify as to the weight and quality of the diamonds sold and are
witness to the deal. Around eleven o'clock you can see a couple of
hundred of these dealers.
A somewhat different place is Diamond Center, Inc., the name of a swankv recently opened New York diamond
(125)
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