NO BAN LIKELY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 96, 26 August 1942, Page 6

NO BAN LIKELY

RINGS FOR ENGAGEMENTS

SHORTAGE OF DIAMONDS

Although there is a distinct shortage of diamonds, a ban on diamond engagement rings, similar to that proposed in Australia, is not considered likely in the ]>ay of Plenty. Stocks are short, and the demand I;as slightly increased, in the. way war has of fostering romance, but the position is not desperate. The chief cause of concern is the scarcity of skilled workmen. In Australia shortages of labour and of stones and other material are the reasons for the ban being considered. Also, much of the machinery for manufacturing jewellery there has been turned over to the war effort. In this country, according to one jeweller, there is not enough of such machinery for it to be of any use. Most rings are hand made. Tokens have been suggested as a substitute for engagement rings in Australia, though as far as is known no official decision has yet been reached. It was suggested that such a ban might, act as a restraint on marriage, but this is not likely to be taken seriously. Rings are not manufactured or set in any of the towns of the Bay but come from main centres sjuch as Wellington and Auckland. In Auckland the scarcity of skilled "workmen is making it. difficult for firms to keep up their manufacturing and repair' work, and many repair jobs now take weeks. One firm had to ask an elderlj r retired man to come back to clean up the arrears in jewellery repairs. The labour shortage is probably Dominion-wi.de, for a classic example comes from Wellington. A manufacturing firm there formerly had a staff of 25 and is now reduced to two men, GO years old. The manager himself is back on the bench

after 25 years. Wedding Ring Tradition As for wedding rings, it has been known for some time that platinum is now largely impossible to get and there has had to be a return to gold. There is no restriction in this country on the manufacture of 9-carat Avedding rings. In connection Avith this tradition of the gold Avedding ring an interesting story is told of a clergyman who refused to marry a couple Avith a diamond Avedding ring. Kvidently the girl, AA'ishing to be different, had chosen a diamond ring, but. the clergyman disapproved. Fortunately the impasse did not occur during the ceremony itself, but beforehand, so the ring Avas changed and all was well. < Asked Avhether girls could not be trained to do manufacturing and repair Avork, city jewellers said the apprenticeship for such Avorlc took years, and workmen had not the time to begin to train girls noAV.

There were, however, girls doing polishing and cleaning work in some firms and also certain types of metal work in the manufacture of jewellery. _ Changes in Design In some jeweller}- small changes in design have had to be made. Clasps and links, for instance, are now made more simply than formerly, and since gold and silver chains are almost impossible' to obtain, substitute metals have: to be used. "There is not likely to be any real shortage of engagement rings. it was stated. "We have plenty of diamonds for mounting, and as long as we can get the workmen to keep going we should be able to meet the demand." As it looks ;is though the bride-to-be 1 in this count r? 1 will not be put to the test tit proving whether it is oniv the glamour 01. the ring that a! tracts her. And her betrothed will still have to gaze over the counter while the solitaire or "'cluster" is selected.