CHEAP JEWELLERY

Shannon News, 20 July 1926, Page 4

CHEAP JEWELLERY

Fortunes are being made out of an extraordinary craze for cheap jewellery, which has resulted in the appearance of new shops in every part of London. The craze is not confined to the working classes, and many of the imitation jewellery shops in the West End are patronised by a , distinguished clientele, many of whom are titled people. One of the features of the trade Is the enormous profits made by the men behind the scenes. One man, who started a small shop shortly arter the war, with only five pounds as capital, is now worth thousands of pounds, and possesses a fleet of cars, a house on the Riviera, and has restored an Elizabethan manor house for his English home. The desire for the artificial product among society women who possess real diamonds is rapidly growing. The I imitations cannot be distinguished when worn with real stones. Glittering replicas of precious stones are mostly imported from Germany and Czecho-Slovakia, and l much of it comes also from France. Poland and Bohemia. I Old-fashioned jewellery firms In 1 ihe West End of London are being | badly hit by the new' craze.