c.1910 NYC DIAMOND & GEMSTONE DEALER TRADE CATALOG, H. C. KIONKA & Co., NOW KIMBERLEY DIAMOND COMPANY

PRICE BOOK AND “READY DIAMOND FIGURES” H. C. KIONKA & Co. New York: H. C. Kionka & Co., [No Date, but circa 1910]. Original pictorial wrappers, 31 pages, stapled, illustrated in black-and-white. Includes diamonds, pearls, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, etc. Very good condition, with light wear and soiling to covers. A rare diamond and gemstone trade catalog. Kimberley Diamond Co.’s long history in the jewelry industry is intricately linked to a street that was once the center of the U.S. jewelry and watch industry: Maiden Lane, a small winding passage close to Wall Street in lower Manhattan. Maiden Lane and adjoining streets teemed with wholesalers representing the finest companies from the U.S. and overseas. In 1900, German immigrant H.C. Kionka founded a diamond distributor on the busy street. Originally named for Kionka, it later became known as Kimberley Diamond Co., in homage to the South African city where diamonds were discovered in the 19th century.