Black Diamond

Black Diamond (population a bit over 2,000 in 2004) is located in King County, along the Cascade Mountain range, 25 miles southeast of Seattle. It was built in the late nineteenth century as a company town for the Black Diamond Coal Company. The coal mines have long since shut down but the town lives on, rich in history.
The Black Diamond Coal Company was originally based in Nortonville, California, 35 miles east of San Francisco. When coal was discovered in Washington Territory, a company representative was sent north. The coal tested well, and a crew of men and one woman was sent to homestead and set up operations.
Because heavy machinery had to be moved in, the first order of business was building a railroad. A narrow gauge rail line was built southeast from Renton and by 1884, the mines were ready to open. Workers and their families were moved up from California.
The Italian and the Welsh
Most of the families were first-generation Americans of mainly Welsh or Italian descent. The Welshmen usually came from a long line of coal miners in their native land. Because of this, a hierarchy existed whereby the Welshmen executed tasks that required more skill and were better paid. The mine superintendent, Morgan Morgan, was a Welshman and also ran the town.
Black Diamond was a company town and the company owned practically everything. Families could buy houses, but the company leased them the land on which the houses stood for one dollar a month. Morgan Morgan declared that only one church was necessary and a Congregational Church was built to accommodate all faiths. Different services were held each Sunday on a rotational basis, but everyone attended all of them. Later the town would have a company store, where workers could buy goods with the cost deducted from their paychecks. A miner worked 10-hour days, for $1.50 a day.
Around the World Bazaars
By the turn of the century, there were nearly 3,500 people of many nationalities living in town. Ethnic groups tended to group together, and neighborhoods were known (sometimes disparagingly) for the people who lived in them – Swede Town, Welsh Town, Dago Town, etc. Sometimes, folks would have “Around The World” bazaars, where each neighborhood would prepare foods of their native lands, and residents of other neighborhoods would visit house to house, sampling the dishes.
Black Diamond was isolated in the mountains, and the train was the primary link to the outside world. In 1896, the narrow gauge railroad was replaced with a standard gauge. Every evening the train would pull into town at 7 p.m., and many townsfolk would be there to get their mail or greet people. When newlyweds came to town, a shivaree (a mock serenade made up of people banging on kettles and buckets) would follow them to their new home.
In 1904, the Pacific Coast Company bought the Black Diamond mine and the town. The firm, based in New York, also owned steamships, railways, a cement company, and an island in Alaska where they quarried lime rock.
Working in the coal mines was harsh and dangerous. Unlike coal mines in places like southern Illinois, where a main shaft was dug straight down to a horizontal bed of coal, the local mines were slope mines. Coal seams in the region had been pushed upward by the formation of the Cascade Mountains and shafts were dug at steep angles along the seam. Rail cars were winched down the slope.
The Union Stump
At first, the miners had no worker’s union but were actually paid more than most union workers in other parts of the country. As time went on, though, working conditions and wages became an issue. In 1907, coal miners organized Local 6481 of the United Mine Workers of America.
When the Union started meeting near the train depot, the company wouldn’t allow them to congregate on company property. The workers walked outside of the town limits and one of them jumped on a stump to speak to the men. This stump would serve as their meeting location for many years. Later it was encased in concrete, and it still exists.
Labor Strife
World War I created a greater demand for coal. Wages had been slowly rising since the union organized and were up to $8 a day. After the war ended, the company wanted the miners to go back to $7 a day, causing an outrage.
The company labeled the most vocal dissenters “agitators,” and fired them. The union insisted that they be rehired, but they were not. Along with this, the company refused to give current workers a new contract and started bringing in non-union labor. In 1921, the men went on strike.
The company placed barbed wire around the mine entrance and along the railroad tracks to protect the replacement workers from the strikers. The company hired 35 guards to patrol the town. Still, fights broke out and even the town’s children would yell and taunt the “scabs” and “goons” as they walked the streets.
Even though some folks owned their homes, the company still owned the land. The dollar-a-month lease was taken away, and families were told to either sell their homes or move them. The Company actually bought homes at a fair price, but many long-time residents who were now out of a job were also faced with nowhere to live.
The Union stepped in and built 200 new homes on land donated by Tim Morgan (no relation to Morgan Morgan). This new settlement, to the west of Black Diamond, became known as Morganville. The houses were built quickly, with little insulation or attention to detail, yet some are still standing to this day.
Some of the strikers found work in local mills, but many moved away. Within a few years, some men begrudgingly went back to work in the mines, but many were blackballed for life and their mining careers were finished forever.
The End of the Coal Era
The mine remained non-union for 10 more years, until President Roosevelt was elected in 1932. His Depression-era New Deal economic policies, which United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis helped to write, brought strength to many unions nationwide. The coal miners in Black Diamond reestablished their Union in 1933, but it was too late.
Oil was replacing coal as a fuel source. The demand for coal was waning rapidly, and by the end of the 1930s Pacific Coast disbanded the Company town in order to save money. Power lines were given to the power company, and roads were given to the county. By 1958, Pacific Coast had liquidated their assets and closed down the mines.
In 1959, Black Diamond incorporated. Although its heyday had long passed, for many people it was still a fine place to live and raise a family. The train depot has since been turned into a museum, and oral histories have mined a tremendous wealth of information from older residents. Today (2004), with a population of nearly 2,000, Black Diamond is a city proud with heritage.

Current Fashion Trends in Costume Jewelry and Accessories

Color Trends in Costume Jewelry
The fall fashion trends are ushering in another excellent season for costume jewelry and accessories. Rich colors and bold looks dominate the trend. Teal, amber and amethyst are the important colors with olivine and green used as neutrals. Topaz and peacock are also important and all indications are that rich color will continue into the spring season. Metals are seeing a return to gold, but silver is still stronger.
Bold Designs Dominate Fashion Jewelry
Fashion jewelry thrives when bold designs are in vogue and that is very much the case this season. The high fashion look is popular in necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with natural components contributing to the designs. Wood is continuing its second season of popularity with shell important even in the fall line. But the rising star in natural materials is gemstone, which provides the beauty of natural semiprecious stones to the costume jewelry designs. This will definitely continue and accelerate in the spring line. Also popular in neckwear are 48 inch and 60 inch ropes that are worn extended or doubled. Jet is strong in holiday jewelry and estate looks (antique designs) are becoming fashionable in bridal jewelry.
Traditional Costume Jewelry and Accessories
While costume jewelry in bold designs and rich colors forge the way for leading fashion, there is a larger market that shouldn’t be ignored in more traditional and classic looks. Theme jewelry in pendants, earrings, and charm bracelets has an appeal that goes beyond fashion alone because it identifies with what the wearer cares about. In addition, traditional rhinestone, bridal jewelry, evening bags, and formal gloves have a classic look with timeless appeal. There is a major market for these items that will always be present even as fashion changes.
Accessory Trends
Sequins and buttons are very big in all accessories, especially in handbags and evening bags. Beyond these, the looks of the larger bags introduced by leading designers are the trendy styles of the season. These are the bags the stars are carrying, which goes a long ways towards popularizing the styles. In evening bags, large sequins and buttons are very much in vogue, but traditional looks seem to be carrying the day.
Sunglasses are definitely big and bold with aviators the runaway favorite. Retro looks are also excellent and colored frames with matching lenses are very popular.
Hats and Headwear
In millinery, dress hats are an important part of the market, with ladies hats the dominant player. The looks are very traditional with a new element of pre-made bands allowing for the versatility of custom designs. Casual hats, however, account for the major share of the market and no design in 2005 is more important than the rollup cowboy hat. While the design is not popular in every region of the country, the sheer number of sales makes it the number one hat of the year. This rugged look that is typically American has risen to such popularity that it becomes an important fashion statement. After cowboy hats, the three most fashionable designs are wide brim floppy hats, ladies fedoras, and newsboys. The entertainment field has played a major roll in popularizing these designs and the fashion looks continue into the fall season with felt, leather, wool, and leatherette used as the material for the fall versions.

Jewelry Enhanced

Your jewelry is an important investment, and it retains its appearance and value longer if it is properly cared for. Here are some tips to ensure the long life of your gems. How to Clean Gold Jewelry Gold is tarnish-resistant, although it can get smudged and grimy. Lotions, powders, soaps, even natural skin oils can cover your jewelry and cut down on its brilliance. Jewelry cleaning removes this residue and restores the original luster of your jewelry. Even though many commercial products are available to clean gold jewelry, a basic solution of detergent and water goes a long way to restore the radiance of gold, and a soft brush helps to gently clean intricate filigree designs and stones. Every now and again it can be helpful to soak the gold jewelry in a mixure of 1 portion ammonia and 6 parts water for about a minute. Make sure to dry and polish your gold jewelry with a soft cloth or chamois afterwards. Professional jewelry polishing cloths are an efficacious and inexpensive way of keeping your gold collection glittering and radiant. These treated cotton cloths help to dislodge tarnish and to buff jewelry to a brilliant shine. Never wear jewelry in the swimming pool or while doing chores. Though gold is said to be non-reactive, the fact is that contact with chemicals such as chlorine in pools or household cleaners will discolor or even damage your gold jewelry mountings. When you are not wearing your jewelry, proper storage is essential. Be careful that pieces don't tumble together in a crowded jewel box if you want to avoid scratching and loss of radiance. Ideally, store your jewelry in a fabric-lined jewel case, or even a compartmentalized box so that every piece of jewelry resides in an individual soft cloth pouch. In damp climates, storing jewelry in small resealable plastic bags can extend intervals between cleaning, especially for silver. It's important to check the stone settings of your jewelry sometimes for any damage to the bezels or prongs. Immersing the jewelry in rubbing alcohol for a couple seconds will restore the gorgeous sparkle to cloudy stones. It's critical to dry the jewelry thoroughly after cleaning prior to wearing or even storing. Pave set (glued in stones) jewelry should never be soaked in water while cleaning gold jewelry, as these glues, especially those used in older jewelry, are often not waterproof. Special Gems Diamonds, sapphires and rubies are relatively hard, though the later two can still sustain scratches. However, pearls, emeralds and opals are softer and need a gentler touch. Emeralds and opals contain water in their matrix and may crack if they are allowed to dry out. Regular application of cod liver oil from the drugstore every few months is recommended by antique jewely dealers. Pearls should be worn frequently to expose them to skin oils. If they dry out, their luster will diminish, so don't clean them with alcohol or detergents . Avoid exposing pearls to vinegar and other acids, as they will dissolve. To clean pearls, simply wipe them with a soft damp cloth. Ultasonic Jewelry Cleaners Do not use them on pearls and opals -- they will be damaged. Silver Cleaner Line a broad flat dish with tinfoil, then place your silver jewelry in the dish spaced out so they pieces do not touch. Mix together 4 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Pour this over the silver and leave for a few minutes until tarnish is dissoved, then rinse and polish with a soft cloth. Make sure you remove the silver as soon as it is clean, and don't let it soak for hours as the electrolytic reaction will continue.