Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Cini, James 
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com November 6, 2009, 7:27 pm

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 181-182
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     JAMES CINI, one of Portland's leading jewelers and influential business 
men, maintains a well stocked store at 3861/2 Washington street, where he 
commands a large and steadily increasing trade, while his sterling personal 
qualities have gained for him an enviable place in public regard. On September 
30, 1921, in the Oregon Daily Journal, Fred Lockley printed the following 
interesting article, after an interview with Mr. Cini: "He spells his 
name 'Cini,' but it is pronounced 'Cheeney.' I have often passed his place 
near the Hazelwood on Washington street, and have stopped to admire the 
wonderful display of jewels in his window. A few days ago I decided to go in 
and get acquainted with Mr. Cini.

     " 'I came here,' he said, in answer to my question, 'at the time of the 
Lewis and Clark fair. I had an exhibit at the fair. I liked Portland so much 
that I decided to stay here. Tell you about myself? There is not much to tell. 
My name is James Cini. I was born in Sigillo Umbria, a little village near 
Rome. I have two brothers and three sisters. My father, who is now dead, 
worked in a paper mill. I learned the trade of jeweler in Italy — but why talk 
about myself when we have such worthwhile things here to talk about.

     " 'The World war released some of the greatest art treasures and jewels 
to the trade that have been handled for generations: Priceless treasures, held 
by royal families in Europe as heirlooms, have been sent to America for sale. 
Take Russia, for example. Thousands of the nobility have been killed. The 
peasants have taken their priceless paintings and hung them in their own huts. 
They have looted jewel chests, and they know nothing of the value of the gems. 
They often trade priceless jewels for a few dollars' worth of food. Collectors 
are traveling over Russia, visiting the peasants and buying up these treasures 
of art and jewels and smuggling them to America. Here is a brooch — a Siberian 
amethyst, surrounded with pearls. It belonged to the Czar's family. Notice the 
royal arms and the double-headed eagle. Here is a perfume bottle that was made 
for the Czar. Here is a brooch, a wonderful cameo, with pendant pearls, that 
belonged to the royal house of Austria.

     " 'I have been fortunate in securing a number of unique and priceless 
treasures thrown on the market as a consequence of the World war. Jewels, like 
fabrics, come and go and have their periods of popularity. White coral happens 
to be fashionable now. Jade is also very fashionable. What is that — diamonds 
are always in fashion? If you want to see diamonds, you can see all you want 
in any pawn shop. They are neither unique, distinctive nor personal. A really 
well bred person tries to select something unusual, distinctive, something 
that harmonizes with personality. To wear a thing merely because it is costly 
does not show good taste.

     " 'There used to be a superstition against wearing opals, but Queen 
Victoria put an end to that superstition. The black opal from Austria is worth 
twenty-five dollars to one hundred dollars a carat, depending on its luster 
and quality. Large opals that are full of fire sell as high as five thousand 
dollars. I am very fond of cameos — not the ones carved on shell, but those 
carved from stone. Here is a beautiful cameo of Napoleon and here is one of 
General Grant, made by a Florentine cutter.

     " 'In Europe the women study the beauty of jewels more than in this 
country. Men, too, particularly men of leisure, know more about gems and 
appreciate them more highly.

     " 'To me there is something very wonderful about scarabs. They are carved 
from emeralds, rubies, and even from pottery and wood. The Egyptians believed 
in reincarnation. They believed that when we were born again we were born in 
the form of a beetle. They believed beetles were immortal. On the first side 
of the scarab they carved the name of the sun god, the god of love, or some 
other god, and if it belonged to royalty the name of the owner was also carved 
there.

     " 'Take this necklace of beads, made of lapis lazuli. It comes from 
Siberia. I doubt if there is another such necklace in the West. The Swiss 
lapis lazuli is not so good. It does not maintain that deep Crater Lake blue 
of the real Siberian lapis lazuli. Here is a necklace of pearls, one of the 
most unique that I have ever handled. They are not matched pearls. The owner 
evidently wanted to secure specimens of every color. They range from a 
delicate pink to steel gray. There are some of the most unusual shades in 
these lustrous pearls I have ever seen — tints of green, a suspicion of 
purple, delicate shades of pink — they are really very wonderful. Here, for 
instance, is a string of amber beads. They are deep maroon in color and 
absolutely transparent. Amber beads, like many others, vary greatly in price, 
depending on their color and whether or not they are transparent. Pigeon-blood 
rubies, emeralds and Oriental sapphires are three of the most valuable gems. 
The Oriental sapphire, particularly those deep blue in color, or cornflower 
blue, are much more valuable than diamonds. They come from Ceylon or Burma. I 
have here a very beautiful gem — a white topaz that belonged to the Medici 
family. Here is an amethyst so full of beautiful purple color and such 
wonderful color that it is sometimes called the purple diamond.

     " 'Yes, I love my work. I love to handle beautiful gems. Ofttimes I hate 
to part with some of the exquisite examples of the work done by hands that 
have long since turned to dust. The one thing a person who wears jewels should 
study is that whatever ornament he purchases should be in good taste.' "

     In 1921 Mr. Cini opened a fine jewelry store in Pasadena, California, 
where he spends several months each year. During his absence from Portland, 
his business here is looked after by his nephew, Joseph Baldrica, who is a 
native of Michigan and came to Portland in 1920.

     Mr. Cini was united in marriage to Miss Clemente Barron, of San 
Francisco, California, and they are the parents of four children, namely: 
Camile, who is now twenty years of age; Anita, aged eighteen years; Donald, 
aged sixteen years, and Maria Claudia, aged seven years. The daughters, all of 
whom are attractive and charming, are proficient in music and are experts in 
swimming, horseback riding and other outdoor recreations, while the son takes 
great interest in athletics. In his religion, Mr. Cini is a Catholic. He is an 
advocate of those things which tend to improve living conditions and promote 
the well being of the community and is regarded as one of Portland's solid and 
substantial citizens, well worthy of the confidence and esteem in which he is 
uniformly held.

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