`DAZZLING DIAMONDS' DISPLAY COMING TO MISSOURI

New York has its annual international jewelry trade shows.

Once a year, Munich becomes a world watch and jewelry center for four days.

Every summer jewelry industry specialists head for Basel, Switzerland, and its annual world watch and clock show.

Hong Kong has become one of Asia's most prominent showcases for new jewelry designs.

Not to be left out is Istanbul and its international watch, clock and jewelry show.

During the past week, the jewelry industry action has been in Las Vegas where thousands of jewel trade professionals -- manufacturers, wholesalers and buyers -- gathered for the JCK International Jewelry Show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Although many jewelry shows are open to jewelry trade professionals only, diamonds and other fabulous jewels most people can only dream of purchasing, comes a bit closer to the consumer in a number of public jewelry shows.

Jewelry, the big, bold, famous kind, is in the "showtime" spotlight this month. Sparkling diamonds and glittering gold, will be on exhibit in a number of areas, including St. Louis and North Kansas City.

"Dazzling Diamonds," a display of jewelry of the stars, is already on display by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and will be on display in two Missouri metropolitan areas this month.

The Harrah's shows will be held at casinos in the various areas and will be free to the public.

"The Glitter & the Gold: Fashioning America's Jewelry," an exhibition that opened late last month at the Newark, N.J., Museum, will run through November.

First, the diamonds.

Harrah's, which is celebrating its Diamond Anniversary as the nation's oldest casino company, will present the "Dazzling Diamonds" show at 10 sites, including the Riverport Casino Complex at Maryland Heights in St. Louis, June 18 through 28, and Harrah's Riverboat Casino in North Kansas City, July 17 through 26.

The show will also play at Harrah's Casino in Tunica, Miss., south of Memphis, Tenn., July 30 through Aug. 9.

The diamonds in the Harrah's exhibitions, mostly on loan from celebrities and exotic collections, are diamonds with names.

-- The Cullinan Blue, a turn-of-the-century masterpiece that incorporates jewels totaling 30 carets. This magical necklace tells a story of romance and discovery. It was Thomas Cullinan's gift to his wife in celebration of his unearthing the Cullinan Diamond, the world's largest diamond at 3,106 carets, in South Africa. Gems cut from the Cullinan Diamond include pieces on view at the Tower of London, and in the private collection of Queen Elizabeth.

-- There is also the 70-caret Excelsior I, a rare white diamond cut in the late 1600s from the Excelsior, which was then the largest diamond in the world.

-- More contemporary is the Lachrymosa Mask, a 136-piece of a Mardi Gras mask by jeweler Henry Dunay.

-- Dunay also created the setting for another famous piece in the show, the Kahn (or, Arkansas) Canary Diamond, a ring that was worn by Hillary Rodham Clinton at both of her husband's presidential inaugurals. The ring is owned by gemologist Stanley Kahn of Arkansas.

-- The Jackie Kennedy Onassis, which will be displayed by Caldwell stores this month, can be broken out into a necklace and bracelet set. The jewelry was made for Onassis in the 1960s by Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris. It features five fluted emerald beads, 45 Burmese ruby beads and 50 18-karet rondles set with 34 carats of diamonds.