Jewels and the woman, by Marianne Ostier

 

 

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Foreword	17
PART 1: Jewels: History, Character, Magic
Chapter 1: The Story of Jewels	23
THE EARLIEST USES 23 EGYPT AND THE NEAR EAST 26 WESTWARD TO THE GREEKS 29 ETRUSCAN ACHIEVEMENTS 30 THE ROMAN CONQUEST 31 THE VOGUE OF THE PEARL 41 ROMAN LUXURY 42 THE TIDE TURNS EAST 42 EASTWARD TO INDIA 43 OVER THE CHINESE WALL 44 DARK AGE OF THE DIAMOND 45 TRIBES TO THE NORTH 45 THE CELTS AND THE EMERALD ISLE 46 THE ANGLO-SAXONS 47 JEWELS IN ENGLISH HISTORY 47 EDWARD THE CONFESSOR’S JEWELS 48 GROWTH OF THE GOLDSMITHS’ GUILD 48 THE ITALIANS IN THE RENAISSANCE 49 THE RENAISSANCE ACROSS EUROPE 50 THE REFORMATION 51 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 52 ON THE ROMANTICS 53 INTO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 54 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 55
Chapter 2: What the Stones Are	57
WHAT THE STONES ARE 57 THE GEMS 58 DIAMOND 58 [6] RUBY 60 SAPPHIRE 62 EMERALD 63 PEARL 64 OTHER STONES 67 ALEXANDRITE 68 AMETHYST 68 AQUAMARINE 69 BERYL 69 CARNELIAN 70 CAT’S-EYE 70 CHALCEDONY 71 CHRYSOBERYL 71 CHRYSOLITE 71 CHRYSOPRASE 72 CITRINE 72 CORAL 72 GARNET 73 HYACINTH 74 JACINTH 74 JADE 74 JASPER 75 JET 75 KUNZITE 76 LAPIS LAZULI 76 MALACHITE 77 MOONSTONE 77 ONYX 77 OPAL 78 PERIDOT 79 QUARTZ 79 SARD 80 SARDONYX 80 SPINEL 80 TOPAZ 81 TOURMALINE 81 TURQUOISE 82 ZIRCON 82
Chapter 3: Birthstones and the Magic of Gems	83
THE SEASONS 83 THE DAYS OF THE WEEK 84 SUNDAY 84 MONDAY 84 TUESDAY 85 WEDNESDAY 85 THURSDAY 85 FRIDAY 86 SATURDAY 86 THE MONTHS 87 TABLE OF BIRTHSTONES 87 JANUARY—GARNET 88 FEBRUARY—AMETHYST 89 MARCH—AQUAMARINE 90 APRIL—DIAMOND 91 MAY—EMERALD 92 JUNE—PEARL 94 JULY—RUBY 96 AUGUST—SARDONYX OR PERIDOT 97 SEPTEMBER—SAPPHIRE 99 OCTOBER—OPAL 100 NOVEMBER—TOPAZ 102 DECEMBER—TURQUOISE 104 SIGNS OF THE STARS 113 THE ZODIAC 113 ARIES, THE RAM 114 TAURUS, THE BULL 114 GEMINI, THE TWINS 115 CANCER, THE CRAB 115 LEO, THE LION 115 VIRGO, THE VIRGIN 115 LIBRA, THE SCALES 116 SCORPIO, THE SCORPION 116 SAGITTARIUS, THE ARCHER 116 CAPRICORN, THE GOAT 116 AQUARIUS, THE WATER CARRIER 117 PISCES, THE FISHES 117
PART 2: The Art of Feminine Adornment
Chapter 4: The Art of Feminine Adornment	121
ROYAL CROWNS OF BRITAIN 122 EVERYWOMAN’S QUEEN 123 [7] A STONE’S BEST SETTING 123 TYPES OF WOMEN 124 THE MAJOR METALS 125 THE BASIC DESIGNS 125
Chapter 5: The Earclip	127
THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF THE EARCLIP 127 EARRINGS THROUGH THE AGES 127 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EARS 129 THE EARCLIP AND THE FACIAL CONTOUR 130 THE SHAPE OF YOUR FACE 131 DETAILS OF THE FACE 132 VERSATILE EARCLIPS 133 THE HAIR AND THE EARCLIP 133 THE BRUNETTE 134 THE DARK-HAIRED 134 THE REDHEAD 135 THE BLONDE 135 AS THE HAIR TURNS GREY 136 IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING EARCLIPS 136
Chapter 6: The Necklace	139
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE NECKLACE 139 THE GENERAL EFFECT 140 THE DIAMOND NECKLACE 141 THE RIVIÈRE 141 THE BAGUETTE NECKLACE 142 THE PEARL NECKLACE 142 THE COLORS OF THE PEARL 143 FOR THE BRUNETTE 143 FOR THE BLONDE AND THE REDHEAD 144 FOR A LONG NECK 144 FOR A WIDE NECK 145 SIZE OF PEARLS 145 THE PROPER STRINGING OF PEARLS 145 THE NECKLACE CLASP 146 DESIGNS FOR CLASPS 146 FOR FORMAL WEAR 147 THE SENTIMENTAL CLASP 148 FITTING THE PEARL NECKLACE 148 THE BEAD NECKLACE 149 FASHIONS FROM INDIA 149 OTHER NECKLACE JEWELS 150 THE NECKLACE OF GOLD 151 APPENDAGES: THE TASSEL 152 APPENDAGES: THE SINGLE DROP 152 TRANSFORMATIONS 153 MY OWN CONVERSIONS 153 WHAT A WOMAN WEARS, OTHERS SEE 154
Chapter 7: The Ring	157
THE GIVING OF A RING 157 CONSIDER THE HAND 158 [8] PROPORTIONS OF THE HAND 158 THE DIAMOND RING: THE ENGAGEMENT RING 159 THE WEDDING RING 160 THE WEARING OF THE BAND 161 THE PEARL RING 162 THE BLACK PEARL 162 DECORATIVE RINGS 163 MATCHED WITH EARCLIPS 164 INTERCHANGEABLE CENTERS 164 RING SIZES 165 RINGS AND NAIL POLISH 166 ABOUT WEARING A RING 166
Chapter 8: The Bracelet	169
EARLY USES 169 THE EMPERORS OF INDIA 169 VARIOUS MATERIALS 170 TYPES OF BRACELETS 170 FAVORITE SHAPES 171 THE SPECIAL CLASP 171 BRACELET WIDTH 172 FOR THE SLIM ARM 172 FOR THE HEAVIER WRIST 172 FITTING A BRACELET 173 GENERAL THOUGHTS 173 THE ANKLET 174
Chapter 9: Pins, Brooches and Clips	175
ELABORATE PINS 175 THE SIMPLER CLIP 176 ITS VERSATILITY 176 ITS PERSONALITY 185 THE CHANGE IN THE BROOCH 185 THE OLD DOUBLE CLIP 186 THE NEW DOUBLE CLIP 187 THE ABSTRACT DESIGN 187 THE FLOWER DESIGN 188 EARLIER FLOWERS 189 CURRENT VARIETIES 190 THE ROSE 190 THE SKINPIN 191 THE SCATTERPIN 191 THE JEWELLED HAIRPIN 192 THE MOBILE CLIP 192 THE SENTIMENTAL BROOCH 193 REPLICAS OF PETS 194 PINS HOLD MEMORIES 194 PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES 195
Chapter 10: Watches	197
QUEEN ELIZABETH I 197 PRINCESS SOPHIA 197 EARLY FORMS 198 WHERE TO WEAR THE WATCH 199 JEWELLED HOURS 200 IN FRONT OF YOUR MIRROR 202 [9]
PART 3: The Etiquette of Wearing Jewels
Chapter 11: The Etiquette of Wearing Jewels	207
EN ROUTE 208 WEEKEND 208 GARDEN PARTY 209 THE BEACH 209 ON THE GOLF COURSE 210 AT THE RACES 210 BUSINESS LUNCHEONS 211 THE CHARITY LUNCHEON 212 OPENING NIGHT 212 MATCHING THE GOWN 213 MATCHING THE MAN 213 SOME BASIC RULES 214 THE DINNER PARTY 215 THE WATCH 216 THE CIGARETTE CASE 216 THE HOSTESS 216 AT THE WHITE HOUSE 217 THE PRESIDENT’S DINNER 218 THE CAPTAIN’S DINNER 218 EMBASSY PARTIES 220 MEETING ROYALTY 221 CORONATION 221 A QUEEN’S CROWN 222 WHEN EVERY WOMAN IS QUEEN 223 THE BRIDESMAIDS 224 THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE 225 THE WEDDING GUESTS 225 THE NEWBORN 226 THE ANNIVERSARY 227 TABLE OF ANNIVERSARY GIFTS 227 THE MORE SOLEMN TIME 228 AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE 229 IN MOURNING 229 OTHER OBSERVATIONS 230 COLOR COMBINATIONS 230 RESTRAINT 230 EYEGLASSES 231 THE LORGNETTE 231 THE CORSAGE 232 EMBROIDERY 232 MORE ABOUT BRACELETS 232 MORE ABOUT RINGS 234 GOLD JEWELS 234 IN THE SPOTLIGHT 234
Chapter 12: Jewels as Gifts	237
GIVE YOURSELF 237 GIFTS OF LASTING VALUE 238 GIFTS TO THE BABY 238 TO THE MOTHER TOO 239 AS THE CHILD GROWS 239 ST. VALENTINE’S DAY 239 COLLEGE DAYS 240 THE WEDDING DAY 240 FOR THE BRIDESMAIDS 241 FOR THE USHERS 241 OTHER GIFTS TO THE BRIDE 242 PARENTS’ DAYS 242 FOR LATER BIRTHDAYS 243 GIFTS FOR THE MAN 244 THE WIFE’S ROLE 244 THE RIGHT ACCESSORIES 245 THE PERSONAL [10] TOUCH 245 SPECIAL GIFTS 246 HISTORIC GIFTS 246 THE PRESENTATION OF A GIFT 247
PART 4: The Techniques and Care of Jewels
Chapter 13: The Techniques of Gems	259
DEFINITIONS 259 LIGHT ON THE STONES 260 STAR GEMS 260 THE PEARL 261 CUTTING THE STONES 261 CABOCHON 262 FACETS 262 TYPES OF FACETING 263 HARDNESS OF THE STONES 264 QUALITIES OF A STONE 267 MEASUREMENT 268 THE PRECIOUS METALS 268 ALLOYS 269
Chapter 14: The Care of Jewels	271
HOW TO CARE FOR JEWELS 271 HOME CARE 271 CLEANING DON’TS 272 PEARLS 272 REMINDERS 273 MORE CAUTIONING 274 FOR TRAVEL 274 INSURANCE 275 THE TRAVELING CASE 275 REGISTERING JEWELS 276 TRAVELING CAUTIONS 277
Chapter 15: Jewelry Up to Date	279
THE OLD AND THE ANTIQUE 279 OLD JEWELRY WITH NEW POSSIBILITIES 280 THE CONTEMPORARY JEWELS 281 MODERN MOVEMENT 281 THE JEWELER AS ARTIST 283 VARIED STONES 283 VARIED TREATMENT 284 REMODELLING OF WATCHES 285 ADDING PEARLS 285 INFINITE RICHES IN A LITTLE ROOM 286
PART 5: The Story of Rings and Famous Stones
Chapter 16: Romance of Rings	289
THE UNIVERSAL RING 289 THE MAGIC RING 289 DIVINING [11] RINGS 290 RENAISSANCE REMEDY RINGS 291 VISIBILITY RINGS 292 RELIGIOUS RINGS 293 PRACTICAL RINGS 294 POISON RINGS 295 HONORARY RINGS 296 POSIES AND LOVERS’ RINGS 296 THE NUPTIAL RING 298 LESS SOLEMN MARRIAGE RINGS 299 COUNTING FINGERS 301 MEMORIAL RINGS 302
Chapter 17: Some Famous Stones	305
THE BLACK PRINCE’S RUBY 305 OTHER PRECIOUS STONES 306 THE CRYSTAL PALACE 307 THE DIAMONDS 307 THE KOHINOOR 308 TAVERNIER 310 THE FLORENTINE 310 THE GREAT MOGUL 311 THE ORLOFF 311 THE SHAH OF PERSIA 312 THE GREAT TABLE 313 THE BLUE TAVERNIER 313 THE HOPE 314 THE JEHAN AKBAR SHAH 315 THE CULLINAN 315 THE EXCELSIOR 316 THE REGENT 316 THE SANCY 318 OUT OF THE EARTH 319

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Frontispiece
	THE BIRTHSTONES, COLORPLATES
Following Page 32
1.	GREEK EARRINGS, 5TH CENTURY B.C.
2.	CYPRIOTE PENDANT, 8TH CENTURY B.C.
3.	EARLY 18TH CENTURY ITALIAN BROOCH
4.	EGYPTIAN BRACELET, 4TH CENTURY B.C.
5.	ETRUSCAN RING
6.	18TH CENTURY ITALIAN RING
7.	CYPRIOTE RING
8.	ROMAN WREATH, 3RD CENTURY B.C.
9.	INSIDE VIEW OF THE FAMOUS OLD TIFFANY STORE, NEW YORK, 1875
10.	THE CROWNING OF A QUEEN
11.	THE BRITISH CROWN JEWELS
12.	THE BRITISH CROWN JEWELS
13.	REMODELLING THE IMPERIAL STATE CROWN
14.	EMPRESS ELISABETH OF AUSTRIA[14]
Following Page 104
15.	QUEEN ELIZABETH II
16.	PEARL AND BAGUETTE DIAMOND EARCLIPS
17.	DEEP SEA ALGAE
18.	DOUBLE ROSE CLIP
19.	DIAMOND AND PEARL LEAVES
20.	PEARL AND DIAMOND NECKLACE
21.	PEARL RING
22.	QUEEN GERALDINE OF ALBANIA
23.	DIAMOND NECKLACE
24.	DIAMONDS CAUGHT IN A NET
25.	NECKLACE FOR A BRIDE
26.	DIAMOND PINCUSHION ORNAMENT
27.	DIAMOND PINCUSHION ORNAMENT
28.	MARIANNE OSTIER
Following Page 176
29.	MRS. FREDERIC GIMBEL
30.	BELLFLOWER BROOCH AND EARCLIPS
31.	BRACELET AND ENGAGEMENT RING
32.	DESIGN FOR A DIAMOND RING
33.	DESIGN FOR A GOLD RING
34.	DESIGN FOR A FORMAL DIAMOND AND PLATINUM BRACELET
35.	DIAMOND AND PEARL BRACELET
36.	DESIGN FOR A BRACELET
37.	TREE OF LIFE
38.	DESIGN FOR A MULTI-PURPOSE JEWEL
39.	AURORA BOREALIS
40.	FLOWER FANTASY
41.	DIAMOND HAIR ORNAMENT
42.	THREE-STRAND PEARL BRACELET
43.	MISS BLANCHE THEBOM[15]
44.	CANTERBURY BELL
45.	GOLD SHELL FOR INFORMAL WEAR
46.	FLOWER LAPEL BROOCH
47.	MRS. TEX MC CRARY
Following Page 256
48.	PORTRAIT OF H. H. INDIRA DEVI
49.	SPRAY PIN DESIGN
50.	DESIGN FOR A DIAMOND CUP
51.	DESIGN FOR A DOUBLE CLIP
52.	DESIGN FOR A GOLD AND DIAMOND PIN
53.	PORTRAIT OF FLIPPY
54.	FLORIAN
55.	SET OF EARCLIPS AND BROOCH
56.	GOLD AND DIAMOND WATCH
57.	PEARL NECKLACE WITH TWO DIAMOND MOTIFS
58.	TABLE OF DIAMONDS
59.	MODELS OF THE KOHINOOR DIAMOND
60.	GOLD CIGAR BOX

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“Diamonds,” the song goes, “are a girl’s best friend.” Take special note of the sex; it is significant. For only among humans has the female increasingly become the adorned sex. The mane of the lion or of the stallion gives the male a magnificence beyond the competence of the lioness or the mare. It is the peacock that spreads the studded glory of its tail—not the peahen. As among the birds and beasts, so primitive man was the resplendent sex, while his mate went about her task, in more subdued and humble tones. By the time of the Renaissance—it took that long in civilization’s climb—men and women were about equal in their adornment. In Europe, indeed, only men wore diamonds until 1444, when King Charles VII of France (whom Joan of Arc had placed upon the throne) was captivated by Agnes Sorel’s beauty and daring, when she appeared in a superb necklace of diamonds. The diamond at once became the prized gem of womankind.

The costumes and jewels of the courtiers of Elizabeth I of England were surpassed by those of the Queen only in the measure of her superior station. Since then, however, the attire of men has grown increasingly functional, sedate, and commonplace, while that of women has retained its freedom of color and flow. And the great world of jewelry is preeminently the woman’s domain.

[18]

Scientists in several fields have sought the reasons for this change; we may rest content with the fact. A man may be thought distinguished, or perhaps handsome; only a woman may be called beautiful. And by proper adornment of apparel and jewelry, every woman seeks to enhance her beauty.

Certain austere sects frown upon “artificial” aids to beauty. In the hills of Pennsylvania are honest women whose lips and cheeks have never been touched by added color. But such persons are outside the main path of human progress. For the quest of beauty—surely a legitimate and a desirable quest—has taken the same path as the other great adventures of man, which have placed him supreme among all living creatures.

Look at the problem of security. The bear can strike a tremendous blow with his paw. The tiger springs with fierce gash of fang and claw. The eagle pounces with deadly talon and beak. Beside these, how puny the fist of man! But the bear, the tiger, the eagle remain with but these weapons, while man closed his tiny hand around a club, then hurled a spear, then winged his bow with arrows, shot forth his bullets and his bombs. While the animals mark a dead end of evolution, man continued to evolve by “artificial” extensions of his powers.

The same is true in every field. The news of the victory of Marathon was borne by a runner, who coursed the twenty-four miles, gasped out his word of triumph, and dropped dead. Since then man has harnessed the ox, mounted the horse, and surpassed all other creatures in means of travel upon and within the waters, across the earth, high and higher in the air.

So in the realm of beauty. First man painted his naked body. Then he adorned himself with claws and teeth torn from the animals, with feathers plucked from the birds. Soon he discovered the sheen of precious metals, the sparkle of gems. The progress of adornment, from ancient Egypt to the twentieth century world, has been marked by the further discovery and refinement of metals and the design of jewels. Synthetic[19] gems and costume jewelry have given to every woman opportunities once limited to the wealthy few; the principles applicable to the wearing of costly jewels are the same for their less expensive cousins. And the pattern of the quest of personal beauty is in line with the general pattern of human evolution.

Although we have approached beauty through these somewhat solemn reflections, we must not forget that the best reflection of beauty is in the admiring eye of the beholder. It is a mutual pleasure; but it is a personal, an individual task. For it is every woman’s duty—not merely to herself but to those around—to present her fairest aspect to the world.

To the old remark: Love is blind, the cynic has added: But marriage is an eye-opener. Of course, neither statement is true. While love may fasten upon and prize other qualities, the lover is usually keenly aware of the measure of his beloved’s beauty. He takes increasing pride and pleasure as she finds fresh ways of enhancing her natural gifts. There is a lesson hidden in the statement that if a woman is beautiful at fifteen she may thank God, but if she is beautiful at fifty she has herself to thank. The lesson is that a woman can learn what is seemly, what is becoming, what adds to her beauty.

One may look at precious stones and magnificent jewels ranged in a museum or in a store. When they are being worn, we look not so much at them as at the ensemble they help to create of a live alluring woman. The Crown Jewels in the Tower of London are imposing. When they are worn on occasions of state, the court regalia combine to keep them imposing still: it is less a person than a position that they adorn. But with the rest of us mortals, as even with queens in less stately hours, the jewels must fit the person and the personality, as well as the occasion.

What looks most attractive against the dark velvet on a counter may fail to harmonize with golden glinting hair. The[20] size of the earlobe, the figure of the woman, the color of the dress, the activity of the evening, all are factors in determining which jewels one should wear. Jewels have a long history, but always an immediate test of use. In both aspects, they hold an ever present allure.

MARIANNE OSTIER

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Jewels:
History, Character, Magic

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The Earliest Uses

There are as many guesses about the origin of adornment as about the origin of language. The most popular theories might be called the functional, the magical, and the aesthetic.

When man first felt cold, says the functional theory—or when he first felt shame and hid his shame with the fig leaf—he had to find some way of fastening his garments. The leaves, the furs, the hides, would slip off unless adequately held together, especially when the man was running in swift hunt, or the woman bending under domestic burdens. The first fastenings were probably strands of vinestalks, lashes of interlaced leaves. Then pins made of long thorns, of wood, or of the bones of animals came into use. Pins of the last sort have been found in prehistoric caves. Naturally, iron, bronze, silver and gold pins followed, as the use of these metals became known. Crude safety pins, in form essentially the same as those we use today, have been unearthed in the most ancient tombs.

The transition from bone to metal may be observed in the word fibula, the early Latin word for a clasp. For the long outer leg bone is also called the fibula, and it looks like the tongue of a clasp, for which the other bone, the tibia, is the holder. And the word fibula comes from the Latin verb fivere, meaning to fasten.

[24]

On even the earliest pins, however, and especially on the domed backs of safety pins and clasps, there are curious carvings of dots and circles and other forms, which give scope to the second theory of the origin of adornment, the magical. For along with these fasteners are found necklaces of beads and other adornments that served no practical end—except the very important purpose of placating the gods, of warding off evil.

The telling of rosary beads, widespread today in Moslem as in Catholic lands, is a milder modern aid to prayer; in primitive times the need for protection was no less frequent and more desperate. Those of us who carry a rabbit’s foot or other charm, who put an amulet in our automobile to help us drive safely, who still “knock wood” to keep away mischance, need not smile at our far-off ancestors who engraved their beads with potent symbols or wore a scarab, preferably carved of precious stone, to keep all ills away. Charms and amulets were on every neck and arm. The devils were all about; they whirled in the tempest; they sprang suddenly in the form of a wild beast; they twisted one’s ankle as a jungle vine. And every stone-age child knew that the agate protected one against thunder and against tiger bite. If the agate was ringed like an eye, especially a tiger’s eye, it could outstare and drive away the fiercest fiend. To turn away the fangs of the venomous hidden snake, what better charm than lapis lazuli? Thus each of the colored stones known to the ancients had its special powers, or could be carved with symbols and signs of might—and jewels were worn to ward off all misfortune. Even among the ancient Greeks, it was recognized that (as the slave in Aristophanes’ play Plutus observes) there is no amulet that can save one from “the bite of a sycophant.”

The third theory of the origin of adornment, the aesthetic, declares that man is born with a love of beauty. There is no[25] question—and if there were, modern research has answered it—that the bright trinket attracts the babe. When one is happy one wants to sing; when one sees beauty, one wants to experience it with the gift of sight or, if it is tangible, to put it on. And ever to increase earth’s store of beauty. We cannot snare a sunrise, but we can make a garland of spring flowers. Even before he fashioned beads, primitive man adorned himself with necklaces of shells, of bears’ claws, stags’ teeth—probably also of many colored berries, but these have crumbled in the caves. Such findings are so widespread that Carlyle declared: “The first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration.”

Since the question of origins is buried in surmise, it seems fair to follow that eminent advocate of the middle way, Sir Roger de Coverley, and allow that there is something to be said for all three theories. Each impulse, to hold up clothing, to ward off evil, to enjoy beauty—power, protection, pleasure—may have had a share in the birth of adornment. It is true that there are paintings and statues, in the early tombs, of women clad only in their jewels. But while queens, and the concubines of kings might be thus untrammeled in their quest of beauty, humbler folk at work needed workaday attire. And always the magicians, the medicine men, then the priests, wove their holy spells, with mitre and chalice and ring inscribed with the secret words of power. A monarch of early times was an impressive sight, as not only his rings, his armlets and neckpiece, but his breastplate, the buckle of his belt, and the hilt of his sword were carved with sacred symbols and crusted with precious stones. Here were protection, power, and grandeur intertwined.

Perhaps the earliest jewelry to which we can attach an owner’s name was in the find unearthed in 1901 by Flinders Petrie in the royal tombs at Abydos. It is a bracelet of golden[26] hawks, rising from alternate blocks of turquoise and gold, and it belonged to the Egyptian Queen of Zer back in 5400 B.C. Somewhat later lived the Princess Knumit, whose mummy was adorned with all manner of jewels, anklets, bracelets, armlets, headbands, including a serpent necklace of beads of gold, silver, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and emerald, and hieroglyphics wrought in gold with inlaid gems. From Chaldea, as early as 3000 B.C., we have beads, and jewelry of lapis lazuli, and headdresses of finely beaten gold.

Egypt and the Near East

A panel in one of the pyramids gives us a realistic picture of the interior of a jeweler’s shop of long ago. The master craftsman, his bookkeeper, his workers and his apprentices are all busy at their tasks. We see them selecting, cutting, grinding, firing, shaping, setting, polishing, with tools that have changed little in 3000 years. The jewels we know today are all present there: diadems, earrings, brooches, bracelets, rings, girdles, anklets. The necklace seems to have been, in most cases, a wide tight band, almost a collar; on many a mummy such a “choker” has been preserved, studded with jewels, the gold between often in the shape of a falcon, or a lotus, or a sphinx. Favorite among the designs, of course, was the scarab; in the mummy itself, a scarab was inserted to take the place of the heart.

Two ornaments common in ancient Egypt are not found in use today. One is the pectoral, a great bejeweled breastpiece, usually hung from the neck. The other is the golden wig cover. The great men and women of the eighteenth century B.C. wore long black wigs (in contrast to the great men of the eighteenth century A.D.; George Washington’s inaugural wig, was, of course, powdered white). Close-fitting over these[27] black wigs were joined rows of gold bands or medallions, beaten fine, fastened together, forming a complete cover that reached to the shoulders. The bands bore hieroglyphics, the medallions were usually shaped like heads of man or beast. One other difference from later times: for the snuffbox of the eighteenth century A.D., or the cigarette lighter of the twentieth, society folk in ancient Egypt carried a perfume box.

The Egyptians had many rings, including signet rings. These were intaglios; that is, the design was cut into, hollowed out of, the metal or stone, so that when the ring was pressed on clay or wax it would leave a raised design like a cameo. The design might be a god, or a sacred animal such as a scarab or a sphinx, usually with an indication of the identity of the owner. Thus the King’s seal, and especially the King’s signet ring if borne by a messenger, carried the royal authority. Jezebel, wife of Ahab, King of the Israelites, used the seal of her royal spouse on the letters she wrote to destroy Naboth, whose vineyard they coveted.

The Israelites, indeed, wore rings on their fingers, in their nostrils, in their ears, and we are told that when they walked there was a tinkling about their feet. They also wore a gem pressed into the soft side of the nostril, a favorite spot for display through the Near East, still adorned by a gem among the Bedouins and the Hindus of today. The Israelites gave of these jewels in great quantity to adorn the Tabernacle that was built in the wilderness—and also for the making of the Golden Calf.

Legend has it that Solomon’s wisdom emanated from a magic ring. One day he carelessly left this ring behind him at the bath, and with the water of his bath it was thrown into the sea. Solomon retained enough wisdom to suspend his legal court for forty days, after which the ring came back to him in the stomach of a fish served at his table. A similar story of a jewel returned in the belly of a fish is told by[28] Polycrates, tyrant of Samos in 530 B.C. Like stories occur in The Thousand and One Nights; and the coat of arms of the city of Glasgow contains a salmon with a ring in its mouth, memorializing the occasion when St. Kentigern from the fish’s mouth restored to an early queen her ring and her reputation.

Oriental tales have many accounts of magic rings. One of the most elaborate deals with Gyges, a Lydian noble to whom King Candaules, proud of the possession of a beautiful wife, displayed her in her undraped beauty. The resourceful Gyges descended into a chasm of the earth, where he found a brazen horse with a human carcass in its belly. From the body Gyges took a ring which, when he turned the stone inward, made him invisible. Thus fortified, Gyges entered the palace and murdered the king. The widow, Nyssia, married him; he reigned thirty-eight years, from 716 to 678 B.C., with the help of the ring becoming so powerful and so rich that men spoke proverbially of “the wealth of Gyges.”

Another ring, as remembered by Chaucer in The Squire’s Tale, gave a man the power to understand the language of the birds. The reader may remember that the messenger between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba was a bird that whispered in their ears. We gather such stories from early days literally through a fabulous thousand and one nights.

Although jewelry was a preeminent concern of the Egyptians, because they must be adorned not only in this world but in the next, it was a lively preoccupation throughout the Near East, the cradle of civilization. Babylonian and Assyrian tombs yield treasures in splendidly mounted jewels. A description of the goddess Ishtar, descending through the Seven Gates to the ultimate world, pictures her at each gate putting aside a separate jewel, finger rings, toe rings, necklace, earrings, armlet, brooch, girdle: she passes through the final gate in unadorned beauty.

[29]

Among the jewels of ancient Persia, from the fourth century B.C., is a great necklace of three rows of pearls, almost 500 pearls in all, half of them still well preserved across the flight of twenty-five centuries.

Westward to the Greeks

There exist some examples of Greek art in early times. A gold and silver brooch in the form of a flower may have been shaped about 1400 B.C. Perhaps 500 years later, by the time of the Trojan War, there were inlays, intaglios, even small plaques of gold with hooks to fit the ear. In the fifth century, when the great dramatists filled the theatres, Greek lapidaries were making filigree and enamels of fruit and flowers—a bit later, of the fair feminine form. By this time, too, the Greeks were copying the designs they saw on, or bought from, Egyptian and Phoenician traders; the sphinx and the scarab appear in Hellenic workmanship.

Originators are held by their new problems to a sort of modesty in design. Imitators often—striving to outdo—overdo. The Greeks grew far more elaborate than their predecessors. The great Greek sculptors were delighted with the human figure which posed sufficient problems, either bare or simply draped. But outside of statuary, and after the great fifth and fourth centuries, the wealthy Greeks in their ways of life had caught the fever of display. Their jewelry must surpass that of the eastern barbarians to whom they were bringing the benefits of Greek culture. From every medallion of a necklace, for example, might hang a pendant. And this pendant might be a tiny golden vase, which contained perfume—each vase a different fragrance—or which might open to reveal a series of figures—as, later, baroque rosary beads[30] opened to reveal, in minute carving, episodes in the life of the Virgin Mary.

A portrait of Alexander the Great was a favorite figure, in many materials and forms. Although Alexander gave one artist exclusive right to reproduce his likeness after his death, as this monopoly lapsed there was a boom on “good luck” jeweled representations of the man who wept because there were no more worlds for him to conquer.

The Greeks did not ape all the antics of the Phoenicians, some of whose high-born ladies pierced the entire rim of their ears, as well as the lobe, each jewel in its eyelet supporting a pendant stone. The Greeks used but one ornament per ear; but these grew larger and larger, more and more weighted with metal and studded with jewels, and so were finally worn suspended from a diadem or a cloth band.

Alexander’s conquests having taken the Greeks into farther lands and introduced them to unsuspected splendors of the Orient, they carried home gems that before had been unfamiliar to them: the topaz, the amethyst, the aquamarine.

Etruscan Achievements

In Italy, meanwhile, the Etruscans had brought the work of the goldsmith and the lapidary to a high peak of artistry. They developed the swivel ring, in which the mounted gem or special charm might be turned about, so that any face of it could be displayed. Thus the carvings on the belly of a scarab became as important as the design on its back.

The Etruscans also made circular or oval bands of earrings and necklaces, within which a pendant might hang free, a gently swinging precious stone or golden charm. From their necklaces often hung a hollow pendant, in which an amulet[31] might be placed. They made many headpieces, bands, wreaths, and pins of beaten or granulated gold.

Especially deft was the work of the Etruscans in granulated gold. Onto a metal surface they soldered tiny specks of gold, almost as fine as powder, producing the effect of a rich grain. The artistry of the Etruscan work was so superb that when it was recovered during the Renaissance, Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), the greatest goldsmith of his time, despaired of making successful copies of the Etruscan pieces and decided to shape designs of his own devising, “inferior as they may be.”

The Roman Conquest

The whole Etruscan civilization gave way before the splendor that was Rome. Home from their conquests the Romans brought great stores of jewels, treasures of the Orient. Before the crowding and gaping throngs of the imperial city, the “triumphs” of their rulers marched for hours through the streets of Rome, while foreign potentates pulled chariots bearing their conquerors and carts with the loot of their palaces. At Pompey’s third triumph, in addition to countless gold and silver cases bestudded with gems, there were three dining-couches adorned with pearls, and a great chessboard, three feet by four, wrought of two precious stones, with a golden moon, weighing thirty pounds.

The Romans also brought home artisans, metal workers and jewelers, from whom after a time the natives learned their craft. Again we find the victors trying to outdo the vanquished whom they naturally despised. The adornments of men and women grew more and more massive. Women’s hairpins were eight and ten inches long. Rings were worn upon every finger. Great thumb rings were set with jewels[32] or made of gold in various designs, especially the heads of animals. Some of the bands of gold were very large but hollow; down the ages echo complaints that, in accident or brawl, a golden ring was crushed. The wealthy, of course, insisted on rings of solid gold. These became so heavy that some had to be worn in cold weather only, lighter ones being designed for summer wear. A specialty among the patricians came to be the key ring, a golden band with the key devised to lie flat along the finger, thus keeping with the master the safety of his treasures. Often a large iron key ring was worn by the chief steward of an estate; this opened the strongbox, which might hold the dinner plate and other daily valuables, and within a recess of which nestled the treasure chest of the golden key.

So great was the jeweled extravagance of the late Republic that Cato the Censor (234-149 B.C.) sought by legislation to limit the amount of jewelry one might wear. He also restricted the use of metal in rings, assigning iron, silver, or gold according to rank. Gold was reserved for the official ring of the Senator, which he himself might wear only when on duty. Naturally such restrictions could not be binding for long. Censorship usually produces an exaggeration of what it has tried to curb. In the early days of the Empire everyone worth his salt manifested his worth with adornments.

The citizens favored bright colors in their jewels: reds, yellows, blues. The drivers at the chariot races wore different colors; spectators bet on the red, the yellow, or the blue, and many a precious stone changed hands according to the speed of the horses and the drivers’ skill. If a lapidary could not secure precious stones large enough, or in quantities to meet the ever increasing demand, he made imitations of colored glass. Although Pliny cried out against the practice of making false gems, the usual purchaser had few tests to show when he was cheated.

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The Vogue of the Pearl

The notorious pearl-drinking dare of Cleopatra caught the fancy of the Romans. The serpent of the Nile dissolved a union (the Roman word for pearl was unionem, in this case truly symbolic) worth half a million dollars, and drank it as a pledge to her Antony. Cleopatra killed herself rather than walk in the triumph of Emperor Augustus, but the Emperor’s favorite, Agrippa, we are told, secured the mate to Cleopatra’s pearl. She had this great pearl halved, for the ears of the statue of Venus in the Pantheon.

The vogue of the pearl swept over Rome. This “disease of the oyster,” with its blush of rainbow colors over white, with its tint of beauty and its hint of underwater mystery, had indeed always been regarded as the queen of jewels. The Romans affected it to the degree of vulgar display. The historian Pliny (23-79 A.D.), who railed upon many customs of the time, commented on Pompey’s having a portrait of himself made in pearls and borne by slaves in his triumph. “Unworthy!” cried the satirist, “and a presage of the anger of the gods.” Pliny also recorded that a young bride was “covered from head to foot with pearls and emeralds.” He waxed indignant at the fact that women had pearls set in their shoes. But so did the Emperor Caligula, while the Emperor Nero, fond of the theatre, had pearls adorn his favorite players’ masks.

Not to be outdone by an Egyptian, Clodius—whose father was a favorite tragic actor—invited a great company to a feast; he dissolved and drank a large pearl, said that he enjoyed the flavor, and fed a similar gem to every guest.

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Roman Luxury

The vogue of the pearl did not bring about the neglect of other gems. The Senator Nonius owned a great opal, valued at two million sesterces, approximately $150,000. The Emperor Augustus coveted the stone; rather than yield it to him, Nonius withdrew into exile.

Lollia Paulina, wife of the Emperor Caligula, possessed a great chain of emeralds and pearls worth over two million dollars.

It is significant of the change in Roman ways that when the Emperor Tiberius once more tried to limit the wearing of gold rings, he based his restrictions not on rank but on riches. Only those citizens might wear rings of gold, he ordained in 22 A.D., whose fathers and grandfathers held property valued at 400,000 sesterces, $30,000. Jewels, always the property, were thus also made the prerogative of the hereditary rich.

The Tide Turns East

Back from Rome toward the East, with Constantine in 330 A.D., went the flowering fashions, to riot in Byzantine luxury. The Eastern capital exceeded the declining city of the West—abandoned to the barbarians and the popes—in extravagance, in colorful splendor and elaborate intricacy of design. Gems, no longer reserved for the showy jewels, were sewn upon or woven into the very texture of garments. In all this profusion, the crafts of the goldsmith and the lapidary continued to thrive, while the West lapsed into the dun rigor of the Dark Ages.

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Eastward to India

More or less independently of the western world, the making of fine jewels flourished in the Far East. In India the code of Manu, about 250 B.C., prescribed fines for poor workmanship and for the debasing of gold. A drama of the same period describes a workshop, with pearls and emeralds, and artisans to grind lapis lazuli, to cut shells, to pierce coral, and to make the filigree and other ornaments that have persisted in that part of the world unchanged to our day.

The lavishness of Oriental potentates is proverbial; their collections of precious stones and elaborate jewels have been as fabulous as their incalculable wealth. Almost to our own generation birthday gifts to maharajahs have matched the monarch’s weight in gold or precious stones. At the greatest period of Indian art, during the reign of the Mogul Shah Jehan, who died in 1666, the art of jewelry almost merged with that of architecture. In addition to the celebrated Peacock Throne, the Shah built the Great Mosque at Delhi, and at Agra the Pearl Mosque and that triumph of beauty, the Taj Mahal. This was erected as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahall, who was called “the adornment of the palace.”

In addition to the designs and patterns of tile that are a feature of the mosques, the Taj Mahal is adorned with great treasures of the East: “jasper from the Punjab, carnelians from Broach, turquoises from Tibet, agates from Yemen, lapis lazuli from Ceylon, coral from Arabia, garnets from Bundelcund, diamonds from Punnah, rock crystal from Malwar, onyx from Persia, chalcedony from Asia Minor, sapphires from Colombo.” It took thirteen years, from 1632 to 1645, to collect these treasures and construct the mausoleum. The memory of a woman may be buried there, but a beauty beyond description is preserved.

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Over the Chinese Wall

Still farther east, in China, a more restrained and delicate beauty was developed. Piety and filial devotion taught the Chinese to limit their display. They cultivated the economy of good taste. The world’s largest known emerald, found in China, was carved into the figure of Kwan Yin, goddess of mercy. Jewels were not worn indiscriminately; they served not only to adorn but to signify station. A mandarin of the first rank wore ruby or red tourmaline; a mandarin of the second, coral or garnet; of the third, beryl or lapis lazuli; of the fourth, rock crystal; and of the fifth, other stones of white.

Beyond all other stones the Chinese prized “the divine stone,” jade. While this occurs in various shades, even of blue, of red, of brown, it was, and still is, especially sought in ivory white and in the shades of green, from light apple to the dark “imperial jade.” This was, legend whispered, a crystallization of the spirit of the sea. Its possession conferred longevity, man’s prolonged moment in the eternity of the gods.

A perfect piece of jade is left uncarved. As a pendant, brooch, or ring, it stands alone, in simple beauty. A cultured Chinese was likely to have one with him unmounted, just the stone, to cherish it and finger it and feel its silken surface. There were experts who could tell the quality, the very color, of a piece of jade, without looking at it, just from the feel.

Treasured through the centuries in China, jade has come to be prized in the West as well. The Emperor Kuang-hou sent Queen Victoria, for her Jubilee, a sceptre of jade. The deep green of the richest jade, the divine stone, makes it a fit companion for the diamond, the monarch of gems.

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Dark Age of the Diamond

The diamond was not mentioned, in this summary narrative, until the description of the Taj Mahal. This greatest of precious stones—hardest of gems, and the only one that consists of a single element—was little known in the ancient world, and but slowly won appreciation in the West. At the height of the Renaissance, Cellini in 1568 set down the values of the precious stones, of flawless stones one carat in weight. A ruby of such specifications was worth 800 gold crowns; an emerald, 400; a diamond, but 100. (The more common sapphire was a far fourth, at ten gold crowns a carat.)

The Dark Ages in southern Europe were not especially bright with gems. Individual rulers made some display, on crown, on hilt of sword, and ecclesiastical splendor was slowly gathering, along with decorated frames and representations of the Virgin Mary. On the other hand, the medieval Church frowned upon unseemly extravagance of display, and some monarchs, even Charlemagne when he doffed his rich crown of state, were sober and plain in their attire.

Tribes to the North

In the more northerly lands, and among the tribes that in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries pressed upon and twice overran Rome, there was meanwhile more than a crude attempt at jeweled adornment. The Ostrogoths made some magnificent brooches, mainly with animal designs. The Visigoths were fond of garnets, often set on a background of cloisonné. Their crowns and coronets were elaborately wrought; one of these, belonging to the Spanish-Gothic King Reccesvinthus (649-672) was given as a votive offering to the church of Santa Maria near Toledo.

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The warlike and otherwise austere Franks took pride in their jeweled buckles. Their brooches were circular, or formed in the shape of birds. In Belgium, in the Fifth century, there was considerable carving of chips, a practice that migrated to Scandinavia. In Sweden there was also an abundance of circular pendants, beaten of thin gold, and decorated with animals.

The Celts and the Emerald Isle

Among the Celtic peoples were found armlets and fibulas, the latter not so short in the arch, nor so exquisite, as the Greek pins, nor yet so long and heavy as the Roman. The Celts had large, crescent-shaped head ornaments, attached near the ears and standing straight up on either side like the horned moon. They made heavy gold torques, necklaces of twisted metal usually tight as a collar. Some of the torques, especially those in Ireland, were much longer and hung down in massive twists across the chest. Ireland is called “the Emerald Isle” not from any pride in its deep green verdure, but from the ring sent by Pope Adrian to Henry II of England in 1170, a ring set with an emerald, for the King’s investiture with the dominion of Ireland.

The Scotch, because of the way they wore their plaid, grew to have exceptionally splendid brooches. A fine one of these, preserved in the British Museum, is known as the Loch Buy brooch; it is of rock crystal cut in a convex mound, in a circle of ten projecting turrets each topped with a pearl. A noteworthy brooch design is that of the pin with arms: a straight bar down the center, enclosed in two arcs of a circle of beaten gold.

Although most of their gold designs were hammered down into the metal, the early Celts also grew expert in répoussé, a[47] process in which, on a thin sheet of metal, the design is hammered upward from underneath.

The Anglo-Saxons

Among the Anglo-Saxons, especially those that settled in Kent, a greater variety was manifest. They made beads in many shapes and shades of glass and amber. They were fond of the amethyst set in pure gold. They adorned their hair with pins tipped with figures of animals and fantastic birds. They took great pains with the art of enamel, which they fashioned cloisonné.

Jewels in English History

The finest known piece of Anglo-Saxon days is the Alfred Jewel, a gold plaque of cloisonné enamel found in 1693 at Newton Park. It is an oval two inches long, a little over an inch high, and an inch deep. At the tip of the oval is a boar’s head. Rock crystal covers the main plaque of translucent enamel, blue, white, green, and brown, shaped in the head of a man. Some think this may represent a saint, or the Christ; some say it is a portrait of Alfred the Great, for along the edge in gold are the letters: Aelfred mec heht gewyrcan, “Alfred had me worked.”

Among other treasures of early England are examples of filigree, such as a Kentish brooch set with garnets, of the sixth century, and brooches of granular gold.

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Edward the Confessor’s Jewels

One of the three Royal Crowns of the British monarch is supposedly that of Edward the Confessor, who was buried in Westminster in 1101, but whose shrine was opened and the jewels taken forth for future kings. The royal treasures of the English realm, however, were broken up by the Roundheads under Cromwell.

Life at its longest is fleeting, but beauty is an enduring symbol: the destroyers of the royal treasure are scorned today almost more than the regicides. The current Crown of Edward the Confessor, therefore, is a replica, even if the old one was authentic. Less suspect is the great sapphire, which Edward wore in his coronation ring, and which today is the central stone in the cross atop the British Imperial Crown of State.

Growth of the Goldsmiths’ Guild

Less than a century after Edward, in the reign of Henry II, the first Plantagenet ruler of England, the Goldsmiths’ Guild was formed. By 1380, two hundred years later, it was one of the most powerful guilds in the country, with rigid rules for admittance and for the quality of materials and workmanship. Although the artists worked for the king and the nobles, the bulk of their production was for ecclesiastical and general religious use. As a result, they developed greater refinements and further elaborations in this field. We have already noticed the rosary beads that open, disclosing scenes of the life of Christ or the Virgin Mary. But a cardinal without succumbing to the sin of pride might wear a jeweled pendant if the hanging box of gold opened upon a crucifix, or adorn his robe with a rich chain of gold if its links were medallions designed with holy scenes. Cardinal Wolsey, whose kitchen boasted twenty-two[49] specialty chefs, vied with his lusty monarch, Henry VIII, in many ways, but he could never hope to match the King’s jewels which included almost 250 rings, well over 300 brooches, and one of whose diamonds, an observer reports, was bigger than “the largest walnut I ever saw.”

The Italians in the Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance started earlier than and outshone the English. The great jewel collections of ancient times, of the Emperors Julius Caesar and Hadrian of Maecenas were dwarfed by the collections of the Medici and the Borgias. The styles favored in those days are still vivid in the portraits of the period. Many of the painters and sculptors, indeed—Donatello (1386-1466), Pollaiuolo (1429-1498), Botticelli (1444-1510), Cellini, to name but four—began their careers as goldsmiths and jewelers. They fashioned works with painstaking devotion and venturesome skill for their generous but exacting patrons.

Lorenzo de Medici collected the antique cameos and intaglios freshly unearthed in Italian soil; under the spur of his interest, intaglio jewels achieved a new delicacy. Metal was worked with greater deftness, flat, chased, or répoussé. Faience, the art of painting and glazing ceramics, was added to the colorful arts of enameling.

Enseignes became popular, badges of dignity in the form of a gold adornment on a man’s hat, with the nobleman’s crest or other identification caught into the design. All over the continent, and even among the Italianate Englishmen of Elizabeth’s court and James’, the enseigne was worn as a clasp to hold the plume, while from one ear beneath dangled a golden ring or a pear-shaped pearl.

Rings of all sorts were again in demand, especially signet[50] rings, fede (clasped hands) friendship rings, gimmals or gemmels (twin rings that could be separated for two lovers to wear)—and poison rings.

Particularly popular was the pendant, in many forms and positions. Pendant earrings again grew, until almost too large to wear. Even larger pendants, many opening on cameos, dangled upon the breast. Pendants of all sorts hung from the girdles, utilitarian in the shape of golden keys or scissors, religious in the shape of a crucifix or the relic of a saint, along with purely aesthetic medallions of animals or flowers, or golden spheres—so many as to make a tinkling when one walked.

A new fashion in the pendant was introduced, a jewel on the forehead, hung from a hair band or adornment; in India, similar pendants had for centuries hung from the veil. This new pendant was called the ferronière, from La Ferrionière (“the ironmonger’s wife”) whose portrait survives, probably painted by Leonardo da Vinci when she was mistress of Francis I of France.

The Renaissance Across Europe

When Cellini went to France, he gave impetus to the art work there. In Spain, the goldsmiths fashioned reliquaries; they wrought pendants on which they hung the emeralds new-garnered from Peru; they favored bow-shaped brooches of many jewels, the ruby vying with the emerald. The great international bankers, the Fuggers, dealt also in jewels and gems. Hans Holbein the painter, while in England, made many designs for jewels. The painter Albrecht Dürer, son of a goldsmith, fashioned a pendant for Henry VIII, with the initials E R (Enricus Rex) and three large drops.

At the same time, the sons of wealthy merchants, the young[51] bloods of the cities, with spangled chain and jeweled dagger hilt, aped the sons of nobles. Restrictive regulations did little to curb their display. As wealth was not yet evenly distributed, not everyone could afford the genuine precious stones, and the trade in paste flourished. Milan was the center of this manufacture. In addition to the ordinary glass used for imitation gems, strass glass was developed. Invented by Josef Strasser, this mixes lead or flint with the usual vitreous substance and obtains a greater lustre. Either type of glass often had placed beneath it, cunningly hidden in the setting, a tiny bit of quicksilver or tinfoil, to make the glass reflect more light and thus seem to sparkle with its own fire.

The Renaissance no more than earlier times had skill to know the genuine from the imitation. Cellini chuckles over the fact that Henry VIII of England, bargaining with a shrewd dealer of Milan for a fine set of jewels, received what he felt was one of his best buys—in paste.

The Reformation

The ease of working in these various modes overreached itself. The designs again grew more and more elaborate. Enseignes, medallions, love tokens, memorials of saints, grew heavier than the hats, than the heads, they were intended to adorn. Rings and bracelets were fashioned to be worn outside of gloves; gloves were fashioned with slits to display bracelets and rings within. Extravagance of ornament, though a minor cause, contributed to the revulsion against the many abuses of the day that led to the two reformations. The Church itself embarked on a housecleaning campaign, which included simplicity of dress and paucity of adornment.

The seventeenth century in Europe, in the field of jewels, was one of timid venturing. The Portuguese came to the fore[52] with delicate work, golden sprays of leaves and flowers with tiny gems, ribbons and knots of gold. In France the sévigné appeared, a simple golden bow or rosette worn on the breast, named after the Marquise de Sévigné, a noted blue-stocking and one of the greatest letter writers of her day. The sévigné, at first rather plain, was elaborated during the eighteenth century into a massive brooch, or even a gemmed stomacher. The aigrette also appeared at this time, in the form of feather-like thin movable stalks of gold tipped with tiny gems set in enamel; these vibrated as the wearer moved.

The Eighteenth Century

In the eighteenth century greater attention was again paid to adornment. The aigrette became more popular, used mainly as an ornament for the hair. Thin silver stalks like stems of wheat were banded just below the center, with a slide for fastening; the tips were set with diamonds. Some pins for the hair and some brooches were fashioned with birds or butterflies, again on thin stalks so that they flitted as the wearer walked. This vibration of the aigrette added to the sparkle of the gems. I have made a variation of this jewel, as a flower, to fit the taste of the twentieth century.

A new type of pendant earring was the girandole. This appeared in two main forms. In one, from a large circular stone at the ear lobe hung three pear-shaped pendants, sometimes amethysts or other colored stones, but usually diamonds. In the other type, from the top stone was suspended an oval hoop of gold, within which a single large diamond hung loose.

More and more as the nineteenth century came near, the fashion in precious stones demanded diamonds. If not in the center of a jewel, they were used to set off the main one. They were worn in the new marquise ring, the gold of which[53] was fashioned to hold a large oblong stone surrounded by diamonds. They were an essential element of the parure, the set of matching jewels, which developed in this century in France. Thus milady might have, in a parure, a bracelet, necklace, earrings, aigrette, and sévigné, all ordered together and made of the same metals and precious stones, patterned for their respective purposes in a concordant, harmonizing whole.

On the Romantics

For a time, under the influence of the rococo style, and the Gothic tendency in the other arts, it looked as though jewelry designs, becoming more and more elaborate and extravagant, might again approach the eccentric and achieve the inept. In 1755, however, the ruins of Pompeii were unearthed, with their treasures of antique style, and a classical simplicity became the order of the day, fostered for a time by the “return to nature” of the Romantics. It was felt, for instance, that the diamond, now prized beyond all other precious stones, shone most effulgent when it stood alone in a simple setting.

The wars toward the end of the eighteenth century, culminating in the French Revolution and the campaigns of Napoleon, shifted the ownership but did not stem the manufacture or the collection of jewels. The inventory of Mlle. Mars, taken in 1828, listed over sixty items, many of them treasures in themselves. Notable among these were: a necklace of two rows of brilliants (diamonds), forty-six in the first row, forty-eight in the second. Eight bunches of sprigs of wheat tipped with brilliants (that is, eight aigrettes) totaling about 500 brilliants weighing 57 carats; a garland of brilliants that could be worn as one bouquet or divided into three flower brooches, totaling 709 brilliants and 85¾ carats; a sévigné—mounted in colored gold a central large topaz was surrounded by brilliants,[54] with three drops of opals also surrounded by brilliants, the whole set in gold studded with rubies and pearls; a pair of girandole earrings of brilliants—in each, from the large stud brilliant were suspended three pear-shaped brilliants, united by four smaller ones; a pair of earrings—from the large stud brilliant of each hung a cluster of 14 smaller brilliants, like a bunch of grapes; a parure of opals, consisting of a necklace, a sévigné, two bracelets, earrings, and a belt-plate. And Mlle. Mars, though a noted comic actress and a favorite of Napoleon, was by no means the outstanding society woman of her day.

Into the Nineteenth Century

By 1840 many new designs—frets, crescents, stars—were employed to show off the popular diamonds. These were still preeminent in the magnificence of the marriage of Napoleon III in 1853, but his Empress Eugénie revived the use of strings of pearls for the evening. Diamonds were then worn in similar strings, called rivières, necklaces of a succession of single stones, matched or graduated, with a very large stone in the center. A stone of ten carats was no longer considered large; the diamond must be at least fifteen carats, and preferably nearer forty. The large solitaire became popular, not only for engagement rings, but as the clip-stone on a pin or pendant, from the diamond often hanging a pear-shaped pearl.

The late nineteenth century developed an electicism, a freedom of choice among the various modes of the past, that continues into the jewelry design of our own day. Toward the end of the century, perhaps as a by-product of the school of les diaboliques in literature and art, there developed a desire to shock the bourgeoisie, and with it a certain desire for novelty,[55] manifested in such bizarre items as live beetles worn as pins, or brooches of a live tortoise with gems set in its shell.

The Twentieth Century

A central ground of common sense and classical design was firmly maintained by Peter Carl Fabergé and the House of Fabergé, which designed many of the jewels at the turn of the century and continued popular among the Edwardians. The great World’s Fair in Paris in 1900 showed a fresh interest in design, and the use of such materials as translucent enamel, ivory, and horn. The influence of the Orient showed in these materials; it was also evident in larger and more colorful earrings and the multiplicity of bracelets.

Hair styles played their part in the shaping of jewelry. The pompadour in front, with chignon, increased the output of tortoise-shell combs, often studded with diamonds, and of fourches, large two-pronged hairpins similarly adorned. After 1914, the vogue of bobbed hair shifted production from combs to diamond slides. At the same time, the exposed ears made ear ornaments de rigueur. As many persons objected to having their ear lobes pierced for earrings, the earclip became popular; today it is almost universal in feminine fashion.

About this time, too, short sleeves led to an increased use of bracelets, often worn several on one arm. Especially popular has been the bangle bracelet, a band of gold from which are suspended coins, figures of men and animals, and other tokens and mementos. Sometimes golden disks are engraved with sentimental designs or sayings; sometimes the words are humorous, the figures grotesque.

Platinum and more recently palladium have been increasingly used as basic metals for the new jewelry, along with the now less frequent silver and the constant gold.

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Spurred by René Lalique, the impetus of modern art has been felt in jewelry design. Cubic, non-representational, and other modes of abstract form have helped shape the modern bracelet, earclip, watch, and the case for powder, cigarettes, lighter, or the watch. While some jewels thus manifest the modern modes, others draw freely on the beauty of the past, as stimulus to the creation of fresh patterns of beauty for our day.

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What the Stones Are

On the basis of beauty, stones cannot be divided into precious and semiprecious for, from stone to stone, there is continuous range of color and glow. Nor indeed can price be the one criterion, for here many elements produce variety. Although the term “gem of the first water” is reserved for the flawless blue-white diamond, as the carats of the single stone increase the flawless ruby and the emerald become even more costly; and varieties and special specimens of other stones, such as the fire opal and imperial jade, move up into comparable range. For certain individuals, of course, a particular stone will have associations of sentiment that render it more precious—in the nontechnical sense—than another stone in the category of “precious.” It is, then, tradition rather than any inherent value that sets a secondary label, “semiprecious,” on all but five of the stones used for human adornment. Let us call these five the gems, to distinguish them from the other stones.

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The Gems

There is no doubt that the five gems—diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and pearl—have grown more fully than all others into our ways of living. They have become, as I shall indicate in this chapter, adornments not only of our persons but of our speech and writing. They are used not only in figures of jewelry but in figures of speech, to express human beauty, or eminence, or virtue. The poet and the orator, as well as the monarch and the lover, have utilized the glamour of the gem.

Diamond

Supreme in human imagination is the diamond, the hardest of all stones. The word diamond captures this significance, for it is from Greek adamas, meaning unconquerable, the tameless stone.

The diamond is also the only gem that is entirely composed of a single element. It is carbon, which also appears in its more common and less costly forms as soot, jet, and coal. The diamond is pure carbon crystallized in regular octahedrons, eight-sided figures.

For a long time, one word was used to mean both the diamond and the lodestone, the natural magnet. In French today, the gem is diamant, and the magnet is aimant—which also means loving. Perhaps the word changed because the natural magnet, attracting things to it, was thought of as “the loving stone.” The diamond is the beloved stone.

Most diamonds at their best are colorless, with perhaps a bluish glow. They may also be blue, green, violet, less often red—and black. The black diamond is usually unwanted for[59] jewelry, but is used by lapidaries and others for cutting, grinding, and polishing hard stones.

If a jeweler speaks of a Matura diamond or a Ceylon diamond, he is using an old trade name for a zircon. Similarly, a Welsh, Irish, Cornish, Quebec, or California diamond is likely to be an attractive piece of rock crystal.

True diamonds were known in Asia at least as far back as 900 B.C. India was the homeland of the gem for many years. The best stones in the sixteenth century were those cut in Hyderabad, India, in the famed city of Golconda. Rich findings were made about 1720 in Brazil; in Borneo in 1738; elsewhere, diamonds were discovered in less significant amounts. But by far the richest hoards were unearthed in 1867 in South Africa, which is still the world’s greatest source of diamonds.

Although the lozenge is the characteristic shape of its crystal surface, the rough diamond stone is found in many shapes and cut into great variety. Because of the tears that the great tragic actress Sarah Bernhardt wrung from the audiences at his melodramas, Victor Hugo presented her with a tear-shaped diamond.

Among the many literary references to the diamond, the Elizabethan playwrights were particularly fond of the expression “diamond cut diamond”, meaning in that aristocratic age, when great man matched with great. In the more democratic nineteenth century, particularly with regard to those most democratic of spirits, the pioneers—such as the Americans opening up the West—it became popular to speak of an uncouth, unpolished but fundamentally fine fellow as “a diamond in the rough.”

Lovers at all times have linked this most brilliant of stones with their fair one’s sparkling eyes. One said that, wherever he went in the world, he found only his beloved:

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There are several sayings which, though they refer to the diamond, by indirection speak of mankind. Thus there is a warning to the person who is heedless of dress or decor, or of the furnishing of office or home, in the remark: “A fine diamond may be ill set.” There is, on the other hand, a challenge to pretense, or perhaps a warning to a person about to select an employee—or a mate—in the Chinese proverb: “A diamond with a flaw is better than a perfect pebble.”

Ruby

The ruby is a variety of corundum. The Sanskrit word kuruvinda was limited to the ruby, but we today use the word corundum to mean any form of aluminum oxide, chemically Al₂O₃. Corundum is next in hardness (though far inferior) to the diamond, and a hard granular form of it is used in grinding and polishing. In its pure, transparent form it is, according to its color, the ruby, the sapphire, the Oriental amethyst, or the Oriental topaz.

The Latin word ruber means red, and the crystalline corundum that is a ruby takes shades from pale rose-pink to a deep crimson that borders on the purple. The color is determined by the nature of the oxide, and the gem sometimes has a light silken sheen. A flawless deep red ruby is one of the rarest and most costly of gems.

Because of its great value, the ruby has often been used as a term of comparison for human worth, implying the highest excellence. The Scottish poet William Dunbar used it in pious[61] thought: “Hail, redolent ruby, rich and radious! Hail, Mother of God!”

Among precious rubies, greatly desired is the star ruby, a gem so flawed that it catches the light as a sun with six out-shooting rays. “The sun is fair,” said the poet Drummond of Hawthorne on a fine summer’s morning, “when he with crimson crown and flaming rubies leaves his eastern bed.” The star ruby, with its three crossbars making six rays of light, has been thought by these lines of light to signify Faith, Hope, Charity, Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Thus it is doubly prized, for its good fortune and for its beauty.

The deep rubies of “pigeon’s blood” or ox-blood red come from Burma; those from Siam may be purplish brown; from Ceylon, more probably pink; a Brazilian ruby, a topaz; a Siberian ruby, a tourmaline; and a Balas ruby, a spinel.

Most frequent of all comparisons with gems are references to the “ruby lips” of beauty. Close after these come allusions to the rich red of wine, as when Fitzgerald tells us, in his translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:

Robert Herrick, the poet of youth and springtime, who advises us to enjoy lovely things while they are here—“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may”—in a note of more solemn warning says to a fair maid:

What the maiden answered is not on record, but it is sadly pleasant to think, three hundred years later, that somewhere today that ruby is still beautiful and still enjoyed.

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Sapphire

Sapphire is the current form of a Sanskrit word meaning dear to Saturn, an olden god whose reign was regarded as the golden age. The stone has been known since earliest times, although what the ancients called sapphire was probably the lapis lazuli, our sapphire being called by them the hyacinth. It is hard to tell, however, just what gem is intended when in the Song of Songs the Queen of Sheba sings of Solomon, her beloved: “His hands are as gold rings set with beryl; his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.”

Our sapphire is a bluish transparent variety of native crystalline aluminum oxide, the same corundum that when it is red we call a ruby. The sapphire may be sky blue or cornflower blue, and shade through the lighter hues to an almost colorless stone, called white or water sapphire.

The sapphire is often used as a figure for the stars or for blue eyes: “Those eyes, those sparkling sapphires of delight”... “Now glowed the firmament with living sapphires.” This last line is by Milton, from Paradise Lost, which he dictated to his daughters when he was blind. The poet Gray pictures Milton as becoming blinded by his great vision:

While the sapphire at its best still captures the blue of a cloudless sky, it brings with it today a vision of more serene beauty.

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Emerald

The emerald is the most precious of the large beryl group of stones. It has been deemed precious from ancient times. Cleopatra’s emerald mines are still being worked. A flawless deep green emerald of good size is extremely rare. Such a gem, normally, is table cut. The emerald also may be pierced for use as a bead, or engraved. In Egypt, the usual carving was a scarab—Cleopatra possessed one; in India, the carving often was a god.

The word emerald, before the sixteenth century, was esmeraldus and smaragdus; the Sanskrit word for the gem was marakta. As recently as the last century, Ralph Waldo Emerson summed up the chief sensuous impressions of the Orient: “Color, taste, and smell: smaragdus, sugar, and musk.”

There are few colors at once as striking and as restful as the green of an emerald. It seems to have the depths of the pure rays in a calm ocean. Coleridge in The Ancient Mariner used it for another form of the ever-changing waters:

Tennyson used it for the widespread carpet of the land.

In a lighter vein, it has been used to suggest the color of unripe fruit, as in Eugene Field’s verses on the peach:

The green of the emerald makes it, in many minds, the most beautiful of colored gems.

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Pearl

The pearl is the only one of the five gems that is the product of life. It gives body to the eternal paradox that out of evil springs good; out of deformity, beauty. For these reasons, the pearl is most frequently, of all gems, woven into symbols of man’s activity. “Honesty dwells like a miser, sir, in a poor house,” said Shakespeare, “as your pearl in a foul oyster.”

A pearl, as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, is a nacreous concretion formed within the shell of various bivalve molluscs around some foreign substance (i.e., a grain of sand), composed of filmy layers of carbonate of lime interstratified with animal membrane.

Trying to isolate the intruding irritant, the oyster secretes a sticky fluid. The fluid hardens, another layer of it is secreted, and the pearl grows. The genuine pearl oyster is the meleagrina margaritifera. Margaritifera means pearl-bearing from which comes the name Margaret meaning pearl. Other molluscs may also form pearls, though not usually the varieties served in the months with an “R”.

Freshwater pearls come from mussels, of the kind called unionidae. Unionem is the Latin word for pearl—also for onion, which like the pearl is made up of layer upon layer. Mary Queen of Scots had a necklace of fifty-two graduated pearls, all of them fetched out of Scottish rivers.

Pearls are prized because of the beautiful lustre that glows upon them, pink or even bluish-grey, an iridescence over the basic white. Rarest are the large black pearls, which make a beautiful center drop on a brooch or a necklace. The pearl is hard and smooth in texture, beautiful to see and pleasant to feel.

The usual shapes in which a pearl grows are round, button, pear, and baroque (which in this use merely means irregular). The round pearls are used mainly for necklaces, which must[65] be threaded in silk or plastic or other such material; any metal may darken and dull the beauty of a pearl. Button pearls are used in earclips, studs, brooches and rings. Pear-shaped pearls are attractive as pendants. The use of baroque pearls depends upon their shape and size.

Pearls are assorted and matched with great care, according to their size, shape, and color. The matching of a string of pearls may be a quest of twenty years. Sometimes a jeweler will hold the pearls until he has a matched necklace, graduated or of equal size; but it is also a challenge to a woman who enjoys jewels to buy a few pearls she can wear in various ways while watching for enough of their peers to form a string.

The lustrous inside of the oyster shell, formed of the same material as the gem, is called mother of pearl. A blister pearl is a flattish excrescence that, instead of being inside the soft oyster, adheres to the shell; it may be detached and used. Seed pearls are very tiny pearls, weighing less than a quarter of a grain.

For ages one of the most highly prized and priced of gems, the pearl has become less costly not because of changing taste or of successful simulation, but because man has learned the secret of the stimulation of the oyster to make it create a pearl. The best natural pearls come from the Persian gulf and the waters of Australia; but it is the Japanese who have most fully developed the technique of inserting a foreign body in the oyster, so that it then carries on, under its own living power, the process of making a real—but what is called a cultured—pearl. Man proposes and the oyster disposes.

From the “gates of pearl” through which Saint Peter allows the elect to enter Heaven, to the guardians—“of Orient pearl a double row”—of the smiling mouth, the pearl has been caught into proverb and poem. At the beginning of this century, the pearl figured in a popular song:

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For some reason, all of Shakespeare’s references to the pearl are linked with sadness. The song in The Tempest tells:

And it is after Othello has killed his faithful wife Desdemona and has discovered that his clouding suspicions were untrue, that he calls himself:

As far back as the Bible a thing of supreme quality was referred to as a pearl of great price; and the same book (Matthew) issues the famous warning: “Neither cast ye your pearls before swine.”

In other ways the pearl has been used as a symbol. The poet Swinburne, in sentimental mood, exclaimed:

The rarity of the stone, and the difficult task of the pearl-diver, are used symbolically in an epigram by Dryden:

The American poet, William Russell Lowell (father of the Supreme Court Justice of the same name), wrote in his copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam:

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Other Stones

The other stones, though less esteemed in lore and letters, have many claims to beauty. One shining specimen may adorn a jewel; or several of a kind, or combinations of various stones, may create effects that rival those of the gems. The four native stones among the five gems are usually translucent, while most of the other stones are opaque. A transparent or translucent stone, if it is cut as a prism or if its crystalline structure is right, may break light into rainbow hues, and, catching these rays, may shoot them around in varying interplays of sparkle and color. The opaque stones, on the other hand, often smooth of surface, are colored in ways that seem to snare the light and send it out with added power and color. Special characteristics add to the beauty of many of these stones, the main varieties of which we shall now glance at, in alphabetical order.

Agate

The agate is a variety of chalcedony. It is named from the river Achates, in Sicily. A hard stone, of striped or cloudy coloring, it is often yellow or tawny brown. Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet uses the agate in a ring to indicate the size of Queen Mab, who—before Freud brought us other fancies—was the bringer of dreams:

In her coach, Queen Mab gallops by night

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Alexandrite

The stone alexandrite was given its name from Alexander II (1818-1881), Czar of all the Russias, in whose realm it was found. It is a variety of chrysoberyl, containing chromium. It has the interesting quality of being dark green in daylight, but under artificial illumination glowing a brilliant red. These were the national colors of Russia, the green standing for felicity, the red for humanity.

Amethyst

The amethyst is a variety of quartz—often called the queen of quartz—purple or violet in color. It is one of the earliest stones found in jewelry and has been used in every period. It is especially attractive in combination with gold and pearls.

People as early as the Greeks have used the amethyst as a talisman against intoxication. In 1502, Camilli Leonardi observed that the amethyst protected the mild drinker and cautioned its wearer against excess; but when its warnings were unheeded, the stone grew wan and died. There is no question, as I can testify from my direct observation, that continuing drunkenness of its wearer will cause an amethyst (like a person) to grow dull.

A motion picture star, well known all over the world—her life recorded in a major film—some time ago was in quest of an unusual necklace. At the time, I was in Hollywood as jewelry consultant to a motion picture company. As I happened to be staying at the same hotel as this actress, we often went to the studio together, and we became rather friendly. When she mentioned to me that she had been looking for a necklace that was distinctive and personalized, I told her that her complexion and hair coloring made it desirable—in my mind, almost[69] mandatory—for her to have the jewel made of deep purple Uruguayan amethysts combined with diamonds. That night I made a sketch of such a jewel, and sent it to her the next morning. She was enchanted. So was the Hollywood jeweler who was entrusted with the making of the necklace from my design, for it was a great success, the talk of the season in the movie colony.

What the jeweler did not tell me—what perhaps he did not know, as neither did I—was that this glamorous star, with an angelic face and a skin the poet Byron might despair of describing, used to hide away once a month or more and drink herself into complete intoxication. We did not know, but the amethysts did. Within a year the deep velvety purple had faded; the stones were pale, and they had lost their lustre. The warning of the amethysts had gone unheeded.

Aquamarine

The aquamarine is a pale, transparent, bluish-green variety of beryl. Being of much the same chemical composition as the emerald, it is sometimes called blue emerald. Although it is not a rare stone, when step cut the aquamarine has a pleasant glow, and may be combined with diamonds to make a distinctive jewel.

Beryl

Beryl is, chemically, a silicate of aluminum and glucinum, Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆. It usually forms in hexagonal crystals. When there is also in the stone some oxide of chromium, it becomes a bright or a deep green: this is the emerald.

The word beryl covers a large number of hard and lustrous[70] stones. At first it was applied to clear crystals; thus in the fifteenth century we find references to “water clear as beryl.” A pale bluish-green variety of beryl is the aquamarine. A yellow variety is the chrysoberyl (chrysos is the Greek word for gold).

Carnelian

The carnelian was originally the cornelian. Because of its flesh color, the name was changed under the influence of the Latin word for flesh, carnem. Carnelian is a red variety of chalcedony.

Cat’s-eye

There are two varieties of the cat’s-eye, equally effective against evil spirits. The stone may be either olive green, or reddish brown. The most attractive shades are bamboo and moss green. The distinguishing feature of the stone is that it seems to have a horizontal slit that sends back a white band of light, moving with the stone, and resembling the gleam in the baleful eye of a cat. Other appropriately sinister colorings are sometimes called tiger’s-eye and hawk’s-eye. The Oriental cat’s-eye is a mineral of the chrysoberyl group; the Occidental, somewhat less glinting, is a variety of quartz.

The cat’s-eye, of course, is in wide repute for the power it confers of seeing in the dark. Thus it is an excellent stone for hunters. But it proves similarly effective in mental darkness, providing the power for seeing through the schemes of connivers. Wearing a cat’s-eye may thus save one from becoming a cat’s-paw. I met a detective recently who was wearing a superb hawk’s-eye ring; he told me he had just received notice of his promotion, “with distinction,” to the rank of captain.

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Chalcedony

Chalcedony is the name of a large group of stones, variously colored, consisting mainly of non-crystal quartz. It has the lustre of wax. Chalcedony has been known from early times and is mentioned in the Bible. Among the stones belonging to this group are agate, carnelian, chrysoprase, jasper, onyx, and sard.

Chrysoberyl

The various stones beginning with chrys (Greek for gold) should in the main be yellow. Chrysoberyl is a yellowish, sometimes slightly greenish, mineral, beryllium aluminate, chemically Be Al₂O₄. It has been used for adornment since ancient times.

Chrysolite

This is a rather common yellow silicate of magnesium and iron, of granular structure. When, as sometimes occurs, it is greenish in tint, it is called olivine by mineralogists, but when used for adornment jewelers call it peridot.

Chrysolite is mentioned as one of the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem prophesied in Revelations. Shakespeare has Othello, wrought with agony over his beloved Desdemona whom he believes unfaithful, exclaim:

There is indeed beauty in an entire and perfect chrysolite.

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Chrysoprase

Gold touched with leek (prason is the Greek word for leek) marks the color of the chrysoprase. It is a light green quartz, a variety of chalcedony. As chrysoprasus, it is listed in the King James Bible as the tenth foundation stone of the New Jerusalem.

Citrine

Named from the citrus family, citrine is a lemon-yellow variety of quartz. When clear, it may be used as becomingly as topaz.

Coral

Coral is a fairly hard substance, mainly calcium carbonate, made up of the skeletons of myriads of marine animals called polyps. These skeletons, attached to one another, through the centuries have formed shelves in the ocean, or shaped themselves as atolls and far-extending reefs. Coral may be in many colors, white, black, yellow, blue, and—most popular in jewelry—shades of pink and red. The reddish shades, the Greeks inform us, are dyed by the blood of the Gorgon Medusa, whose snake-haired head, lopped off by Perseus, dripped its gore into the sea as he laid it by to wash his hands. Scientists inform us the red is produced by the presence of iron oxide.

The ancient Romans placed coral on cradles, to protect the babe against the ills of infancy, especially teething. Even today, Italian peasants use it as a charm against sterility, or in the form of a little bell the wind might make tinkle to drive off evil spirits. If one has ever knocked wood, one might place on the babe a ring or a trinket of coral.

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References to the beloved one’s coral lips were so frequent in Renaissance poetry that Shakespeare in revulsion wrote his Sonnet 130:

A century later another playwright, William Congreve, also used the image in a passage of scorn, after describing the physical allure of a great beauty:

How true love grows through a lifetime by tiny, unnoticed moments is beautifully pictured—to give an instance of a happier use of a coral image—by the nineteenth-century poet Coventry Patmore:

Garnet

The garnet is a hard glass-like silicate mineral. It is found in many colors: green, yellow, orange, pink and black. When it is a deep, translucent red, it can be used to form a beautiful jewel. Its name is a corruption of granate, seeded, as also in the pomegranate, the seed-apple.

The garnet is sometimes cut faceted. The deep red, cabochon cut is sometimes called a carbuncle, which means glowing coal. In trade terms, the pyrope garnet is a deep blood red;[74] the almandine garnet a violet red. The Adelaide, Cape and Colorado “rubies” all are garnets.

Hyacinth

The color of the flower and the stone have given note to the name hyacinth. In ancient times, the word was probably used to designate what we call the sapphire. Today it is applied to any of the reddish or purplish varieties of the garnet, topaz, or zircon.

Jacinth

Jacinth is really another form of the word hyacinth. It is used, now, especially to denote a reddish orange variety of zircon. The jacinth was a favorite jewel of ancient times, its mention ranging from the Bible to the Thousand and One Nights.

Jade

Two silicates of lime and magnesium are called jade. One, the true jade, is a complex silicate also called jadeite. It is a tough substance, usually green or white, and somewhat translucent. The other, less valuable form, called nephrite, occurs in other colors.

Found in Burma and India, also in Mexico and Central America, jade did not enter early into western literature; English mentions of jade usually refer to the horse.

The word jade is from the Spanish piedra de yjada, stone of the side. It is named from the belief that the stone counteracted[75] pains in the sides and kidneys. And the word nephrite is from Greek nephros, kidney. Chinese women, indeed, clutched a piece of jade tightly in their hands during childbirth. They had a double purpose in this: the stone, being an effective charm, lessened their labor pains; and, being a symbol of aristocracy, it ensured the male infant high rank and the female a successful marriage. Mandarins, though not for the same reasons, sometimes “spiked” their rice wine with powdered jade.

A piece of the deep green stone called imperial jade is one of the most beautiful stones to look upon, and one of the most pleasant to touch. It combines superbly with diamonds to create handsome jewels.

Jasper

Jasper was a stone treasured in antiquity. Although Biblical references indicate a greenish stone, the jasper we know today is usually reddish, yellow, or brown, in mottled colors. It is an opaque variety of quartz.

The jasper was sometimes used as a symbol of perfection. Thus the Scot poet William Dunbar, about 1525, hailed the growing capital of England:

One might suspect Dunbar of bringing in the jasper to chime with the jocundity, were it not more likely that he brought in the jocundity to chime with the jasper!

Jet

This stone, which gives its name to its color, a shiny dark black, might be called kissing kin to the diamond. It is a kind[76] of lignite, one of the forms of pure carbon, differing from coal and diamond only in the arrangement of the molecules. It is an intense black in color but very soft.

The name jet is from the Greek gagates, which indicates that it comes from Gagas, a town and a river of Lycia in Asia Minor. Jet, however, was known also to the ancient Celts, who carved it.

Although its color has made it popular mainly for religious and especially (in the western world) for mourning motifs, jet has a bright glow upon its black that can be effective in earclips and other jewel forms.

Kunzite

Named for the American gem expert George F. Kunz (1856—1932), kunzite is a stone of attractive lilac crystals. It is a transparent variety of spodumene which is a crystalline mineral, lithium aluminum silicate, chemically Li Al (Si O₃)₂. Spodumene is usually yellow or light green; in its more delicate shadings, used for ornament, it is now called kunzite.

Lapis Lazuli

Known from earliest times, and in high repute as an ornamental stone, lapis lazuli is a mixture of various minerals. It is azure blue and opaque, usually with tiny golden flecks. The name means the azure stone.

Some old-time customs and cures, persisting in spite of superior smiles and “scientific” derision, have been found to incorporate materials which modern medicine has in its time welcomed into the pharmacopoeia, the checkbook of current remedies. In ancient times, lapis lazuli was used as a “charm”[77] against bleeding of the nose, against inflammation of the eyes, against any kind of hemorrhage. The Egyptians prescribed lapis lazuli 4,000 years before chemists noted the astringent qualities of copper oxide—which is what gives the golden flecks to lapis lazuli.

Malachite

Malachite is a basic copper carbonate, chemically CuCO₃Cu(OH)₂. It can be highly polished and takes its name from the green color of the leaves of the mallow plant, the marsh variety of which gives its name to a popular candy. The stone is used for small boxes and other decorative pieces; well polished, it makes an attractive ring.

Moonstone

Moonstone is a milky-white translucent variety of feldspar, with a pearly lustre.

Feldspar (also felspar, meaning spar of the field) is any of a group of crystalline minerals, made up mainly of aluminum silicates. They are glassy and moderately hard, and are found among igneous rocks. Spar is the name of various shiny materials that break off easily, in chips or flakes. Few of these varieties are used in ornaments, but the even milk-white tone of a good moonstone makes it effective in jewels.

Onyx

Named, because of its pale color, from the Greek word for nail, onyx is a variety of agate. It consists of alternate layers[78] of different colored stone, as can be seen around the edge; this makes it prized for carving, especially in cameos.

Opal

The opal was represented in such variety in early times that the word upala was the general Sanskrit term for a precious stone. The opal comprises a large group of vitreous, translucent silicas, possessing the property of refracting light and then reflecting it in a play of colors. Silica is a dioxide of silicon, chemically Si O₂, a hard glassy mineral that includes quartz and sand as well as opal. According as the compound includes iron, magnesium or other elements, the color of the stone varies.

The best opals are the result of a flaw in their formation. Being hydrated silicas, they were at first a sort of semi-liquid, jellified substance; as this hardened, cracks and fissures were created by unevenness in the material and in the speed of the hardening. These tiny spaces trapped air or moisture, and it is this that produces the phenomenon of refraction and reflection of light and gives the colorings and variations known as opalescence. The play of light is at its best when the stone is cut cabochon, except for the fire opal, which is faceted.

There are three chief varieties of opal. The common or white opal has a cloudy-white background, with pastel patches that often give it a veritable sunrise glow. The black opal has actually a very dark green background, in which there are deep pools of blue and green with patches of flame. Rare, and most magnificent, is the fire opal, which seems almost transparent, its body of smooth reddish orange shooting forth into flame.

The opal is a delicate stone. It may be damaged by heat. It absorbs grease, and may thus become dull. The outstanding[79] and valued feature of the stone is its opalescence. This creates a constantly changing, almost kaleidoscopic play of lights. It is this variability that gives point to the reference in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: “Now the melancholy god protect thee, and the tailor make thy garment of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal.”

Peridot

The peridot, a yellowish-green variety of chrysolite, was popular in early England. It fell from favor but was reintroduced from France in the seventeenth century. It is a beautiful stone, often as large as 30 carats, and again growing in favor.

Quartz

Quartz is one of the silicas, chemically Si O₂, as is the opal. It is abundant as a colorless, transparent substance; it also appears as a brilliant crystal. The name quartz is from the German zwerg, meaning dwarf. Similarly cobalt and nickel are from German words for sprites, the gnomes being little creatures that work the mine of the gods.

In its crystalline form quartz includes amethyst, cairngorm, citrine, quartz cat’s-eye, rock crystal, and rose quartz. Another main group in the quartz family is chalcedony, which includes agate, bloodstone, carnelian, jasper, moss agate, onyx, sard, and sardonyx. These stones are used for beads for carving cameos and intaglios.

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Sard

Sard is a very hard, deep orange-red variety of chalcedony. Its name rises from the fact that it originally came from Sardis in Asia Minor.

Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a variety of onyx in which the alternating layers are of white chalcedony and sard. It can be cut into beautiful cameos.

The sardonyx is not to be confused with the sardonics, known for their scornful smile. The latter have no connection with the powers of the stone; they derive their name from the plant of Sardinia, the island off Italy. The plant, we are told, was poisonous, and made its victims sneer while dying. More scientific botanical tales aver that the plant was bitter, so that its taste at once produced contortions of the mouth. In either event, the bitter, superior smile of the sardonic comes from another part of the world than the peaceful sardonyx stone of Sardis, Asia Minor.

Spinel

Spinel is so called, little spine, from the shape of its crystals. It is a hard mineral, composed mainly of oxide of aluminum, with iron or magnesium. The proportions of the metals determine the color, which ranges from rose pink through green, blue, and purple, to black. The red variety, rare and costly, is sometimes called a spinel ruby. It is also known as a balas ruby, from Arabian balakhsh, from the Persian province of Balakhshan, where spinels from pink to orange have long been found.

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Topaz

The topaz ranges widely in color, according as other substances are present in the complex aluminum silicate that is its basis, chemically Al₂Si O₄F₂. It is transparent, crystalline, and may be white, pale blue, or pale green; but the yellow shade (produced by the presence of fluorine) is preferred for use in a jewel. It often develops its crystals in large clusters; the National Museum in Washington has one weighing 153 pounds.

Brazilian topaz is genuine topaz. Oriental topaz, however, is a yellowish crystalline corundum; Occidental topaz, a yellow quartz, citrine. Topazolite is a yellow variety of garnet.

The topaz is mentioned in the Bible as the ninth foundation stone of the New Jerusalem. It has not entered greatly into literature, being an undramatic stone, and is not usually at its best when combined with others; but it can be so fashioned as to display a serene and quiet beauty.

Tourmaline

The tourmaline is any of a variety of complex silicoborates, formed into a brittle mineral, crystalline stone. It was originally found in Ceylon, first being brought to the West in the eighteenth century. The surface of the stone has a vitreous lustre. A black, opaque variety is called schorl; a blue variety, indicolite; a red, rubellite. The tourmaline is most attractive, and most frequently chosen for jewels, in a colorless transparent or translucent variety, and in deep green.

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Turquoise

The turquoise was originally found in Persia, where it is still a favorite and lucky stone. It was also found along the Sinai Peninsula; but it was transported to the West by way of Turkey, whence its name, the Turkish stone. It is also found in the western United States and, in its rare crystalline form, in Virginia.

The turquoise is a hydrous phosphate of aluminum, with a little copper or iron determining its color, from sky blue to greenish grey. It is best when a rich green-blue. The stone is rather soft and is cut cabochon. Like the opal, it absorbs grease and dirt and may grow dull. Over-exposure to strong light will cause it to fade.

There may often be several hues in the one turquoise; it is another stone that can be wrought into parures of quiet beauty.

Zircon

Zircon is really a silicate of zirconium, an element discovered by Martin Klaproth. Zircon is chemically Zr Si O₄, a mineral occurring in tetragonal crystals. Though it is found in many colors—yellow, brown, red, pastels of green and blue—the colorless and transparent varieties are in demand for jewels. The brown zircon, heated, turns first blue, then colorless. Without the diamond hardness and full sparkle, the colorless zircon more nearly approaches the radiance of the diamond than any other stone.

The word zircon is from the Arabic zarqun, meaning cinnabar, from Persian zar, meaning gold, and this indicates the ancients’ favorite colors of the stone. It is also called the jargon or jargoon. A red zircon is also known as a hyacinth.

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The Seasons

Precious stones have from earliest times been associated with special powers. Not only were they guardians against demons, but each by its particular virtue warded off certain diseases or other misfortunes. In their astrological aspects, they could help to arrange, if not wholly to secure, a happy future. From this connection with things to come, the gems came to be linked with various times: each season, each month, even each day of the week, had its special stone.

The season of spring, with the first flowering of the reborn year, is considered especially appropriate for the amethyst, the green diamond, the chrysoberyl, the spinel, the pink topaz, the olivine, and the emerald. The bright sun of summer, that bells the fruit and spreads the foliage, is best for zircon, garnet, ruby, and fire opal. Spinel, chrysoberyl, and pink topaz still hold their charm. As the languors of summer tang toward the crispness of autumn, it grows time for sapphire, hyacinth, oriental chrysolite, tourmaline, jacinth, and topaz. Then with the challenge of winter come turquoise, white sapphire, rock crystal, quartz, moonstone, pearl, and the gleaming diamond. Of course, the brilliant solitaire, the diamond of the engagement ring, is an appropriate stone in any season.

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The Days of the Week

The days of the week are more intricately bound in gemmed symbol. If you know the day on which you were born, you can garner all the good fortune that comes with the proper stone. Each day of the week, along with the stone, bears other significances and powers.

Sunday

The golden-yellow day of King Sol, the sun, is marked with the yellow jacinth. If one wears this, we are told, one has the power of a lion on that day—especially when Leo, the lion in the heavens, takes the summer season with the sun.

But also this is a token of secrecy in the man—it ensures discretion, always advisable, often essential, in a lover—while in the woman it betokens generosity, always desired but not always appreciated by a lover.

Monday

The serene day of the moon is the day for pearls. Pearls should be bestowed on a Monday. The color white is bound with them and with the day, for the snow-white blanket of peacefulness. A man might wear a pearl in a tie clasp, bar, or in a tie pin, which is coming back into favor. The pearl is a token, in a man, of friendship, of integrity, of a religious feeling; and in a woman of contemplation, purity, affability.

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Tuesday

Tuesday is a more active day. Tiw is the Nordic god of war, and his name is used to translate the Latin for Mars’ day. Hence its stone is the blood-red ruby. This is a fitting day to hold in memory those who have died valiantly in battle. But it is likewise a day to be on one’s guard, for while the star ruby marks nobility and power of command in the man, it may also spill over in excess to bloody vengeance. And in the woman, while the ruby of this day adorns a proper pride, it may descend to a pettier obstinacy. At its best, the ruby is resplendent on a Tuesday.

Wednesday

Although Woden was king of the Nordic gods, his name is used to translate the Latin for the day of the fickle and thievish Mercury, who was placated on this day. The emerald is its precious stone. The color green may mark jealousy when it flickers in a woman’s eyes, but in a gem it is a token of change. In a man it betokens joyousness, quick-soaring but transitory. In the woman, with the Wednesday emerald comes a spontaneous, childlike delight in passing things, a love of variety. This is a good day to hold in memory those who have died in the flower of youth.

Thursday

Thor’s day, said the Anglo-Saxons. Again they transmuted the powers, for Thor is the god of war, while to the Romans this is the day of Jupiter, king of the gods. It is a violet day, the day of the violet sapphire. This is a precious stone indeed,[86] and a potent day. In the man it marks sober judgment, gravity, industry. In the woman the Thursday sapphire denotes high thoughts, and a love that lifts beyond the body with the spirit. Fortunate are they between whom a violet sapphire passes on a Thursday.

Friday

Here the Anglo-Saxons made no mistake, for Friya is their god of love, and Friday is Venus’ day. Friday still feels the force of the sapphire, but the sapphire must be blue. In the man, the blue sapphire marks magnanimous thoughts and wisdom.

In the woman, the blue sapphire of Friday, especially the star sapphire, marks courtesy and keen powers of observation. The girl Friday sees more than she tells. But there is need for caution; without the stone, these feminine powers may shift to a colder watchfulness, accompanied by jealousy and suspicion. Beware a flaw in the precious stone, the precious one. Friday is an auspicious day for love, if love is bedecked with a blue sapphire.

Saturday

Saturday is the seventh day, the day of rest. Thus the Anglo-Saxons did not labor to translate it from the Latin; it is the day of Saturn, the Roman god of time and growth. Saturn was the father and first king of the gods; his stone is the king of gems, the diamond. Saturday crowns the days of the week, as the diamond crowns the family of the gems. In a man the diamond marks gravity, fortitude, constancy. In a maiden, it may betoken a certain giddiness, a flighty[87] fancy that has not yet found its destination; but in a woman it marks perseverance and constancy. The woman of the Saturday diamond knows what she wants, and works unfaltering to attain it.

The Months

Thus, from the jacinth and the pearl to the sapphire and the diamond, runs the gemmed story of the days. More fixed in popular imagination are the special stones of the months, for these have become the birthstones that mark the natal days. In early times there was considerable variety; today there is general agreement as to these stones. They may have come, as many believe, from the twelve stones in the breastplate of the Jewish high priest. Or they may be transferred from the twelve foundation stones proclaimed in Revelations for the New Jerusalem. The ages have fixed them as memorials of birth, and one should have at least one lucky jewel adorned with one’s birthstone.

TABLE OF BIRTHSTONES

Month	Birthstone
January	Garnet
February	Amethyst
March	Aquamarine
April	Diamond
May	Emerald
June	Pearl
July	Ruby
August	Sardonyx or Peridot
September	Sapphire
October	Opal
November	Topaz
December	Turquoise

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Each of the birthstones is caught into more than one jingle. Its powers have been trusted so long that folklore has wrapped them in song, and truth hangs upon them like the beard of a patriarch. And the stones themselves endow the wearer with the special grace of the natal day.

January: Garnet

The January stone, at its best, is a deep red, or a red shading to violet. With its burgundy sparkle, it has a dark brilliance found in no other gem.

The color of the garnet drew it naturally to association with blood. It has been considered a sovereign remedy against all kinds of inflammation and bleeding and disorders of the blood. Since the face flushes with anger, the garnet was held as a charm against anger; it was felt to have a calming influence and to be potent against mental disorders. Psychoanalysts take long years to accomplish what one may gain just by the wearing of a garnet.

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February: Amethyst

The February stone has a wider range of color, and may be chosen in any shade from light lilac to a deep royal purple. It is a symbol of beauty and of power. It has been traditionally associated with the Princes of the Church, and down the ages has been the chosen royal gem.

Out of the ancient Hebrew comes the thought that the amethyst has the power to prevent nightmares and unpleasant dreams.

With its buried meanings of beauty and power, of power-claiming beauty, the amethyst was one of the earliest stones to be cut in the shape of a heart.

Here is a story of the best known and most heralded of the powers of the amethyst, its potency as a guard against intoxication, against the evil effects of overindulgence.

The god of revelry and wine, Bacchus, we are told, fell in love with a nymph, who sought to avoid his tipsy embrace. (One needs not the gods to picture such a pickle!) This nymph, however, prayed to Diana, goddess vowed to chastity. Diana changed her to an amethyst, with power to withstand the effects of drink. The frustrated Bacchus gave the stone the color of wine. Hence the amethyst was known to the Greeks as “the sobering gem.” It should surely be the token stone of Alcoholics Anonymous, for its very name, a-methyst, comes from the Greek, meaning “against strong drink.”

February, we are told, is the cruellest month; its chill seems to call for the warm coursing of an invigorating drink. It is most fortunate that the stone for this month of biting cold is the amethyst.

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March: Aquamarine

March is the month when spring rains begin. It is also the month when of old, after the winter’s frost, men ventured forth again. In the Mediterranean to the south, and from the fjords and headlands of the north, our ancestors pushed their boats out from the shore, in quest of food and far adventure. Thus the gem of March is the aquamarine, whose name means “water of the sea.” And the stone is truly cousin to the waters. At its best it is clear as mid-ocean, and of a brilliant greenish blue. It has been said that whoever wears an aquamarine can do no dirty deed, will all his life be clean of body and spirit. For this reason, the aquamarine is a favorite gift to a newborn baby.

Sea voyagers today, as the Vikings long ago, for protection from the dangers of the deep may wear an aquamarine.

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April: Diamond

With the magic of spring, in myriad raindrops lit by the sudden sun, in the glint of young leaves and the brightness of early flowers, April shares the sparkle of the diamond. For springtime and for its precious stone, superlatives are the order of the season. The diamond has the greatest brilliance and most power of reflection of all gems. Its clearness and its cleanness are unsurpassed. It is colorless, yet it can show the entire spectrum of colors.

The god of mines, we are told, created the diamond by pulverizing all other precious stones—ruby, sapphire, emerald, and the gathered host—blending and pressing them into one supreme stone, a crystal that, itself without color, imprisons and releases all the fused colors in its core.

More sentimentally, legend records that in one of his unguarded tender moments, Jupiter, king of the gods, asked the young man who had rocked him in his cradle to name his own reward. The young man asked that he might endure unchanged forever. Jupiter turned him into a diamond.

Increasingly through the centuries has the diamond been valued. Popes have proclaimed its virtues. Musical comedies have sung its praises. Only the flawless diamond, the Hindus pointed out, has the power to heal. Pope Clement VII stated that the greatest curative potency dwelt in the powdered diamond. In the eighteenth century, the French maintained—to the smiling acquiescence of the feminine kind—that the diamond possesses talismanic virtue only when given as a gift; a purchased diamond held no luck for the purchaser.

This symbolism blent with the meaning of the ring to make[92] the diamond the first formal gift to the loved woman upon betrothal. As the seal of an engagement, a solitaire is more effective than the old “writ” or quill-penned bond; it symbolizes at once a bond and an indestructible union of power and beauty.

There is in this gem, though it is not always the most costly of precious stones, the strongest appeal to a woman, and she is fortunate indeed whose claim to the diamond is a birthright.

A diamond in a jewel adorning another beauty sets unrest in a woman’s heart, until she too is asparkle. The diamond is a sign of love; it confers loveliness, or at least it imposes pride. It is the ambition of every woman—and it should be the fortune of everyone Aprilborn—to possess a flawless diamond.

May: Emerald

May is the month when meadows and woods put on their richest garb of green. May is the month of the emerald. The ancients said that the gem was the captured glow of the firefly.

Deep green and translucent, this stone at its best is very rare. It was prized before and beyond all other stones and, for large flawless gems, outvies the diamond. Among church[93] stones it ranks very high; Andreas, Bishop of Caesarea, wrote of the emerald: “Its transparency and beauty may not change; we conceive the stone to signify John the Evangel.”

The potency of the emerald has been extolled in various fields. It was especially prized as a panacea for poisons. In this field, it was an admirable alexipharmic; it protected against poison from fangèd bite, and from the gangrene of wounds. It warded off the dangers of poison artfully secreted in food; also, of poison from eating the wrong food, as toadstools for mushrooms, spoiled food, or just too much food. And it preserved one from that most pestilent of all poisons, the poisoning of the mind.

Still more widespread was the use of the emerald as a talisman and a cure-all for the eye. The calming influence of its dark green hue has been recognized from early times to the modern eye shade. The Roman Emperor Nero, who suffered from an eye ailment, used to hold a specially ground emerald before his eye to relieve the strain, and to enjoy the relaxation that came with its gentle soothing. In the early Renaissance the watchmakers and the goldsmiths, their eyes bleary from long strain at their fine operations, would pause in their work and gaze upon an emerald. The emerald is the only stone that delights the eye without ever bringing fatigue.

Less worthy use was made of the emerald by those ambitious in love. In the Orient, the emerald was the token of love and was often used to adorn the statues of the god or the goddess of love. But later it became associated (as were the gods themselves) with the more passionate aspects of love. Then the emerald was employed—often, of course, as a bribe to the pandar or a gift to the girl, but also as a talisman—by those who sought success in their amours.

It is in its more peaceful aspects, of the green and eye-enchanting colors of May, that one cherishes the emerald.

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June: Pearl

What symbol of glistening life could be more significant than the lustrous pearl? It is one of the gems that delights in more than the beholding, for the feel of the soft fine smoothness of the gem is like the petal of a pansy.

While the pearl does not have the brilliance and fire of a well-cut precious stone, it has a soft glow unique among gems, and an amazing variety of glints and shadings around its basic hue, from the purest white to the darkest black. Most desired of its dark shades is the “mordoré,” a greenish coppery iridescence over black. This, however, is so rare that not more than four necklaces of such pearls are known. More frequent among the valued shades are the cream and the light pink pearl.

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A pearl is in its very being a symbol, the triumphant growth of beauty from disease. It marks the victory over drawbacks and handicaps, the building of one’s treasure out of one’s disadvantages.

From its gentle color and its smooth shape, the pearl came to be the symbol of modesty and purity. It was endowed with many powers. It brought succor in times of distress. It cemented friendships, out of first likings fashioning firm ties. It strengthened a weak heart and a weak memory. It gave maids courage to resist, and men stoutheartedness to overcome, evil.

Especially in the Orient, where it was first widely known, there have been many uses of the pearl. It was combined in jewels, used alone in many-stranded chains, woven into garments, woven in or hung upon tapestries that decked the walls of palaces. It was embroidered not only on women’s garments, but on priestly and ceremonial robes. There can hardly be a treasure in which the precious stones are not accompanied by pearls.

The soft lustre of the pearl, and its natural shape, inevitably linked it with the teardrop. Indeed, what are pearls but the crystalline tears of the angels, weeping over man’s indiscretions? The Romantics suggested that the pearl may sometimes bring tears. The materialists retorted that the tears were of vexation, shed by those that could not afford the pearls. But every morning of a clear June day, the teardrops are on every blade of grass, the glistening dew that is the brief land-pearl.

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July: Ruby

With July, the heat of the sun begins to burn into bright flame the colors of approaching autumn. The range of red is in the ruby, from pale pink to that deep shade known as pigeon-blood. Rarest of all stones, the flawless ruby was endowed with the mightiest powers. The ancients, feeling its hidden forces, called it “the stone of life.”

The wearer of the ruby had naught but courage in his heart; he knew no fear. Well might this be, for in his mind the ruby rendered him invincible. The Russian Czar, Peter the Great, who scorned jewelry, always carried loose rubies in his pocket; he held one clenched in his fist when he gave orders for the exploits that justify his name.

Among the healing virtues ascribed to the ruby is power over ailments of the skin. Held between the palms of the hands, it is supposed to put an instant stop to internal hemorrhage. Worn against the skin a necklace of rubies, strung on silk, similarly made the skin impenetrable to sharpest blade or deadliest venom. In these days of the venomous pen and the deadly fall-out, it is interesting to note that the ruby necklace has again become popular.

To dream of rubies, one may read in the Arabic dream-books (which have many more years of authority than Freud), is to be destined to great felicity. Good news, good fortune, good health, all lie ahead.

Of those who possess a fine ruby, Sir John Mandeville says: “The fortunate owner of a brilliant ruby will live in peace and concord with all men; neither his land nor his rank can be taken from him.”

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One cloud only darkens the ruby’s glow. The ruby itself at times is said to cloud; and when the gem grows dull, misfortune is on the wing. The early gemologist, Wolfgang Gabelchower, a seventeenth-century German, compiled a list of misfortunes that befell individuals after their rubies had developed a cloud. He capped his tales with the confirmation of his own sadness: he noticed that his ruby ring was clouded; the next day, of a sudden, his wife died.

Against this evidence I can only set my own observation and experience, and the traditions of a family for four generations involved in the creation of jewels: I know of no instance in which the possession of a ruby was the cause of a misfortune. Quite the contrary: a fine star ruby is a fortune in itself. And fortunate is she who knows the natal glow of a ruby.

August: Sardonyx or Peridot

The reddish brown of the August stone accords with the drying earth, and the leaves that herald the approaching turn of autumn. The sardonyx was the fifth stone in the breastplate of the High Priest of the Hebrews; among Catholics it is given honor as the stone of Saint James.

Physically, the sardonyx was used as a charm against[98] warts, boils, and cramps. Spiritually, it was worn to turn away the evil eye and to prevent the transfer to the wearer of wicked impulses and thoughts. No witch could insinuate evil fancies into the mind guarded by this stone. And the most sardonic remark passed harmlessly by one who wore the sardonyx. On the contrary, wearing the stone made one witty, popular, and happy.

August more generously than the other months permits an alternate birthstone. This is the peridot, an olive green stone so radiant that it sends back flashes even in very dim light. It has therefore been linked with the sun, whose bright rays it ensnares to hold against future darkness.

The peridot was a frequent stone in Egyptian jewels. From that time, it has been used to protect the wearer from the dangers that lurk in darkness, though in the fifteenth century it was maintained that the peridot was effective only if set in purest gold; this combination made it a perfect night talisman.

The stone was a favorite for earrings, as its power over light was transferred to sound, to make even the lightest sound quite audible. It also helped lighten the burden of neuralgic pains.

For warding off evil spirits, however, it was worn only beaded and strung.

Worn by a man, the peridot ensured his generosity, according to countless wives who have bestowed peridot rings upon their husbands.

One of the most beautiful of all peridots is high-set in the Cathedral of Cologne. Mysteriously it shines forth in the darkness of the dome, giving a lasting memory and quiet reflections to all who have seen it.

Those born in August may be happy with sardonyx or peridot.

September: Sapphire

In autumn the eyes turn upward from the bounteous earth, past the reds and yellows and browns of the restless foliage, to the endless dome of the skies. September is the month of the sapphire, which, like the heavens, ranges from a light celestial blue to the deepest velvet-like dark of indigo. It may have the lucid blue and cool brilliance of a mountain lake. Its color seems to well from endless depths, with a rich luminescence.

One of the rarest gems, the fine star sapphire, was held in repute among Egyptian astrologers, who called it the stone of the stars. Wearing a sapphire spun the stars into a favorable conjunction. In more than one section of the world of glamour today, movie “stars” carry on this tradition; sapphire jewelry, especially with a star sapphire, is their most potent talisman. In “the profession” a sapphire is an antidote for stage-fright. It builds confidence, brings success, and at the same time deflects the shafts of envy.

The sapphire has also held place in religious functioning. The Bishop of Rennes, in the twelfth century, hailed this stone as the most appropriate for ecclesiastical use: “The sapphire is like the pure sky, and mighty nature has endowed it with so great a power that it might be called the gem of gems.”

Physically, the sapphire was thought to effect various cures.[100] The scientist von Helmhont praised its power for patients afflicted with boils. Some thought the sapphire, for ills of the eye, even better than the emerald. Thus Charles V of France had a sapphire set in gold, to which he had a handle attached, like a lorgnette, to hold to his inflamed and painful eyes. Queen Elizabeth I of England attributed more general magical powers to a sapphire that she wore and with which she never parted until her death. With it, she foiled countless plots against her life and in England’s most turbulent times lived out her full allotment of three score years and ten.

For the September-born, there is the exultation of the rustle of fall and the sweep of white clouds across a sapphire heaven.

October: Opal

October, with its sharp contrasts, is the month of the opal. This gem may be white, or black, or of that rare and precious kind, the fire opal. In its dark greyish background are imbedded the most luminous colors of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple, that seem to shoot forth rays. The opal does not[101] refract light, being an opaque stone; but its own colors make fine interplay with light.

The Roman historian Pliny called the opal “the captive rainbow.” The wearer of the stone, the same authority assures us, not only will be urbane and courteous but will be free from the spleen of those around. An opal, like a soft answer, turneth away wrath.

For a while, especially in the early nineteenth century, the opal was considered a stone of bad luck; it fell from favor like one dismissed by royalty. Two stories, one from life and one in legend, helped produce this aberration; human credulity completed the work.

The true-life story is that of Alphonso XII of Spain. He gave a ring, bearing a magnificent opal, to his bride. Shortly after, she succumbed to a mysterious malady. His sister, who next wore the ring, died a few days later. His sister-in-law next put the precious opal on her finger; within the month she died. Hoping to end the series of sudden deaths, Alphonso took back the ring and gave it to no one. Alphonso died. The chain was broken when his heirs placed the ring upon a statue of the Virgin.

The legend is a gruesome one recited by Sir Walter Scott in his poem Anne of Geierstein. With mystic shadowings and eerie intimations, it unfolds the story of the wearer of an opal, who shuns pious references and avoids all contact with holy water. One night a watchful person delivers an aspersion of the holy water, and the next day, where the opal-wearer had slept, there rested only a pile of ashes.

Only the unthinking, however, and the wood-knockers shrink from the beautiful opal because of such old wives’ tales. The stouthearted Empress Victoria of England, for example, was extremely fond of opals, and bestowed upon many of her friends jewels in which opals were set. There are no records of sudden deaths at her court. In 1925, at the British[102] Empire Exhibition at Wembley, Queen Mary, passing a booth tended by a miner’s wife, bought a black opal. It is a stone worthy of queenly favor.

Far from being a sinister omen, the opal is a stone of good fortune. It is especially sought, indeed, by fortunetellers. Some of them gaze upon it to induce that trance-like state in which the future spreads before one like a great mirage; better than a crystal ball are the incessant interplay of colors and the endless iridescence of the stone. An opal on a ring increasingly gives the wearer a view of the future. Unlike the man who considered augurs boring, I confess to a keen interest in what makes them tick, or click. Usually their powers are linked to a special stone, which, like as not, is an opal. The famous European telepath, Eric Jan Hanussen, for example, believed implicitly in the prognostic power of the stone. “Anyone could do what I do,” he once said to me, “if he had my opal.”

Certainly the opal is auspicious for the October-born.

November: Topaz

When nights are growing long and tempers short, when one seeks the consolations of philosophy (or memories of Florida)[103] to store against the cold, November is the month of the topaz. This beautiful stone is at its best when honey-blond.

The topaz was a holy stone, signifying Saint Matthew. Two of the popes, Clement VI and Gregory II, possessed a topaz of great beauty, to which were attributed great healing powers. This stone gave the faithful a further impetus to make the pilgrimage to Rome from the far corners of the world so that their health might return to them with the blessing and the touch of this hallowed stone.

Even on less sacrosanct hands, the topaz was esteemed for its many therapeutic virtues. From earliest times, in accordance with the principles of sympathetic magic, the yellow color of the stone made it ideal for the cure of those afflicted with jaundice and other ailments of the liver. As the November stone, it was used in the Middle Ages to cure the contagions that begin to spread with the onset of cold weather. Its soothing color added it to the stones that were esteemed good for the eyes; the topaz was moistened with wine and laid upon aching eyelids. It also, many felt, cured diseases of the mind and helped the distraught to regain their mental balance.

The birthday wearer of the topaz is likely to be an upright soul, with good judgment fortified by wisdom. Faith and a deep spirit of charity are within its bestowal, gifts important in November’s shortening days and chilly blasts. It is clear that one of the most gracious of all stones is the topaz.

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December: Turquoise

December, the last month of the dying year, chill with the shivering threat of its dying, needs a great virtue to preserve it till it is overtaken by the touch of January and the promise of the new year. This great virtue the ancients found in the turquoise.

Among the ancient peoples of many lands, it was the common practice to bury turquoises with the bodies of their monarchs and their chiefs, to tide them over the pitchy paths of transfer and bear them safely to the new world and the new life beyond the tomb. In the pyramids of Egypt, in the Aztec tombs, in the mounds of Mexico, jewels and beads of turquoise abound.

At the beginning of life in this world, too, the turquoise is welcomed; there is still no better good-luck gift to a newborn child than a necklace of turquoise beads. It is significant that December is the birth month of the Holy Child, for whose nativity the gifts no doubt included turquoise.

Since the turquoise is comparatively soft among stones, it can be readily engraved; magic inscriptions, charms, and prayers have been cut upon it, to add their power to its auspicious glow. The turquoise is thus a protective stone. December being a precipitous month, when snow and ice are prelude to a fall, with hillsides hazardous and even a level walk a place where one is prone to slip, the turquoise is an excellent talisman against falling. In fact, the saddles of horses have been set with turquoise, to keep the steed surefooted on journey or in battle. St. George was secure against a fall in his battle with the dragon; paintings and tapestries of the valiant saint show a turquoise in the hilt of his great sword.

Opaque though it is, the turquoise, because of its bright[105] coloring, outshines most other stones. Its protective value may extend even to material things. It was the Hindu Tagore who arose from his pondering of less mundane concerns to report that, to ensure enormous wealth, one should look long at the new moon, then instantly fix one’s eyes on a turquoise.

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For less extravagant desires, the gem will exercise its most beneficent influence if worn upon the index or the little finger. The December-born may find a new birth of good fortune with the turquoise.

Signs of the Stars

There are some who regard the month of their birth with less concern than the star, the constellation, under which they were born. They look into the heavens for the beasts that prowl the sky in the outspread forms of the stars. The ancients, and all astrologers since, have discerned a close connection between us in this world and the “animals” in the sky. For, though a few other forms have slipped in, the circle of stars that mark the year is called the zodiac, from Greek zodion, which means little animal, from zoon, animal. The zodiac is the zoo of the sky, whose beasts “beset us round.”

The Zodiac

The round of the year begins with the springtime. Our starting the calendar with January is a new-fangled notion, as can[114] still be seen in the names of the last three months. The names October, November and December mean, respectively, the eighth, the ninth, and the tenth month. The year used to begin with March, the opening of spring.

Jewels and talismans have long been wrought with the signs of the zodiac. It is better, of course, to wear a ring with only the particular sign under which you were born. But the signs have been divided into cycles, and for each of the three cycles within a sign there is a special stone. Wearing this stone, especially with the sign carved upon it, increases the charm tenfold. In this fashion the special powers of the animal that rules the period, instead of opposing, will enter into and re-enforce the virtues of the wearer. Unfortunately, different astrologers have suggested different stones; but one who has never failed me believes in the list that I present, for its own values, each under its cycle and sign.

Aries, the Ram

The signs of the year begin with the ruttish male of springtime, the season of fertility.

March 22 through March 30.	Bloodstone.
March 31 through April 9.	Amethyst.
April 10 through April 20.	Green jasper.

Taurus, the Bull

More deliberately, but with tremendous power, the year surges on.

April 21 through April 30.	Lapis lazuli.
May 1 through May 9.	Moonstone.
May 10 through May 21.	Carnelian.

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Gemini, the Twins

Castor and Pollux take the sky, twin sons of Leda and Jupiter as the swan.

May 22 through May 31.	Topaz.
June 1 through June 9.	Emerald.
June 10 through June 21.	Beryl.

Cancer, the Crab

And now the year moves backward toward the dark.

June 22 through July 1.	Opal.
July 2 through July 11.	Agate.
July 12 through July 23.	Crystal.

Leo, the Lion

Patience lashes its tail before the harvest.

July 24 through August 2.	Ruby.
August 3 through August 13.	Sapphire.
August 14 through August 23.	Diamond.

Virgo, the Virgin

As this sign approaches, poets gather their powers. Shakespeare and his rollicking fellows sat in the Mermaid Tavern,

The slow ripening draws toward the ever wondrous birth.

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August 24 through September 2.	Chrysolite.
September 3 through September 12.	Beryl.
September 13 through September 23.	Marcasite.

Libra, the Scales

Balance the harvest of the moving year.

September 24 through October 3.	Coral.
October 4 through October 13.	Opal.
October 14 through October 23.	Pearl.

Scorpio, the Scorpion

Armor of the spirit blunts the sting in the tail of the season.

October 24 through November 2.	Topaz.
November 3 through November 13.	Moonstone.
November 14 through November 22.	Lapis lazuli.

Sagittarius, the Archer

Aim well through the dark night, for the dawn shall turn.

November 23 through December 2.	Turquoise.
December 3 through December 12.	Amethyst.
December 13 through December 22.	Diamond.

Capricorn, the Goat

Leap up, heart, with glad resounding as light is born anew!

December 23 through January 1.	Onyx.
January 2 through January 11.	Garnet.
January 12 through January 20.	Chrysolite.

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Aquarius, the Water Carrier

Out of me come all things that live beneath the rainbow.

January 21 through January 30.	Green jasper.
January 31 through February 9.	Emerald.
February 10 through February 19.	Crystal.

Pisces, the Fishes

Abundance of untold treasure glints from the depths of the seven seas.

February 20 through February 28-29.	Pearl.
March 1 through March 9.	Pearl.
March 10 through March 21.	Pearl.

As the zodiac sets a ring around the heavens, so the zodiacal ring around one’s finger sets the sign of heaven in one’s fate. If one does not have a special jewel wrought with one’s astrological sign, it may find fit place as a charm on a bangle bracelet.

Cassius, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, may exclaim:

but every man is born under a lucky star, and borne along with the virtues of the stars’ configurations, if only he can make it shine upon his fortune. It should be remembered (as Milton records in Paradise Lost) that God smiled upon the angels when they came to calculate the stars. If the astrologer has cast one’s nativity, one then may have it fashioned in a jewel.

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The Art
of Feminine Adornment

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From head to foot milady is concerned with jewels. Her crowning glory, her hair, is today, however, left largely to display its own lustrous beauty in coiffures carefully designed for the individual taste and figure. Hat ornaments of elaborate jewels have long ceased to be popular. By the beginning of this century even the essential hatpin had been reduced to utilitarian simplicity, a round piece of jet or colored stone atop a long rod of steel which, with its sharp point, not only held the hat in place but made a handy weapon of defense.

How much can be worn in the hair depends upon its styling. The chignon, or other knot behind, permits the use of comb or ornamental pin. The most elaborate of the combs, looking best on a tall woman with dark hair, is the Spanish comb, consisting of a few teeth below a large crest of shell often encrusted with stones. Less favored, but attractive with more exotic types, is the Japanese pin, a long rod of carved ivory or of black lacquered wood decorated in colors and usually worn in a pair.

Few women, outside of the nobility on state occasions, wear the metal bands set or peaked with gems, called indiscriminately diadems or tiaras. Such a band of precious metals and stones, worn by a prince or noble of high rank, is the coronet. The monarch himself, as an emblem of sovereignty, wears a more elaborate circlet or head covering, the royal crown.

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Royal Crowns of Britain

Most famous of the royal crowns are those of the British Empire, three for the monarch, two for his queen. First of the three is the reputed crown of Edward the Confessor, which was destroyed by the Commonwealth. It was reproduced by Charles II and, with its inner Cap of Maintenance, has been worn at all the English Coronations since 1661. It is of “massie golde” and weighs four pounds. Since neither this, nor the Imperial Crown of State, may leave the British Isles, a special Imperial Crown of India, the third royal crown, was made for the investiture of George V at Delhi in 1911.

By far the most magnificent of the three royal crowns is the Imperial Crown of State. This may officially be made anew for each new monarch, but the crown that showed the glory of Queen Victoria in 1839 has with few modifications been used by all her successors. This great crown is adorned with historic treasures of the centuries. The great pearl earrings of Elizabeth I are nested here; the sapphire from Edward the Confessor’s Coronation Ring; the Stuart Sapphire, an oval an inch and a half by an inch; the Black Prince’s ruby, large as a hen’s egg. Although the Star of Africa, the world’s largest cut diamond, a pear-shaped brilliant of about 530 carats, crowns the head of the royal sceptre, two other brilliants cut from the same rough diamond adorn the Imperial Crown. One, the cushion-shaped diamond in the band, below the Black Prince’s ruby, weighs 309³⁄₁₆ carats; the other, of 96 carats, is to the side of the band. Literally thousands of other precious stones, including smaller diamonds of various cuts and sizes, make the British Imperial Crown of State, at one time signifying dominion over the most widespread of all empires, the most imposing of all crowns.

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Everywoman’s Queen

Far from the Imperial Crowns though she may be, every woman is the monarch of her own beauty. When she sits before a mirror, a woman sees both the material of beauty and the artist who must work with that material. And the first thing an artist must learn is the potentialities of the material.

An honest appraisal of what looks forth from the glass is the beginning of its improvement. Nature has given few women features without flaw; and there is little of personal charm in the prize “perfection” of professional beauty in the face of the beauty-contest “queen.” Even the most beautiful of women can have that beauty enhanced. Cosmetics are no more than a base upon which jewelry spreads its charm. Jewels are the oldest and most proven help to beauty.

And the most lasting. The precious stones that Cleopatra wore for the admiration of three monarchs still hold their pristine fire, and no doubt sparkle on the throat and hand of some fair lady of today. If the cost of a jewel is measured against the duration of its usefulness—even apart from its beauty, its small bulk, and its ready possibility of resale—it is clear that there is no better investment. Nor is there any monotony in a precious stone. It takes new glow in various lights. A little ingenuity will suggest variations in its use. And as fashions change, the permanent values in the stone itself can be displayed in new settings.

A Stone’s Best Setting

The most permanent aspect of the setting of a precious stone is, of course, the wearer herself. When asked for his wisest counsel, the old sage replied: Know thyself. As a later poet put it, “The proper study of mankind is man.” This also[124] holds for woman. A full and frank estimate of the physical features must precede any proper attempt to adorn them.

Consider, for instance, the bone structure. Heavy bones are usually associated with wide shoulders, square cheek bones and strong, pronounced wrists, whereas small bones usually mark a slight build, with slender fingers and small wrists. A woman with wide cheek bones should naturally wear earclips and necklaces that look heavier, to balance her appearance. This proportion should be observed throughout her jewelry wardrobe, with heavier and higher-built rings, bulkier bracelets, larger brooches and clips.

A woman of heavier build emphasizes this fact when she wears a tiny ring and a clip that looks lost on her bosom. On the other hand, a petite person may easily seem overpowered, even dwarfed, by a massive set of jewelry. She will be fittingly adorned with light and airy pieces, with the stones set individually in a dainty style.

Types of Women

The basic choice, then, depends first upon the woman’s own characteristics. Can she call herself the “tailored type”, or “petite”, or “sophisticated”? Within each of these general groupings the next consideration is the contour of the face. This may be round or oval. Yet there are, of course, countless variations within and between these types, and each woman should remember that her characteristics build up into a distinct and unique personality. It is that unique and precious whole which is herself that each woman should explore, so as to know her potentialities and her needs.

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The Major Metals

Before settling down to consider details of individual jewels, there are two more general aspects of jewelry that may be pondered: the metal and the design. Gold, especially of eighteen karat, has come back into favor. It is extremely becoming to many complexions for wear during the day and, provided that it is set with at least a few diamonds, it is appropriate as well for the more formal jewels of the evening. The whiteness of platinum, however, has made it a more favored setting for diamonds. In this connection the new metal palladium must not be overlooked; its shimmery satin finish makes a superb background for precious stones. It is lighter than platinum.

The Basic Designs

The most general division of designs distinguishes the ornamental or abstract, and the floral. A tailored type will be drawn to and embellished by the ornamental design. The petite person will find that a flower motif enhances her essential femininity. The sophisticated person may well employ a combination of the ornamental and the floral, seeking style from the ornament, softness and depth from the flower motif. She can venture further, too, toward extremes of style and color.

Every piece of jewelry should of course be tried on before it is selected. However well it looks in its individual box, in the arranged setting of the jeweler’s window, or on the velvet cushion in the store, the important question is how it looks upon the one who wears it. It should be tested against the background of a dark dress, in the direct rays of daylight and in the soft artificial light under which it will usually be worn.

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The Supreme Importance of the Earclip

Among the various articles of adornment that a woman can acquire, the one that can make the most startling changes in her appearance is the earclip. Properly chosen, earclips can do more to bring out a woman’s best features than any other jewel, and one can play more tricks with a pair of earclips than with one’s make-up.

A few generations back, the ears were beneath consideration; that is, they were beneath the hairdo. Daguerreotypes of our grandmothers show coiffures that completely cover the ears. The “problem of the ear lobe,” that least attractive feature of the face, did not arise. But when the horse-and-buggy days were succeeded by our time of streamlined cars and jet planes, hair styles were also streamlined. The contour of the face is thus more fully revealed, and the function of the earclip is to give that contour distinction and style.

Earrings Through the Ages

In earlier periods when the hair was piled high on the head, or left to flow behind, the earring was also prominent. Indeed,[128] the history of adornment might be summed up in the story of the jeweled appendages attached to the ear.

Men were adorned, in earlier days, fully as much as women. They wore not only finger rings but earrings. At one of the oldest known cities, Ur of the Chaldees, a gold earring has been unearthed from the sarcophagus of a monarch who ruled 4,700 years ago. The burial place of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen, dug up in 1922, contained amber earrings. Ancient Assyrian kings, with their hierarchy of priests and their cohorts of soldiers, are shown on ancient carvings—all with adornments for the ears. When Moses was up in the clouds on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments on tables of stone, Aaron in the valley, preparing to make gods for the people, said unto them: “Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons....”

As the Roman Republic grew effeminate with wealth and luxury, earrings were more popular among men than women; no less a “he-man” than Julius Caesar himself brought back to repute and fashion the use of rings in the ears of men. In Persia of the thirteenth century, the vogue was so popular that the Sassanian kings had engravings of themselves, wearing their earrings, set as signet stones upon their fingers.

Elizabethan England found earrings tossed with the heads of Italianate dandiprats. Shakespeare’s Othello wore them, and to our own day the stage Moor (as well as the cinema pirate) wears a gold loop in at least one ear. But through the next century the English macaronis (fops who are mocked in our “Yankee Doodle” song) continued to flaunt earrings upon the Puritan public. Charles I of England went to his execution in 1649 disdainfully dressed in all his finery, including a ring in his right ear. Perhaps it was the lopping of that royal head that helped to end the fashion for men.

Women, however, have continued to wear earrings to enhance[129] their beauty. At times, when other jewels were growing oversized, the earrings also grew enormous. In Sumer, over four thousand years ago, Queen Shubad wore great golden half-moons. Women in ancient Phoenicia vied with one another in the size of their earrings. Old Etruscan ear ornaments bore little boxes for perfume or for charms. In the fourth century B.C. the Greek hetaerae wore cupids on their ears. Queen Victoria, twenty-three centuries later, saw the vogue of gold-rimmed cameos close against the ears, from which hung larger cameos. But whether it be the stalwart Bahri matron in Central Africa who slips through her ear lobe half a hundred separate loops of elephant hair, or the proud Zulu maiden who has stretched her lobes until an ivory tube half an inch in diameter is pushed through, or the dainty city lass with a pearl clipped close upon each ear—the earring is an almost universal jewel, worn as an adjunct to human beauty.

The Significance of the Ears

Perhaps the prevalence of the earrings indicates that something is wrong with the ear. It is an essential organ, well placed and well shaped for its function, but aesthetically a bit obtrusive. For note that the ears, while they frame the face, are amenable to none of the usual resources of cosmetics. The hair, in addition to being neatly styled, can be variously tinted. Proper application of powder and color can seem to alter the shape or the length of the nose. The cheeks can not only be colored but by deft use of powder and rouge can be given a different outline. The eyes can be accented with color; they can be made more naive or more beguiling. The lips can be made to seem smaller, more sweetly innocent, more bold. But when all the make-up skills have been applied, the ears remain unaltered.

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And yet the look of the ears may make or mar the whole appearance. The choice of earclips, it should be clear, must depend not upon the attractiveness of the jewel but upon the effect it has in ameliorating the facial features. Earclips can play up a small, dainty nose, or minimize a large one. Earclips can, according as she chooses them, make a woman look younger or older, smarter, more sophisticated, or more simple and sweet—and always prettier.

The Earclip and the Facial Contour

Other jewels may with some degree of safety be purchased from the box. A ring, even a brooch, will not alter much from the way it looks on the velvet of a counter or the satin of a case. But an earclip becomes part of the contour of a face. It must be seen, as others will see it, from various angles, profile and full face. Since no two ears, no two sides of the same face, are exactly alike, both clips should be tried on, and their effect carefully examined. They should be looked at without a hat, so that the whole sweep of the head may be considered. Conversely, when hats are being tried on, one’s favorite earclips should be worn to judge their effect with the contemplated hat. However large or tiny—a band of velvet or a fluff of feathers—the hat and the clips should complement one another.

On some faces, at certain angles, there is a space between the earlobe and the cheek. As this breaks the harmony of line, it should be covered by the clip. In such cases, the earclip should be worn as close as possible to the face. If the cheekbones are large or high, suggesting hollows below, a large earclip, properly placed, will seem to fill out the face. Heavy earclips could be set in palladium, the lightest of the major jewel metals. Sometimes a piquant contour can be created, as[131] when a soft hat is tilted down over one ear, with the earclip worn only in the uncovered ear. The second clip may then be worn on the jacket lapel or on the dress.

The Shape of Your Face

The general pattern of the face is what must be first considered in the selection of an earclip. An oval face usually goes with a longer neck; therefore the eye of the viewer should be tempted to minimize the distance between the ear lobe and the shoulder. Dangling earclips, or clips with pendants, will produce this effect—provided they are not too wide, for width in an earclip makes the face look narrower. And clips that are too long make one look older. But the oval face will appear chic with a pendant clip, with stones of different colors and sizes which, against a round face, would seem vulgar or overdone. If the face tends to be long and thin, it will be rounded by earclips broad at the base, tapering toward and perhaps curving around the upper rim of the ear.

A round face, contrariwise, calls for earclips that can be worn close. This ensures a youthful appearance. Large, semicircular earclips will look well, or those with clusters of tiny flowers, grouped as a bouquet. Tiny stones set on prongs, as in pincushions, or sunbursts, will provide a rich frame to the round face.

If the chin tends to be heavy, the earclips should be accented with color and have an upswept look. Long earclips are permissible, if not thin but rich-looking and full. In this case, however, they should be worn only with full décolleté or strapless gown.

Obviously, small earclips should be avoided on the round face; they will make it seem broader and the features heavier. Similarly, little bowknots will seem childish. Any design[132] that merely follows the lines of the ear lobe will accentuate the roundness, which properly chosen earclips will not emphasize but use to full advantage.

Details of the Face

Other aspects of the features should be considered in the selection of earclips. Moles or other minor blemishes may be counteracted by proper distribution of color accents. Scars from cosmetic and other operations can be cleverly hidden by correctly designed earclips. They may make a hearing aid completely invisible.

A dull or colorless complexion can be brightened with multicolored earclips and necklaces. The colors of the precious stones will reflect and shed their glow upon the skin. Bold colors will lend their drama to the face.

On eyeglasses, all color should be shunned. Rhinestone-studded or multicolored frames call attention to themselves. The purpose of eyeglasses is purely functional; they should be left unobtrusive, not made competitors of the clip.

Whatever one’s complexion, it can be embellished by earclips of appropriate gems. Almost any complexion, however, will be flattered by the soft red glow of the ruby or the sparkle of the diamond. If a woman—because it is her birthstone or for other reasons of taste or sentiment—is partial to a stone that does not suit her complexion, it can be joined with rubies and diamonds so that it will do lovely things for the skin.

The larger the earclip, within the proportions of the head, the smaller seems the nose. But a woman with a large or pronounced nose should avoid upswept and backswept earclips which follow the line of the ear lobe; these will stress the vertical lines of the face and accentuate the very characteristics that should be minimized. Dome-shaped earclips so worn that,[133] profile in the mirror, they point forward at the top, will underplay the prominence of the nose. This simple trick of bringing the earclips forward will bring the countenance into proper harmony.

Versatile Earclips

An effective earclip, adjustable to many contours, is one that rims both the top and the bottom of the ear. One of the jewels with which I won the “Diamond U.S.A. Award” was such a pair of earclips. It consists of two crescent moons of baguette diamonds flanked by pearls. These are held in place by a platinum wire that disappears behind the ear. The crescents are of slightly different sizes. The clip is reversible, so that the larger crescent may be worn at either top or bottom, whichever arrangement gives a more graceful contour, according to the hat, the hairdo and the proportions of the face. Many patterns of such reversible double clips can be devised.

The Hair and the Earclip

Especially to be considered is the harmony of the earclip and the hair. To those who enjoy a short hair styling, the earclip adds softness and helps establish the contour of the face. It is less an adjunct than a completion of the coiffure. Those who prefer a chignon will find that flower earclips tend to soften the severity of the style.

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The Brunette

Medium brown or brunette hair suggests earclips of pearls and diamonds worn close to the face. The creamy lustre of the pearl and the sparkling brilliance of the diamond form a delectable contrast to the brunette coloring. Turquoises and rubies, as well as corals, are also becoming, close to the face as color accents to the skin. For the less formal occasion, topazes—which run the gamut of color from the golden yellow of honey to the reddish brown of Madeira wine—may work magic for the dark-eyed girl. If not exaggerated, a gypsy style earclip may add an exotic touch to the brunette. This must, however, be kept within proper size, and carefully examined from profile to guard against an extreme effect.

If one’s complexion is light, aquamarines will be attractive set in platinum or gold. To be avoided are dark sapphires with their colorings of deepest blue, amethysts of the velvety purple hue and garnets with their deep red cast and undertones of brown. If there are compelling reasons for wearing clips that contain any of these gems, they should, by all means, be set in gold and offset with diamonds. A few diamonds, however small, sprinkled around another gem will add to the general effect of beauty.

The Darkhaired

For the black-haired woman with blue or grey eyes, the most becoming stones are aquamarine in red gold or golden topaz in yellow gold—both of these combined with sapphires. If the eyes are brown, the aquamarines should be set in platinum and worn with rubies.

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The Redhead

Those who have red hair and a fair complexion will find that the most becoming colors for the ears are the translucent green of the emerald, the opaque green of the jade, the brilliant blue of the sapphire and the various shades of the amethyst, from lilac to deep purple. Brown and yellow colors, as in the topaz and red gold, are to be shunned. Pearls may be worn, but only if the lustre is pink. Other pearls will appear chalky against a fair complexion and will not complement a rosy coloring. For the background of the colored stones, it is best to choose a light-colored gold or platinum.

The Blonde

For those with fair skin and platinum hair, rubies, amethysts and aquamarines will do wonders. Pearls, alone or in combination with diamonds, will enhance the soft shades of the hair. Diamond earclips, especially set in loops and floral designs, will provide a regal look.

If the hair is blonde, sapphires, aquamarines, topazes, turquoises and rubies will underline its golden hue. With blue, grey or hazel eyes, deep sapphires are particularly effective. With darker eyes, mixed rubies and sapphires accord, or topaz set in yellow gold. Pearls should be cream-colored to do their best for a blonde. In the designs and settings, the plain metallic look of gold and silver should be avoided; little of any metal should be seen and colored stones should be dispersed throughout the earclip.

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As the Hair Turns Grey

The transition to grey hair is most pleasantly accompanied along the line of the ears, by using the same earclips with the addition of diamonds. With full grey hair, diamonds alone are superb, though if the complexion is light some color will still prove charming. Best would be amethyst with turquoise set in platinum, or Madeira topaz with sapphires set in gold.

Important Considerations in Selecting Earclips

Women who are slender and petite should select earclips with an airy appearance. An earclip can be large, yet still be light and airy. Such a clip may be designed of pierced metal, lacy and delicate, or of twisted gold, platinum or palladium. Long diamond earclips are appropriate only for formal occasions and for evening wear.

It must be stressed that earclips should be tried on before they are finally selected. Some women, admiring a pair of clips on a friend, mistakenly assume that what is beautiful on one person will likewise be an adornment for another. Not only each countenance but each pair of ears is different. Large lobes may be covered by attaching the clips at a different angle. Shaking the head when trying them on will indicate the necessity for adjustment if the clips tend to slide to a different position.

Because no two ear lobes are exactly the same, both clips must be tried on. What is too tight on one ear may be too loose on the other. If the difference is great, the jeweler can make a tiny mark by which the clips may be distinguished.

Careful testing, apart from the question of fit, is particularly important when the earclips are ready-made. The designer in such a case had no single individual in mind, but a[137] simple adjustment may turn a routine clip into one that establishes itself as a personal adjunct to beauty.

An earclip may sometimes, by an invisible attachment on the back, be converted into a hair ornament or a clip to be worn on the dress. Earclips with pendants can be so fashioned that the pendants may be changed or the hanging part removed for less formal occasions. For any occasion, from a business engagement to the most formal function, earclips are an essential and most effective part of a woman’s jewels.

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The Symbolism of the Necklace

The necklace is the most conspicuous of adornments. The earclip is more subtle, because it performs a double function: it is to be noticed for its own beauty; at the same time, quietly and without advertising this aspect of its role, it helps to shape the contour of the head and to bring out a radiant glow in the countenance. In the necklace, the importance of these functions is reversed. The jewel worn around the neck can play a part in moulding the personality and enhancing its highlights—it must always be chosen with these things in mind, but its major purpose is display.

Because of its prominence, the necklace from early times has been a symbol of high office. It was worn by kings and was reserved for those to be specially honored, as soldiers returning from victorious campaigns. It is still part of the ceremonial regalia of priests of various religions.

The universal employment of the necklace as an article of feminine adornment has led to its almost complete withdrawal from the masculine wardrobe. For formal occasions, however, it is still used to designate rank or honorary station, in some variation of the wide band that goes around the neck and comes down to, or is fastened at, the belt. In the United States,[140] for example, the President signalizes the bravest soldiers by placing around their necks the Congressional Medal of Honor.

For most of its uses, the necklace is donned without any sense of this long symbolic history. Yet it may not be too imaginative to find an echo of this significance in the romantic gesture with which a man places a beautiful necklace around the neck of his beloved.

The General Effect

Being the most prominent article of personal adornment, the necklace requires considerate care. Poorly chosen for the particular individual—no matter how attractive the jewel in itself—it may make a woman seem overdressed. Stones of the wrong color may make her skin look sallow. A heedlessly selected style may emphasize wrinkles in the neck. With proper thought, however, the right necklace, well fitted, not only presents its own beauty but adds youth and beauty to the chinline and neck of the wearer.

The saying that a woman is as old as she looks gains further truth from the powers of jewelry to contribute to the color of the skin and the lines of the body. The lines that curve upward from the shoulders to the head have much to do with the general impression of youthfulness, vigor and health, or of drab weariness, fatigue, and age. And it is along these lines that even the most beautiful woman draws on the aid of the necklace and seeks not just the beautiful but the beautifying jewel.

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The Diamond Necklace

The sparkle of the diamond necklace suits any complexion and enhances the glow of any skin. Unfortunately, its use is restricted to special occasions, which alas too seldom shed their brilliance upon one’s crowded year. At opening night of the Horse Show or the Opera, the diamond necklace is worn, as at the season’s Charity Ball or a Gala Concert. It is appropriate, also, at formal receptions and, of course, should always accompany a woman on a trip abroad.

The Rivière

One of the most attractive, dressiest and most timeless styles in the diamond necklace is that single strand of diamonds, the straight line necklace, known as the rivière, or river of light. Whether the diamonds are uniform, that is, all of equal size, or graduated around the neck with the largest centered in front, nothing should be allowed to interfere with the incomparable beauty of the gems. No medallions of precious metal should be allowed between. The one concern of the jeweler should be to achieve the flowing sequence of perfect solitaires, in one accordant interplay, a cascading river of brilliance and sparkle.

Care must be taken with the fitting of the rivière so that none of the diamonds will overturn when it is worn. An expert craftsman knows that the first requirement is the pre-shaping of the mountings, before the stones are set, to conform not only to the shape but also to the movements of the neck. A painstaking jeweler may make a plaster cast of the lovely neck and shoulders which are to receive the rivière; upon this cast he can form the rounding jewel. Every good jeweler possesses some of the skills of the sculptor.

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The round diamond solitaire rivière is, beyond all compare, the most brilliant and regal of necklaces. The fireworks of light, constantly flashing from gem to gem, echoing and re-echoing their sparkle, give to the skin a soft and velvety glow.

The Baguette Necklace

Another beautiful diamond necklace, almost as attractive as the round solitaires, is one made of baguette diamonds. It is both more sedate in mood and more modern in style. The baguette necklace, moreover, while it is beautiful in its sole array of diamonds, may also be worn with further adornment—a diamond motif or clip or tassel, of which more will be said in connection with other necklaces.

The rivière necklace, round or baguette, is often made so that it can be separated to form two bracelets. It is thus a flexible jewel and can be used on the arm when the informality of the occasion would make the all-diamond necklace less appropriate.

The Pearl Necklace

Although the diamond necklace, especially the unsurpassed rivière, is worn only on the most special occasions, there is hardly ever an occasion on which a properly chosen pearl necklace is out of place. The pearl necklace is the most beloved as well as the most versatile of all such jewels. The simplest tailored suit will be graced by a tailored choker, or by one or two strands of well-matched pearls. The pearl necklace can be worn on a sweater, a high-neck dress, a V-neck dress, a low-cut gown. I have seen one, though I do not recommend[143] it, worn with a bikini; and one, doubled about the ankle, taking the place of the thin “slave chain” of gold.

The pearl necklace looks proper on a simple lass in her teens, and it graces the frail or fuller charms of an elderly lady. While it is thus general in its range of use, it is by no means indiscriminate in its bounty; the shade and the size of pearls must be carefully selected in order for their harmony to enhance the wearer.

The Colors of the Pearl

There are innumerable shades of pearls from which to choose. They vary from chalk white through rose pink to dark cream. Some of them are greyish or brownish; these may be becoming if suited to the complexion. The general whiteness we first associate with the pearl is overlaid with these other tones in softest lustre.

The simplest way of selecting the tint of pearl that will add its glow to the complexion is to lay the strand against the inside of the wrist. Each strand should be moved slowly back and forth and compared with the skin tones. Usually one lustre of the pearls, one particular tint, will bring out a velvety glow on the skin. This is the proper complementary shade for the complexion. In making such a choice, it is well to take counsel from the trained observation of a reliable jeweler.

For the Brunette

For a brunette, or someone with well-tanned skin, care must be taken lest the pearls be too white. This will cause a dulling of the glow of the skin. The wrist test described above[144] will reveal that, for the brunette, cream-colored pearls are the best.

For the Blonde and the Redhead

Either a blonde or a redhead, with a fair complexion, will find the virtues of her skin enhanced by pearls of a pinkish hue. Especially on a blonde, pearls can be most attractive.

For platinum hair, however, more than the complexion must be considered. In such cases, the wrist test is not enough. The pearls should be laid against the hair, as though to form a head-band. Usually platinum hair will accord with pearls of a greyish-white tint.

Properly chosen pearls will withstand the variations in skin shades due to the seasons. The fairer skin of winter, the summer’s burn or tan, do not affect the underlying pigmentation which harmonizes with the lustre of the pearl.

A woman gives time and thought to the selection of a harmonious shade of lipstick or nail polish; she should take more pains with the selection of the more permanent and more important necklace of pearls.

For a Long Neck

A woman with a long neck will find that its length seems diminished if the necklace is of the choker type, fitted very closely into the nape of the neck. It should be of uniform size all around, not tapering down towards the back. If the neck is thin, it may be made to seem quite attractive in a chiffon scarf with the necklace over it.

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For a Wide Neck

A tapering necklace, loosely worn, with a prominent center pearl, will tend to pull together the lines of a neck that is wide. A double strand necklace, hanging with some space between the strands to make it airier, will also counteract the sense of width. For a slimming effect, a tight necklace should be avoided.

Large beads will make a neck look smaller but must not be worn if the neck is both full and short With a short neck, a long string of pearls or beads may be draped loosely over a dress with a low neckline, without collar or scarf. If the strands are properly arranged, close together or loose as the neck demands, more than one strand may be worn no matter how the neck is fashioned.

Size of Pearls

The size of the pearl is also to be considered. On a long neck, it is wiser to have the pearls all of one size. On a wider neck, they will be more attractive if they are graduated, smaller ones at the back and around the sides, then growing toward a large central pearl at the front.

Note that with a young girl large pearls are not in good taste. A string of smaller, well chosen and well matched pearls is impeccable and charming.

The Proper Stringing of Pearls

Once a fine strand of pearls has been selected, it should be strung so as to gain full advantage from its own lustre. The glow of pearls is enhanced by their reflection; the closer[146] they are to one another, the more beautiful they all look. Knots, sometimes fashioned between pearls to strengthen their stringing, should never be made in the front of the necklace. But if this is done, for reasons of safety, the pearl stringer must take care to make the knots extremely small and very close with no gaps showing between the pearls. The rhythm of the well-matched pearl necklace with the highlights moving from one pearl to the next should not be disturbed by improper stringing. When a string breaks, it is virtually always near the clasp; knots, therefore, should be made for the five pearls on each side of the clasp. This is usually enough for safety and does not interfere with the beauty of the jewel.

The Necklace Clasp

Whatever the necklace, it must have a clasp. For a single strand, the clasp should be small and worn in the back. A large clasp is apt to turn or become entangled in the hair.

With a pearl necklace, a clasp of a colored stone, such as a ruby or an emerald, will make an effective complement, highlighting the pearls; but for any necklace a diamond clasp offers perfect harmony. A frequently available diamond to use for such a clasp may be found nestling next to the little finger of the left hand—the diamond of the engagement ring, “grown too small along the years.” Such a stone has lost none of its sentimental value. Its sparkle and the memory of courtship nights may be preserved in a necklace clasp.

Designs for Clasps

A larger necklace of double or triple strands naturally calls for a more elaborate clasp. Such a clasp should not be merely[147] a functional piece to hold the necklace together; it should be chosen for its own beauty and harmony. Often such a clasp, with the holding mechanism hidden, is worn in the front.

An effective design, in excellent taste with most jewels, may be fashioned in a flower motif with a black pearl in the centre. A smart-looking clasp, consisting of round diamonds and baguettes, can be made to separate into as many smaller clasps as the necklace has strands. One may thus wear a single necklace of, say, three strands, or three separate necklaces at the same time or on different occasions. Different lengths and combinations of necklaces can be arranged, in this way, to suit the mood or various degrees of décolleté. Clipped together, the whole clasp forms a beautiful ornament at the back of the necklace.

For Formal Wear

With a strapless evening gown, where the line of the back should be uninterrupted, another pattern of necklace and clasp lends distinction to the ensemble. This is an arrangement of three to five strands in the front, with only two or, at most, three smaller strands, close together in the back. There are two motifs, one on each side, separating the back strands from the ones in front; one of these motifs conceals the clasp. The two motifs, which may be of diamonds or of gold, should be visible only from the front, so as to preserve the graceful lines of the back décolleté; they can be highly decorative while remaining less formal or less pretentious than a necklace of diamonds.

When wearing such a many-stranded necklace, long earclips, at other times suitable to an evening gown, should be eschewed; the combination will seem overdone. The two clasps and the strands of pearls will be sufficiently eloquent, if worn together with regular, not pendant, earrings.

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The Sentimental Clasp

A clasp may often be fashioned of an heirloom. There may be a brooch or a ring which has been passed along in a family for generations or been linked with personal and sentimental episodes and memories. Or there may be a piece of jewelry which a woman does not wish to abandon—yet which has fallen out of style. What may look old-fashioned on the dress front may preserve all its beauty as a clasp. Indeed, an old piece of jewelry, without altering the setting, may in this way be incorporated into a necklace. The very beautiful early Victorian or baroque flower brooches, for example, and rings and ornamental pins of those styles, may readily be converted into clasps for a two- or three-strand necklace. A brooch may become a centerpiece to be worn in the front, or it can give an unusual but becoming effect worn at the side. Carefully fitted to sit at the proper place at one side of the neck, such a clasp adds distinction to the contour.

Fitting the Pearl Necklace

A properly chosen pearl or bead necklace can do much to counterbalance features of the neck. Few women realize this and therefore do not pay sufficient attention to their choice. They spend less time on this than on the selection of a hat. Yet I have seen cases where as little as one-eighth of an inch difference in length made all the difference in the world in beauty.

For a long neck, the necklace should be short and rest on or a little above the nape of the neck. For a shorter and wider neck, the necklace should come a little below the nape to create an oval rather than a round impression. A heavy neck can be deftly dressed in three or four strands. The first strand[149] should nestle slightly below the nape of the neck with just a little space left between the rows—too much will give the effect of a dowager. Properly spaced, such a necklace will create a slender and youthful appearance. A motif on each side, by breaking the even line, will further create an effect of a longer and more slender neck.

The Bead Necklace

For thousands of years the lapidaries of India have painstakingly, by hand, cut, polished and pierced rubies to fashion them into beads for necklaces. The often uneven shape is preserved so that the slight irregularity of the beads both stresses their preciousness and adds to their charm. Ruby beads are usually strung on silk or on platinum wire, as are beads of emeralds and sapphires. The beautiful glow of these precious stones is soft and flattering, no less so when interspersed with motifs of brilliant diamonds and baguettes. Such an array of rubies or deep sapphires, directly touching the radiant skin, is a breathtaking sight.

Fashions From India

The Indian Maharanees, visiting the leading fashion centers of the world less than a century ago, came with large assortments of these precious gems. The many-stranded necklace, first seen in the gorgeous costuming of the Eastern lands, created a new fashion in the western world. Today every elegant occasion is sure to be graced with some of these necklaces of rare and exquisite beauty.

I once had the pleasure of designing for Her Highness Indira Dewi, the Maharanee of Cooch-Behar, a parure of ruby[150] beads: earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring of enormous stones, all combined with diamonds. My first visit with Her Highness held me amazed. She opened a great cowhide coffer which contained an unforgettable assortment of pouches made of the finest gold brocade; they held a veritable dream of riches. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds poured forth—thousands of carats in each pouch. I watched, as though in a vision of Aladdin’s cave, while this glimpse of the Orient was spread before me.

It was much as the Elizabethan poet Christopher Marlowe pictured in his dream of the Orient splendor:

Other Necklace Jewels

Necklaces are, of course, wrought with many other stones. There are soft and Battering shades of aquamarine, turquoise, amethyst, lapis lazuli, the frequent coral and the aristocratic jade—to name but a few—that look superb on a proud neck. Earclips and rings may usually be worn to match. Such[151] parures and semiprecious stones make ideal sets for daytime wear, especially, since they combine delightfully with cotton and with chintz, for a young, fresh, summertime effect.

Coral may be used in almost any range of red, from deep ox-blood to the most delicate hue of pink. The white corals, especially chalk-white, are unbecoming to most shades of skin and are not recommended save for that summer shade regretfully called “new sunburn.” Whatever the stones, the color of the necklace should be chosen with regard to the more usual complexion so that the brightness of the jewels adds an accordant glow to the skin.

The Necklace of Gold

Today the gold necklace is worn in endless variety. It may be narrow or wide; simple or elaborate; classical, antique or modern.

A tailored gold necklace can be worn throughout the day. It is likely to have rather heavy links, and the brightness of the gold will shed lovely highlights on the skin. Or it may be fashioned of twisted wire, sometimes in multicolored gold, thereby creating a three-dimensional effect in the design. Here again the jewel shows how akin the goldsmith is to the sculptor.

The dressier types of necklace are worn quite wide. They are daintily made, woven to deserve the name “neck-lace.” Being fashioned of fine metal into open work, they are flexible and follow the movements of the neck. Such a gold necklace can be touched with diamonds or colored stones, so as to create a lively interplay of highlights which brighten the soft glow of the skin. The metal should be chosen so as to capture not the brazen but the softer qualities of the gold.

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Appendages: The Tassel

A charming variation from the plain band around the neck is achieved by the addition of a tassel. The knot of this may be a tight band of gold, plain or centered with a diamond. The hanging cords may be links or chains or tiny medallions of gold; they may be many strands of pearls; or they may be baguette and round diamonds in a tumbling cascade. There is something especially feminine, and pleasantly gay, in a tassel. Its constant motion keeps it ever freshly beautiful.

The tassel may be worn, for a change, gaily swinging from the jacket as a lapel pin, but it is at its best on the necklace. There it will usually hang from the center; but it should be made detachable so that, with certain dresses, it may be put on the necklace at the side to give a different, piquant air to the ensemble.

Appendages: The Single Drop

At the height of mid-century necklace fashion is the addition of the single drop. This should not be long, like a pendant, but rather one large extra stone, clipped on close to the collier to add chic and smartness. It may be a pear-shaped diamond, a grey or a black pearl, an emerald, or indeed any stone that harmonizes with the necklace color—though most frequently such a drop is worn on a necklace of diamonds or pearls. The single stone is set with an almost invisible clasp and can be attached to the necklace at any point desired. Resultant effects can be startling. The appearance of the necklace may be completely transformed; a daytime jewel may be transmuted to evening elegance. Various moods can be deftly suggested, or stressed, by the clever placing of the jewel drop.

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Transformations

The construction of a necklace so that it can be transformed, as I suggested before in connection with the rivière, marks an increasing aspect of jewelry design. The diamond necklace, appropriate only to the off-shoulder evening gown and adorning only the most formal occasions, spends more time in the treasure chest or vault than any other jewel. Its usefulness is increased many-fold when it is so created that it comes apart to form bracelets and clips and other jewels more frequently worn.

The devising of detachable parts and convertible jewels is no new-fangled practice. It began in France before the French Revolution, first gaining popularity with a social élite that initiated many fashions. Many eighteenth and nineteenth century necklaces also served as tiaras. Jewels in our museums today testify to the great skill and ingenuity with which the earlier artists cunningly contrived and concealed the mechanical devices that made possible these transformations.

My Own Conversions

One of my own most exacting assignments was to create such a necklace for a beautiful Viennese ballerina. It was specified that the necklace should separate to form a bracelet and five clips of various sizes. Two of these were to form an assorted pair of dress clips; two were to be matched for the ears; one was to be larger, to serve as a brooch but with an attachment so that it might also become a hair ornament. The completed necklace, which was really a unified parure, was put on exhibition, bringing me my first Gold Medal für Schönheit und Kunst at the Künstlerhaus.

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Another of my necklaces, displayed in color in Vogue Magazine, is separable into two bracelets, of different size and design, and a large dip that can be used on a dress or as the centerpiece in other jewels.

Other convertibles suggest themselves, once the imagination begins to play. It must be remembered that the problem is complex, because it is not simply a question of what other jewels a main piece can be broken into. The major concern is how well all the transformations fit the personality of the individual who is to wear them.

I have designed a diamond-encircled ring, the main piece of which is a diamond rose. The center stone of this rose may be changed, so that a ruby, emerald or pearl can be set in, according to the mood, the occasion and the color of the gown. Also, the entire diamond rose may be detached to become a brooch or a main attachment on a bracelet.

Another of my convertible jewels is a diamond necklace that can be used as a choker or, by the addition of platinum chains, can be lengthened in various sizes. It may also, with the help of the platinum chains, be turned into two bracelets. Still another convertible—of which there can be many motifs—is a fan-rosette clip, made to slide so smoothly onto a diamond necklace that the two become one jewel.

I have found it a challenge to devise necklaces convertible into other unusual jewels; many of these have been exhibited and shown on newsreels throughout the world.

What a Woman Wears, Others See

A mirror is the nearest a woman looking at her jewels can come to the world’s viewpoint. She wears the jewels; others should admire the effect. And they will only if the complexion, the contours and the personality have all been wrought into[155] harmony in the selection of the jewel. The completely garbed and adorned woman is the jewel.

Few women can buy a different necklace for each garment they are likely to wear. A well chosen necklace should be attractive whether worn close to a high-neck dress or above an off-shoulder gown. It should be tried on with both types of dress before being bought.

A good jeweler will not only permit but encourage such a practice. He will lend his counsel out of his wide experience. He will probably be more interested in making a woman happy than in making a sale. (Even from the point of view of his own financial advantage, this is a wise, long-range view. And no woman should go to a jeweler whose interest in her will not be long-range.) In addition to a good jeweler, there should be another male more nearly concerned, whose opinion is valued. But the woman herself has to face the world with her jewels. They are her adjuncts and intimate accessories to beauty. In the final choice she must remember that the necklace, most prominent of her jewels, must capture her own personality and tastefully proclaim her character.

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While the necklace is the most conspicuous jewel in a woman’s parure, and the earclip does more than any other to make subtle alterations in her appearance, the finger ring is beyond compare the most popular of all jewels. There seems little to be said about the purchase of a ring except that one should select a beautiful jewel, and yet there are many ways in which the ring can not only contribute to the overall effect of the personality but actually beautify the hand.

The Giving of a Ring

In the first place, the manifold aspects of its symbolism—to be discussed more fully later—bar this jewel from any casual giving. A brooch, a clip, earclips, or a bracelet: all these might be sent as a gift to any person, without further thought; but a ring is bought for and given to a relative, or someone closer still—or someone to whom one wishes to be close. And the recipient of a ring should be aware of the implications involved in its acceptance. If a ring is proffered as a gift before there is an understanding that admits of such a present, the intended recipient will find a gracious way of declining such an “elaborate” or “too magnificent” or “over-generous” gift.

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Consider the Hand

The right to give a ring includes the pleasure of selecting a gift that will both please and adorn. This demands some consideration of that fine instrument too often taken for granted, the human hand. Most of the time we merely use our hands. Nevertheless, almost unconsciously yet almost inevitably, our glance falls upon a person’s fingers when we meet, for the hands are the surest guide to an individual’s make-up. And I do not mean the “make-up” that is applied. Faces may be altered; neck wrinkles may be disguised; fingernails are dressed up; chins may be lifted; noses may be shaped—the hands remain undisguised.

The ring calls attention to the hand. It invites the gaze, which, while admiring the ring, is also aware of the fingers that are background to the jewel. And the ring should be selected not only to fit the finger but also to suit the hand.

Proportions of the Hand

A hand may be long and slender or long and large. It may be short and stubby or short and thin. It may taper from the palm along almost straight fingers or have the line broken by larger knuckles. There are differences in the proportion between the fingers and the palm. All of these elements of finger size and shape, of hand proportions, should be weighed in selecting a ring. They have an important bearing on the size and shape of the stones, and on the width or thickness of the band. Comparatively few women, however often they may have polished their nails, are really familiar with their hands.

Certain general proportions between rings and hands need little more than mention. A small ring overemphasizes a large hand. On slender fingers or a small hand, a large ring is[159] overpowering. If a fairly large ring is desired by someone with a dainty hand, a dome-shaped ring may be most becoming, or a ring with the stone set high; but it should be worn only on the third finger. Such a ring adds considerable style to an outfit. If the fingers are quite short, however, it will be best to choose an oblong ring. If the fingers are long and thin, the stone should be set so as to run not along the finger but across it; the eye, following the ring, tends to foreshorten the finger length. The ring should fit the personality; the stone may fit the occasion.

The Diamond Ring: The Engagement Ring

The engagement ring is, in all probability, a young woman’s first important ring. There is, for this, hardly any choice other than a diamond. The gem, however, may be variously set. Usually it is a single stone, the solitaire, in a plain band of gold or platinum. The diamond may be brilliant cut; this is conservative but in impeccable taste. It should be set in thin high prongs of the chosen metal, so as to give fullest play to the light from all its facets and to take full advantage of its irradiating brilliance.

Among other cuts that are favored for the engagement diamond are the square, the emerald, and the pear-shaped. For shorter or thicker fingers, a highly effective cut is the marquise. This cut is named in honor of the Marquise de Montespan, an elegant, beautiful and sensible woman who was mistress of Louis XIV. Aware of the somewhat short length of her fingers, she ordered the crown jeweler to have her ring diamonds cut in the form of an oval pointed at both ends. Because it resembles a boat, this cut is sometimes called the navette, but now more often the marquise. Making the fingers seem longer and more slender, it at once became a popular[160] diamond style. When testing the appearance of a stone on the finger, it is well to look at a marquise-cut diamond.

While the solitaire is still the most popular engagement ring, there is a youthful jauntiness in combinations of diamonds which has made the use of several stones a current vogue. Almost any newly betrothed maiden would feel keenly disappointed if the ring did not have as its center stone the large solitaire. But this may be pleasantly flanked by smaller stones of different cut, such as two baguettes lying close along the band.

The Wedding Ring

The obvious symbolism of the wedding ring, as it is often told today, marks the subjection of the woman to the will of the man, her pledge to continue to love, honor and obey. Some supposed thinkers in the field of folklore go farther, and tell us that the ring is placed on the left, the inferior, hand to denote that the woman is “inferior.” These ideas are manifestly advanced by men. Two facts at once put them out of joint. In the first place, the wedding ring for long periods of time was worn on the right hand. In the second place, for equally long periods of time, both bride and groom had a ring put on in mutual bondage.

The basic significance of the ring remains, however, twofold. The first meaning is symbolical. Being endless, the ring betokens the love without end that is the hope of the betrothal and the realization of two lives long spent “as one.” The second meaning was practical. The marriage ring was the man’s signet ring, which was as universally obeyed as his direct order, for the stamp of that seal was as the thunder of his command. By placing this ring on the bride’s finger, he was conferring upon her equal authority in the household[161] and home—literally carrying out what he declared in the wedding service: “With all my worldly goods I thee endow.” It is not subordination but everlasting equality in mutual respect and love that is held in the magic circle of the wedding band.

The Wearing of the Band

Two rings should not be worn at the same time on the same hand, except the wedding ring, which in due time comes to slide along the same finger as the engagement ring to mark the fulfilment of the first ring’s promise. As they are to be boon companions for a long, long time, the wedding ring should be of the same metal as the engagement ring. The wide wedding band, though almost universal at the beginning of this century and returning to popularity, has certain disadvantages. It looks becoming only on a large hand. Even there it may make the engagement ring look too small.

In more than the size and the metal, the engagement ring’s style should be considered in the purchase of the wedding band. A neutral pattern is simplest to match. It might be an unadorned band of metal or a simple ring of small round, baguette or marquise diamonds, or two of these cuts alternating, set close to the metal. Alternating marquise and round diamonds may form a sort of crown design and a most attractive jewel. There is a great variety of possible patterns and styles among which one should select carefully, for this is the choice of a lifetime.

In measuring the size of the wedding band, care should be taken not to make it too snug. Even if one be fortunate enough not to add weight with the years, the size of the fingers changes with the seasons. They swell a little in hot weather, and if the band is too tight the finger will bulge on either side. It is better to fit the ring for the July finger, and in December, if necessary, wear an unobtrusive and attractive guard.

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The Pearl Ring

After the diamond ring in beauty and popularity, and freer from any intimate symbolism, is the pearl ring. The pearl ring is appropriate throughout the day for many occasions. It will harmonize with most colors, once it has been carefully chosen—as I indicated when discussing the pearl necklace—to harmonize with the wearer’s complexion. In fact, a pearl necklace and a pearl ring may make a beautiful combination.

The pearl ring is often enhanced by the effect of flanking diamonds. A white pearl against white skin sometimes calls for added light or color. By proper design, with well chosen accompanying stones, a pearl may be made to look lighter or darker, larger and more luminous.

I once had a client with a large grey pearl that was not dark enough for her taste. As she was a motion picture star, moreover, she had to be concerned with how the jewel would photograph. I suggested mounting the pearl in a high setting with a background of baguette diamonds. The brilliance of the diamonds caught and reflected the shadings of the pearl, both adding to the depth of its color and increasing the quality of its lustrous tones. It enhanced the lightness of the actress’s skin and in her photographs stood out as a most striking jewel.

The Black Pearl

Beyond all other combinations, the white pearl stands in superb contrast with the black. The grey pearl also makes an interesting counterbalance with the white, but the effects of the rare black pearl are unique. Crown jewels of almost every kingdom, active or in exile, include a design utilizing the values of the white pearl with the black.

Until recent years, the black pearl was the most sought[163] after of all its kind, and wise women today are again appreciating its values. There is no more dramatic accent than the dark lustre of a black pearl against a fair skin. The most striking use I ever saw of such a contrast was at a party when Marlene Dietrich commanded every eye. She had asked me to design a ring for her with three large pearls, one black, one white, one pink. For her beautiful hand I mounted the three pearls high and set them against round and baguette diamonds. Shortly after the ring was finished, I saw Marlene at the party. She wore a simple dress, high-necked and long-sleeved. With sure discrimination she wore very few jewels: earrings, of which one was a white pearl, one was a black; and the pearl ring. The striking ensemble could not have been better displayed.

There can be great dramatic value in a single pearl.

Decorative Rings

Most of the rings a woman wears, of course, are purely decorative without symbolism or intent beyond the enhancing of her beauty. The variety of such rings is infinite, and the range allows wide choice, no matter what the personality and taste of the wearer.

The little finger is often favored for a decorative ring, and certain flower motifs are attractive there. Such a ring should be comparatively small; the little finger must border the hand with a straight line. This ring requires careful fitting so that it will not turn to the side. Women who are active or who move their hands a lot while talking should avoid the pinkie ring, as delicate settings may be damaged by frequent knocks.

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Matched With Earclips

A growing trend is to match a finger ring with a pair of earclips. Such a set may lend its harmony to an ensemble. There are patterns of dome-shaped earclips that also make attractive rings. Flower designs, similarly used, if modulated in three dimensions, can produce dramatic effects. The stones and the design in the ring may be the same size as in the earclips or a little smaller.

The sculptor Rodin hid the hands of his great statue of Balzac, because he wanted the beholders’ eyes to move directly up to the massive head. But the everyday beholders of a fair lady see her moving hands as well as her lively countenance; and the matching earclips and finger ring form a pleasant device for tying together the charms of the personality.

Interchangeable Centers

Another ring design that has a comparatively new vogue is that with a changeable center. A permanent band and setting are prepared. The best stones for the setting, to harmonize with any possible center stone, are diamonds. Thus baguette diamonds along the band, with perhaps a round stone, or a marquise, on each side next to the center, make a beautiful background to any stone. Then, for the center stone, one may have a varied selection, using what fits one’s mood and the occasion. A pearl, an emerald, a sapphire, a ruby: stones of similar size can be mounted so that any one can be set into the jewel. In this way, with the single mounting, a series of rings can be worn, surprisingly different in their appearance and effect.

There are other changes that can be effected with rings,[165] almost of the order of optical illusions. If a woman who has been wearing a ring on her third finger transfers it to the little finger, she will think that the gem has grown—perhaps a carat or more. Moving a ring in the other direction makes it seem smaller. Perhaps a ring usually worn on one finger really belongs on another. This transference often gives a ring a new added attraction and wearability. The cost of resizing is very small.

Ring Sizes

Whatever the finger, the ring should not be made too tight. As I said before, it is better to have a guard ring, which, though a narrow band, can be made in itself an article of true adornment.

Should a ring that has not been taken off for some time resist removal, it should not be forced. Some women become panicky when they cannot pull off a ring—as though its obstinacy made them unwilling slaves. A little soapy water will usually prove effective. The moistened hand should be held pointing toward the ceiling, while the finger is gently massaged. When the swelling seems to have somewhat subsided, the ring should be turned around and around, with a slight upward pull; once past the wide part of the finger, it is off. If the ring continues rebellious, the jeweler is equipped with special instruments for the painless removal of tight-fitting rings.

If the knuckles are large, the ring that passes over them will of course be loose where it is supposed to stay snug. Here too the jeweler can assist. A simple adjustment, of which there are several types, accommodates the ring to the different finger sizes. The ring will slip off easily, yet stay fixed in the proper position, neither sliding nor turning around.

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Rings and Nail Polish

More than once, in selecting a ring, a woman has rejected one that was quite beautiful, because it did not look well on her hands. This is an excellent reason—if the hands were not prejudiced by the nail polish. The polish should be fitted to the ring, not the ring to the polish. In other words, when the selection of a ring is the business of the day, a neutral polish or none at all should be worn. After the ring has been chosen, the polish should be selected to complement the stone. With the colored stones of a dinner ring, this is important.

With a diamond ring, for example, the frosty white nail polish should be avoided, as it diminishes the beauty of the gem. With a coral ring, the nail polish that suggests itself is of an orange hue. With a ruby, perhaps a purplish polish, but not too deep, lest by its ardor it make the ruby look pale. Some colored stones will be attractive with more than one shade of nail polish. A little experimentation and taste can create surprisingly varied and dramatic effects, as the nails, differently colored for an evening and for a weekend afternoon, differently interplay with the colors of the ring.

About Wearing a Ring

Some fashions in rings and their wearing call for brief comment. Although the Elizabethan men and three hundred years later their sisters in the frenzied Twenties of this century wore rings over their gloves, the practice has lapsed from good taste. A ring with a large stone or a dome-shaped design should be turned with this toward the palm before a glove is put on; there will then be no difficulty nor tear.

The current fashion of fingernails keeps them long and almost pointed. A woman who for practical or other reasons[167] wears her nails short will find that her rings appear to better advantage if she keeps her bracelets a little higher on the arm. This, in a sense, incorporates part of the wrist into the hand, giving at that end the greater length which has been lost at the other.

Rings should always be taken off when the hands are washed. This is even more important when what are being washed are not the hands but the dishes, for soapy water may harm the rings. It may actually take the lustre from certain stones; but in any case, a film of soap on the under-surface of a stone deprives the jewel of that glow it is supposed to have and mars the beauty which is the jewel’s excuse for being.

No matter how careful one may be, the ring, worn on the most animated and active part of the body, requires cleaning more often than any other jewel. The ring, as I began by saying, calls attention to the hand which should be well manicured and groomed. But especially the ring should be chosen and worn so that it becomes an effectively contributing part of a woman’s beauty.

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Early Uses

The bracelet (from bras, the French for arm) or armlet was in early times worn at various places along the arm. Placed high on the forearm and above the biceps, a tight band gave added strength to the warrior for speedy manipulation of his shield. A woman was more likely to wear her bracelets closer to the wrist. In some parts of the Orient, however, bracelets of coins were worn by the women as evidence of their husbands’ wealth; these might, band after band, encircle the entire arm, making it, in full regalia on formal occasions, much too heavy for lifting. In general, bracelets were worn in styles determined by the fashion of the age and the rank of the wearer. Today, their use is purely for decorative purposes.

The Emperors of India

The earliest bracelets, among the ancient Egyptians and probably the Hebrews, employed no precious stones, being solid bands of plain or enameled metal that slipped over the hands. The practice of setting the bracelet with brightly colored gems grew almost elaborate among the Mogul Emperors[170] of India. Two of these royal bracelets of great splendor were carried off from Delhi by the Persian conqueror Nadir Shah in 1739. The main stone of the right armlet is the twin of the Kohinoor, the almost equally famous Darya-i-nur, “river of light.” It is a diamond of 186 carats, recognized as having the finest brilliance in the world. The main stone of the left armlet is a diamond of 146 carats, the Taj-e-mah, “crown of the moon.”

Various Materials

Among primitive peoples, bracelets of various materials have been continuously popular, often several worn on a single arm. The better ones are made of gold, silver, or mother-of-pearl; others are fashioned of iron, copper, horn, beads and other materials. In China, prized bracelets are cut of a single piece of jade.

In the Orient, the use of the bracelet never lapsed. In Europe, the arm decoration—along with other adornment—grew less popular in the Middle Ages, but with the flowering of the Renaissance the bracelet again came into fashion.

Types of Bracelets

There are two main types of bracelets in general use. First came the stiff bangle bracelet, a rigid band. This may be of one piece, the so-called “slave” bracelet, which must be slipped over the hand. Or it may be provided with a hinged and a pronged catch or other form of a clasp, which either opens or loosens the bracelet for putting on and removal. The second type is the flexible bracelet. This may be a linked chain or a series of motifs. In recent years a sort of spring-link[171] device has been developed so that the bracelet opens to slip over the hand, then tightens to cling to the appropriate position on the arm.

Favorite Shapes

In either of these types, there are three popular shapes in which the bracelet may be fashioned. It may be tapered, thin on the underside of the wrist and wider on the back, which is of course the part most prominently displayed. Gold or diamond bracelets lend themselves to this form. More frequent is the straight bracelet, even all around the arm. This may be of gold, diamonds, pearls, or other stones, in a single band or in several rows that make a sort of cuff. The third popular variety is a bracelet with a comparatively simple band crowned with a major motif, centered, of course, on the upper side of the wrist.

The Special Clasp

This prominent center design may be utilized as the clasp of the bracelet. A separate design for the clasp, indeed, may add considerably to the beauty of the jewel. In fact, an attractive motif for concealing the actual mechanism of the clasp affords one of the few opportunities for making use of another jewel. A treasured brooch or ring, without requiring the resetting of stones or the breaking up of the jewel, may be incorporated into a bracelet as an ornamental clasp. The beautiful round or oval Victorian brooches, the still charming baroque flower pins and rings, lend themselves with exceptional readiness to this use. Such a clasp, as a centerpiece, may grace a many-stranded pearl bracelet, or one of gold chain or gold motifs.

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Bracelet Width

The width of the bracelet should never exceed the width of the special clasp. Too wide a band will dwarf the clasp and destroy its decorative value. In this style of bracelet, the clasp is designed to be a dramatic eye-catcher.

For the Slim Arm

If the wrist is small, the bracelet should be worn low on the arm. A narrow gold or pearl bracelet will be most becoming. Too wide a band will tend to make the hand seem bony. A slim arm will seem rounder with a bracelet of slender chains set with small stones.

A pleasantly slender wrist calls for a striking bracelet that will hold the eye. It may be tight fitting with a motif on top. This will draw attention to the attractive feature, in the same way that a beautiful hand is enhanced by a dramatic ring.

If the hand is short or if for any reason the nails are worn short, the bracelet should be set somewhat higher on the arm. This will permit the wrist to blend with the hand in such a way as to give an effect of length, counteracting any stubbiness at the fingertips.

For the Heavier Wrist

A heavy wrist should be adorned with a chunky, three-dimensional bracelet. Similarly, if the arm is heavy, the bracelet should be of a bulky, built-out design. In general, the bulkier and the higher built the bracelet, the smaller will seem the unit of wrist and hand. Wearing the bracelet higher on the arm will draw the eyes upward away from the wrist[173] and tend to minimize any thickness. If the wristbone is prominent, a plain bracelet should be avoided. Grace will be added by a bracelet studded with bright stones.

Fitting a Bracelet

The stiff bangle bracelet must be fitted to the contour of the arm, so that it will be comfortable and will stay in the proper place. Arms have many subtle differences; their contours are variously pleasing, according to the coordination of length, bone structure, thickness and rounding curvature. The position of such a bracelet should be decided when it is bought, and it should then be fitted to that place upon the arm. It should be tight enough to prevent sliding or turning, yet not tight enough to make the arm bulge on either side. The bracelet should be carefully tested for its place, as it is difficult and costly to alter.

If a bracelet is to be worn over the sleeve of a dress, again care must be taken to see that it is loose enough to slide and to lie comfortably. Neither a bracelet around the arm nor a belt around the waist should seem too confining. Any tightness, as with the olden hour-glass corsets, belongs below the surface. Trimness, not strain, is beauty’s accordant sign.

General Thoughts

A bracelet should not be worn over a glove, unless the glove is to remain on for the entire evening.

Although gold as well as platinum may form the setting for a diamond bracelet, a gold bracelet and a platinum one should not be worn together.

Note that more than one bracelet (unless all are of very[174] similar design) is no more flattering a decoration than a single one. Several of much the same sort may form a wide-banded unit; different designs will suggest confusion and clash.

As with other jewels, properly chosen bracelets can accentuate one’s attractive features, and guide the eyes swiftly and unheedingly away from less attractive ones. An appropriate and beautiful bracelet moves the attention from the hand along the wrist, following the graceful movements of the arm.

The Anklet

Anklets today are worn by exotic dancers and teenagers. In ancient times, the anklet had two distinct uses. In iron, it was the sign and token of a slave. As a jewel, it adorned a woman in her work-free hours, or a woman whose sole work was to entertain her lord and master. For this purpose, it might be of gold or of colored glass; often there dangled from the band gold medallions that tinkled or bells that gaily chimed as the wearer walked or moved in her dancing.

The second type of anklet, in the western world today, is to be seen only on the stage; even there, mainly in musical comedies with an Oriental setting. But, perhaps to counterbalance the identification bracelets worn by the young men called to the colors in the wars of this century, some of the girls they left behind have taken to wearing “slave anklets.” At first a sign of a promised waiting, these soon became a vogue, and they are still worn by some young women without thought of any binding attachment.

The usual anklet is a thin chain of links of gold, but some are interspersed with small pearls, and some have a colored stone set snug in the band, near the anklebone at each side. They should not be worn in the evening to any kind of formal affair and indeed should be discarded as soon as the teenager has grown.

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To broach a cask of ale is to set the liquor flowing, to open the gates of good will; but the broach (and it’s still pronounced that way even when we spell it brooch) had as its purpose the closing and the holding together of the dress. In its simplest form it was an awl or a bodkin, used as a clasp or a fastener. Then came the pin with a hinge or spring at one end and a catch or loop at the other. Such safety-pin brooches, or fibulae, were common in ancient times; they were in use at least as far back as 1000 B.C., and since the third century B.C. have been developed as decorative jewels. The simple type—in the large size we call it a “blanket pin”—is still used to hold together the wrap-around Scots kilt, preserving the secret beneath.

Elaborate Pins

In medieval England the making of brooches developed as a fine art; in Kent from the sixth to the tenth century, excellent examples were made. They were mainly circulars of gold filigree adorned with garnets, though other materials, from meerschaum to paste, were also set in fine gold. However ornamental a brooch may be, it seldom quite forgets its[176] practical function of holding a garment together. Maria Theresa of Austria, on state occasions, used an agraffe—a hook that caught in a ring, as a clasp—in which was set the Florentine diamond, a great yellow stone of over 137 carats. This was preserved in the Hofburg in Vienna until the Second World War. Even more elaborate were the great brooches the noblewomen of England wore in the decorative reign of Edward VII. Sometimes called stomachers, these masses of metal overladen with stones occupied the entire front of the dress.

The Simpler Clip

Fashion has returned us to a simpler style and released the dress decoration from its functional requirement. In the 1920’s Cartier replaced the hinged pin with a metal plate operated by a spring so that counterpoints on its tip bite into the fabric. A jewel so fashioned we call a clip. More recently, the metal plate has been replaced by two parallel pins, making the clip still lighter and more versatile. Where the weightier brooch would seem unbalanced or topheavy, the new clip may be used as a pert or pertinent addition to a garment.

Its Versatility

And the clip is the most versatile of all jewels. Like the older brooch, it may be used to close a dress, to hold a collar together or to gather a scarf into attractive folds. It may be placed so as to accentuate any desired part of a gown: at any point along a neckline, on a lapel, at the side of a dress—usually the left side or at the waistline. It may be combined with a necklace, as a fresh centerpiece or on the side—though[177] of course a large clip should not be set upon a thin chain. Some clips are fashioned to slip onto a necklace and, by an easy adjustment, can be made to slip onto a band of platinum or fitted on a diamond or pearl necklace.

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When a corsage of flowers takes attention at the heart of the dress, the versatile clip may be transferred to the evening bag or worn at the cuff of a sleeve. It may be used in ways beyond number, limited only by the wearer’s chosen garments and tasteful imagination.

Its Personality

Since there is such freedom of choice in placing the clip, its position is largely determined by the wearer’s personality. In the choice of the clip itself, as I shall indicate shortly, there are only a few guiding principles, and these are of a general nature. As a consequence, a clip is a sort of identification badge. It says, not This is my name, but This is my style. It should be chosen carefully with full regard to the fact that the clip is the wearer’s personality on parade.

The Change in the Brooch

Until about 1920, while the brooch was mainly a clasp for the collar or a fastener for the dress, the favorite form was a bar pin. This might be of gold in various simple motifs, such as the bowknot; or it might be of precious stones or pearls. Other popular designs were the crescent-moon brooch, the circle brooch, the heart pin, and the four-leaf clover.

At that time, there was likely to be but one dark party dress in the wardrobe, and the laces and frills of the colorful gowns were beautiful and sufficient adornments in themselves. Times[186] have changed, and in most closets cocktail and party dresses have multiplied. They have also grown streamlined and simpler so that clips, with earclips and necklace, may be added to give softness as well as variety to the outfit.

Whatever the dress—unless it passes the limits into eccentricity—the part of a woman’s outfit that attracts the most attention is her jewelry. However stunning the dress, however striking the bag, however happy the hat, eyes will return to and be held by the jewels—especially the jewel displayed upon the dress. And the “little black dress” created by Mme. Chanel is still the best background for a beautiful jewel. The simpler the dress, the more will the beauty of the clip be artfully displayed.

The Old Double Clip

With the expansion of the brooch into the clip came a greater variety of patterns. However, the bowknot continued popular, along with the fleur-de-lis and other flower designs. Many of these are still being used, with newly designed settings incorporating baguette diamonds and variously shaped stones. In the 1920’s there was a wide vogue of a flat, geometrical double clip. The two parts were symmetrical, so that their balance today seems obvious and without art.

It is interesting to reflect at this point that many older patterns, motifs, designs, still seem beautiful in our eyes. There is a charm in many of the Victorian jewels, a lasting beauty in the baroque. In the generation just before us, however, sculpture, architecture, interior decorating, jewelry, all seem to have suffered from a lapse of artistry and taste. Is this another sign of the eternal rebellion of the children against the parents? Must every past style seem antic before it becomes antique? In any event, the old two-part double clip should[187] either be left in the treasure chest for another fifty years or taken to the jeweler to be remodelled.

The New Double Clip

The possibilities of the double clip, however, are too great to be abandoned. The flat symmetrical two-part clip has been supplanted by a more dynamic, three-dimensional variety which when used as a unit gives no indication that it is a double clip. The two separate clips are so made that they intricately but intimately conjoin into one unit, a striking jewel.

Separated, the two clips become two different jewels, of different sizes and possibly even different designs, though of course harmonious. Each remains a sculptured piece; that is, it has a three-dimensional quality. The two may be worn on different occasions. The smaller might well become a suit, the larger adorn a dress. Or the two, used at the same time but not fused, might make attractive parts of a parure on more formal occasions. On a square neckline, the two different clips may be so used as to create a different yet balanced charm. Or one may give a fresh touch to the hat, or grace the bag, while the other is worn on the dress. By repeating a design in two sizes, or presenting two harmonious motifs, the double clip increases the potentialities of the jewel for variety in beauty, while as a unit it creates a striking effect of individuality and power.

The Abstract Design

Today, in brooches and clips, two basic patterns are in favor: the ornamental, abstract design, and the flower motif. The woman who likes tailored jewelry will inevitably be[188] drawn to the more geometrical designs. While these may at times be shapes of deep yellow or varicolored gold, they will usually be achieved with the aid of shimmering bands of baguette diamonds, contrasted with round diamonds and colored stones. Without regard to the loss of weight from uncut stone, jewelers are now shaping diamonds in many fancy cuts—which only the most flawless gems can sustain—for the sake of the pattern of the entire jewel.

The potentialities of the abstract design are far from being exhausted, and a jeweler who is a genuine artist has here a fertile field. If a woman has selected a jeweler as carefully as she has chosen her coiffeur, and finding him good has continued to seek his counsel, he should be able to suggest or to create a clip that will both express and illuminate her personality.

Several general designs lend themselves to personal variations. Among these, I recommend a clip with baguette tassels from which pear-shaped diamonds are suspended. There are also attractive tailored-looking pins of a feather design, which, in gold or platinum, are effective on many occasions. Various loops and bows can be ingeniously intertwined. Among completely abstract clip designs are some like lacy seaweeds. Others will suggest themselves and may be fashioned to suit every occasion and taste.

The Flower Design

Less novel than the abstract designs but perhaps more lasting in its effect of peaceful beauty is the flower clip. Since the development of photography, few artists have tried to make exact copies of nature. Those who wish to see exact reproductions of flowers in glass may go to the Harvard Museum in Cambridge. The artist in jewelry seeks to suggest the essence[189] of the flower, its shape, its color, the softness of its petals. (An astute woman may select her perfume to suggest the flower’s fragrance.) Today even such hard metals as platinum or palladium may be so handled as to convey the delicacy of the bloom.

Earlier Flowers

The flower motif, in ring or brooch or other adornment, has been a favorite in many periods. Some of the designs have persisted; others have grown simpler or more elaborate according to the vogue. But in the past few centuries, there have been few jewelers who have not had in work or on display some flower brooches or clips of precious stones.

Among the frequently displayed flowers is the open-petaled pansy, which our grandmothers wore in various colors of enamel, but which is now patterned in stones. Also to be seen is the tiny forget-me-not. The lily of the valley rises on its delicate stem. The water lily seems almost still afloat. Carnations and asters more boldly flaunt their patterns. The daisy, that earlier was often fashioned with white enamel petals and a central stone, may now be suggested wholly by baguette diamonds.

More elaborate flowers and flower clusters were once frequent, building into nosegays of gems. Perhaps the most spectacular of these is the famous Flower Jewel bestowed by the Herzog von Lothringen upon his wife, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. Now to be seen in the Museum of Natural History in Vienna, this historic piece is both a fine example of the jeweler’s art and a demonstration for the science of gemology: among its thousands of carats of gems—diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls—may be counted every existing variety of precious and semiprecious stones.

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Current Varieties

A flower is to jewelers as a landscape is to painters; each may look upon the same prospect and produce a different work. Some may fashion a comparatively naturalistic blossom, or a clip of several flowers of different sizes. For these, colored stones will reproduce the color of the flower. Others may work in a more stylized fashion, merely suggesting the flower shape or framing it into a formal pattern, as in the decorations of ancient columns and walls. Some of these, indeed, approach the manner of the abstract design.

Where the flower is suggested rather than caught in its own colors, diamonds in fancy cut may be used for the petals with the leaves fashioned of baguettes. The center may be a blue-white diamond, a colored stone, or—most strikingly—a black pearl. Some such flowers have been made with a central stone that is removable, so that various gems of different color may produce startlingly different effects with the same basic floral jewel. From the surrounding petals and leaves of diamonds, it is surprising how varyingly new center stones can shine.

The Rose

The most outstanding of all flower motifs, both in number and in variety of presentation, is the queen of flowers, the rose. As it ranges far beyond all other flowers in colors and species, so it lends itself to a multiplicity of treatments in jewels. Roses have been made all of diamonds, white or colored; they have been shaped of rubies, of coral, of ivory and of all the precious metals. Notable is a rose clip in which the diamond blossom rises from leaves of baguettes. For simpler costumes, the leaves can be removed and the flower used alone to adorn a neckline or accentuate the lapel of a suit. Together, the leaves[191] and the flower present a corsage that challenges and outlasts any beauty the florist can supply.

The Skinpin

Gathering favor, but still sufficiently unfamiliar to be as distinctive as it is attractive, is the skinpin. This ornament is a jewel that, by a secret method of my own devising, may be safely and securely worn on the bare skin. A piquant jewel, it belongs most harmoniously with the low-cut evening gown. Then, on the bare skin above the dress, the colored gems or the diamonds are a truly striking display, their brilliance heightened by the background of the fine texture of the flesh. For more challenging effects, a butterfly or other appropriate motif on the back or the shoulderblades will enhance and accentuate the beauty of the lines. Those who know and enjoy the values of fine jewelry tastefully disposed will do well to investigate the range of uses of the skinpin.

The Scatterpin

For the lapel, or in general for casual wear, many pins have been especially designed. These are frequently shaped in the form of birds, ladybugs, or other insects, as butterflies or as leaves. They may be made of enamel, or coral, or semiprecious stones. Their main purpose is to add a touch of color and for traveling or for informal occasions they may indeed enliven a costume.

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The Jewelled Hairpin

A most charming effect can be produced by attaching to the clip a simple device that enables it to be worn in the hair. This use is gaining in popularity, and deserves even greater spread, for it is hard to imagine a more beautiful background for a jewel than the well groomed coiffure which is the pride and the prime natural adornment of the American woman. Several single flowers, daisies, forget-me-nots and the like, may in the hair create a youthful and feminine decoration. The jewels should of course be concordant with the hair. Diamonds are most becoming in dark hair. Red hair will be even more striking with sapphires; dark blondes will gleam with emeralds; light blondes will shimmer in fine contrast with rubies.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria knew the attractiveness gained by the adorning of beautiful hair. Her favorite design was the star, and in her hair she set many brilliant stars, each with a quivering center that constantly shot forth intriguing, mysterious light.

The Mobile Clip

The technical creation of the mobile center was long a well-guarded secret. It has now been variously recaptured, and clips may have their beauty enhanced, when it is appropriate, with a vibratory motion. The natural movements of the body, even the soft rise and fall of the bosom as one takes breath, suffice to make the tiny stems quiver and the gems at their tips give ever fresh play of light.

Thus a delicate wire may lift a deep red ruby as the stamen of a flower, alive in its motion and varying gleam. Or a diamond on a quivering stem may seem to dance with airiness and light. A spread of platinum angel-fern may move its delicate[193] fronds; a sprig of heather in fine metal and stone vibrate with the lilt of the Highlands. The many ways in which the mobile clip can add life to one’s wardrobe are beyond enumeration; all are at once eye-catching and continuously alluring.

The Sentimental Brooch

More than all other jewels, the pin and the brooch have attached to themselves sentimental associations and values beyond their intrinsic or artistic worth. A ring may often preserve the memory of a dear person or a cherished occasion, but it is seldom large enough for an actual memento. Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII of England, had a portrait of herself hidden in a ring of diamonds and mother-of-pearl; when she was taken to be executed she gave the ring to her little daughter, who in turn kept it hidden until she ascended the throne as Queen Elizabeth I. But more often such miniatures, set in what was called a picture-box, were worn on a chain or as a brooch. The clip is still too new to have developed these sentimental associations but, being merely a brooch with a modernized fastener, it will no doubt gather to itself a goodly store of memories.

In addition to a miniature portrait or a painting of a familiar scene, such as the country home of one held to a life in the city, the brooch may contain other ties to things beloved. Under a transparent stone or coat of colorless enamel may be pressed a lock of hair. The jewel itself may be shaped so as to symbolize a family—as a coat of arms; or a people—as the maple leaf worn by Queen Elizabeth II, a gift from and a symbol of the Commonwealth of Canada. The lady who launches a ship receives, from the builders or the owners, a diamond pin that is indeed, to her and those that come after her, a precious memento of a signal occasion.

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Replicas of Pets

Popular among the special brooches with personal ties are those that represent or memorialize a beloved pet. I have made several portraits of dogs in gold and precious stones, worked so as not merely to resemble the features but in some degree to capture the individual characteristics of the animal. One of these I especially prize, as it evokes, to me and to my family and friends, my own and favorite dog.

In Vienna, our firm was once commissioned by the Emperor Franz Josef I to create a brooch bearing the likeness of one of his great beloved Lippizaner stallions, the one that is immortalized in the novel Florian. This pin contains hundreds of diamonds; those that make up the mane and the tail had to be specially cut and are so small that it takes more than a thousand to make a carat. The Emperor prized the jewel and gave it to his favorite actress, the Baroness von Schratt. After the Baroness’s death, her treasures were sold, and we are happy to state that the jewel horse is now back with the firm that made it.

Pins Hold Memories

Perhaps because of these various associations, it seems that a more personal aura glows about a brooch than any other jewel. It may be merely because a loved one has worn it earlier. A sort of intimate, binding emotion draws one to the jewel, such as no article of clothing, no accessory—scarf, gloves, hair band—can ever work into a spell. Other jewels, especially the ring, may gather associations around them, but preeminently heart-entangling is the brooch.

My grandmother, for instance, on many gay occasions when I was a child, wore high on her collar a beautiful emerald brooch. Long passed from sight and never spoken of, it finally[195] came to me as a family heirloom. And at once my heart quickened with a fresh surge of memory. I had, and still have, a vivid recollection of how she looked when she was wearing it, and many a pleasant time I summon back. I cherish this brooch more and more along the passing years. Thus in many families a treasured and memoried pin holds as a binder between the generations. In these days of widely scattered families, such a brooch can indeed be an endearing tie.

Practical Principles

As I have said, there are just a few general thoughts to be kept in mind when selecting a brooch or clip.

The gold clip is admirable for daytime use. Until a few years ago, this might be quite a solid, heavy-looking jewel. Today it is light, even lacy; often it is made of fine wires, perhaps twisted or stranded, and intricately worked, like similar jewels of the Renaissance. The jewel itself may be large, but the light and lacy effect will maintain its charm.

When a clip, in the hair or on the dress, is worn with earclips, it need not be the same as these, but it should be of the same material and of course should harmonize. Usually the earclips set the pattern, because they must be carefully chosen to fit the features; the greater freedom of choice with the clip permits one to select many attractive designs that will conform. If the earclips are of rubies or of emeralds, the clip should be the same. Only the diamond will consort with any other stone.

So far as balancing the brooch to the build is concerned, the principles are very simple. A woman with a heavy figure should avoid small and delicate clips and select large ornamental designs. A woman of slighter frame should wear small clips. A brooch pinned high on the bodice will seem to give the wearer added height.

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More than other jewels, the clip presents the personality. It challenges the attention and invites the judgment. If it is well chosen, so that it truly establishes the wearer’s nature and taste, it may be worn with confidence and pride.

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Queen Elizabeth I

The watch was an article of utility that became an article of fashion, hence was woven into a jewel. Queen Elizabeth I of England owned more than two dozen watches, some dangling from her girdle, one at her wrist. Four of them were gifts from one courtier, the Earl of Leicester. All were elaborately designed in various shapes, with cameos or many jewels. They were changed according to the costume. The Queen had a special page whose duty it was to wind them.

Princess Sophia

Even more watches were in the possession of Sophia Dorothea of Brunswig-Lüneberg, though she came to have little need of them. The wife of the Crown Prince of Hanover, she became involved in intrigue and was accused of a liaison with a Swedish nobleman; she saw her marriage annulled, then spent thirty-two years in prison. Her released husband became George I of England; her son, George II; her grandson (through a second Sophia Dorothea), Frederick the Great of Prussia. In the heyday of her beauty and gaiety at the Hanoverian[198] court, Princess Sophia possessed over fifty watches, many of their cases made of a single large stone, such as a lapis lazuli or an onyx.

Early Forms

Because the early watches were in the main large and ugly, handsome cases were designed for them. As each watch was made individually, a painstaking jeweler could create a smaller instrument, such as the bracelet watch. Mme. de Pompadour wore a watch in a gold finger ring, set round with diamonds.

Watches were also made with extra devices. Some, at a time set in advance, would ring an alarm. Some would when pressed chime to reveal the present hour. In all these early watches, accuracy was not the goal. In fact, it was not until about 1680 that most watches were equipped with a minute hand; before that, one pointer marked the passage of the hours.

These watches were worn, by gallant gentlemen, less for checking their business, of which they had little, than for adding to their finery, of which they had much. The time they could spare from the adornment of their persons they devoted to the neglect of their duties. Often indeed there was a watch at each end of the chain, and both might be taken out at the same time, with ostentatious comparing of their accuracy. William Cowper in eighteenth-century England neatly pinned such gallants:

And the Earl of Chesterfield, prince of etiquette in his day, admonished his son: “Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket; and do not pull it out and strike it, merely to show that you have one.” Gradually, as businessmen saw[199] the usefulness of the watch in marking time for engagements, the accuracy of the instrument increased, and with that the frequency of its use.

Where to Wear the Watch

For practical purposes today, the wrist watch is almost universal. The watch on the wrist of Queen Elizabeth I of England dangled from a bracelet; the watch in the bracelet is a distinctive development of our own time. Railroad men and some others still prefer the larger pocket watch, but the accuracy of the good wrist watch suffices for all save the finest scientific measurements of time. That the timepiece, nevertheless, remains partly a fad and a fashion is made clear by the many less practical ways in which it is mounted. Watches have been designed in rings, on cuff links, buttons, heads of canes; on knives, notebooks, lipsticks—Time for a fresh application!—on cigarette cases and lighters, wallets, ladies’ garters—Time!

Sometimes, especially for more formal wear, the pocket watch is still worn, not with a chain but with a fob. In the vest, or in the right front “of the waistband of the breeches,” is a special pocket for the watch. To the watch is attached a black ribbon that hangs out and forms the background for a medal, a seal, or other jewel.

Oliver Cromwell wore a watch fob. This method of wearing a watch was especially fashionable—in spite of the notice the fob gives to a pickpocket—from about 1875 until 1914, when the World War popularized the wrist watch. Fifty years ago, every college Senior wore a fob with his school’s coat-of-arms and his class. The fob is still affected by certain clubmen, bearing the jeweled insignia of the club.

A recent chronometrical development for the fairer sex is[200] the watchclip. This jewel possesses all the versatility of the clip itself, with the added usefulness of the timepiece. The watch face can of course be cunningly hidden, in the heart of a flower, or as an element of an abstract design. It may be worn on a low neckline, at a lapel, at the cuff, or even on a bracelet.

For a woman during business hours, or at golf, there is good reason for wearing a watch. The wrist watch is the best. For sports, a plain leather band should hold a simple watch. At business, a simple band or gold chain is appropriate; the watch itself may be encased with small diamonds. It should be attractive, but not call attention to itself.

For general day wear a gold bracelet made of flexible links is attractive, worn with the face of the watch open or—for more formal occasions—concealed. This may be made softer by the addition of gems or other stones, but bright-colored stones should be used only if the dial is hidden.

The functional appearance of the watch is further softened in an attractive new style, which combines the watch with a gold fringe bracelet. The fringe draws the eye artfully away from the timepiece.

Jewelled Hours

During social hours, however, one should be more regardless of time. It seems almost an affront, by wearing a clearly functional wrist watch, to let your hostess know you are measuring the time you grant her. At theatre, at evening parties, a woman should at least seem not to care how the time flits by. Indeed, there is on such occasions no need for her to wear a watch at all.

Should she, for reasons of fashion or custom, or for other personal reasons, desire to wear a watch, its functional aspects[201] should be minimized by adornment, if not wholly concealed in a jewel. For this purpose, effective eye-catching bracelets can be devised of diamonds or diamonds and pearls. To the beauty of the modern watches, the Swiss firm of Gubelin Frères has contributed a great deal. This firm, probably more than any other famous Swiss craftsmen, has succeeded in making the watch a masterpiece of design and beauty. Gubelin added to the improvement of the mechanical performance of the modern watch high artistic value.

There are beautiful flower brooches in the heart of which hides a watch. There are pendants, for a loose necklace or a brooch, the bottom of which is the watch face. In greater variety, the wrist watch can be fashioned into a gem-studded beauty, as in the $20,000 diamond bracelet watch sent by jewelers of Geneva to Elizabeth II of England on her wedding day.

Three parts of the wrist watch may be distinguished for purposes of adornment. First the bracelet as a whole may be an attractive jewel. It may be of plain or of twisted gold; or it may be a circle of small diamonds or other stones. In still other ways, the entire band may be ornamented, with the watch drawn into the unity of the jewel design. Secondly, the main circle of the band may be of plain gold, with the ornamentation beginning where the bracelet meets the watch. For an inch or so on either side of the watch, the band may widen in a swirl of domed gold wire, or some other modern patterns; or the band may there be set with diamonds, baguette or marquise. Finally, there is the watch itself, which may be circled or otherwise encased in diamonds. The design of the bracelet, however, may almost wholly conceal the watch. Some settings have been made in which a large stone covers the watch face, and must be lifted to reveal the time.

The wrist watch, for practical reasons, should not be worn on the handbag arm; the winding crown may be jarred or[202] broken. For both practical and aesthetic reasons, it should not be worn with other bracelets. The glass may be jarred off. And while the watch bracelet may look attractive alone, the presence of other jewels makes its utilitarian function over-prominent. The wrist watch should be serviceable, but beautiful.

In any case, a watch is at best an interloper, if not a downright intruder, in moments of feminine finery. Permitting a woman to espy the hour when she should not be so concerned, the watch—like all spies—should be as much as possible unnoticed and unknown. If it be worn, it should not be as a watch but as an integral part of a jewel.

In Front of Your Mirror

A wise woman knows the importance of her jewels and does not squander them in overlavish display. The “principle of parsimony” applies here as elsewhere: unless there be an overriding reason for elaboration, the simplest means are the best. Jewels may, as we have seen, be beautiful on many parts of the body—but not on all of them at once. Each occasion, each costume, calls for separate consideration and individual selection of jewels.

It is not vanity, but common sense, for a woman to spend time before a mirror, making her own acquaintance, becoming familiar with her qualities and with the values brought out by various arrangements of her jewels. Only by such a process, renewed frequently through the years (as jewels and features alter), can a woman command the full power of her treasure chest as a true ally to her own beauty.

Daniel Webster, looking at the great stone face of the “Old Man of the Mountain,” observed: “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades: shoemakers hang out[203] a gigantic shoe; jewelers, a monster watch ... but up in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that here He makes men.” And let them not mar themselves, Shakespeare reminds us, including the fair sex of the human kind. And a woman, whose sign is beauty, keeps a “monster watch” over her harmony in her jewels. Decorum and decoration, hand in hand, lead her to the fullest capture of the values with which nature has endowed her and which she has helped to foster, feed and bring to flower.

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The Etiquette
of Wearing Jewels

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The emphasis on “casual living,” in our day, does not destroy the need for more formal occasions. On the contrary, indeed, the woman who has been informal in various types of summer apparel may feel even more thrilled at the opportunity to put on an evening gown, with the appropriate jewelry. And what jewelry, she may well ask, should be worn in more relaxed and casual hours?

Misery, they say—or at least Shakespeare said—acquaints a man with strange bedfellows; and democracy acquaints a woman with strange costumes. The variety of “casual clothes” is limited only by the panorama of color and the ingenuity of the designer. Yet, whatever garments a woman may have chosen to put on, the probability is that she will wish to add to their harmony the grace notes of a jewel.

Informal clothes are usually worn for informal hours, which naturally call for a touch of ornament. Festive occasions even more strongly suggest the glamour of jewels. Yet in no field are women more at a loss than in the etiquette of jewelry. Few need to inquire about the proper combinations of outfits and accessories. It is unnecessary to caution the young girl, putting on her first evening gown, that she must not wear her[208] sport shoes. No more need her mother be told not to serve canapés wearing the kitchen apron she put on while preparing them. But when it comes to jewelry, to selecting the jewels that are appropriate to the occasion, most women have only the haziest idea. Yet if they discover that they are not adorned in keeping with the function, their day is clouded.

En Route

In traveling, by plane or even by train for a weekend in the country, only tailored jewelry should be worn. Large diamond pieces are definitely out of bounds, even in the subdued hum of a dining car. I repeat that the one exception, now and forever, is the combination of the engagement ring and the wedding ring. This is always as appropriate as pleasant.

Country Weekend

If the journey takes a woman to be a guest for the weekend, it is wise for her to ascertain her hostess’s plans. While there may be in store a restful time of relaxation, when one may make oneself at home and do as one wishes, it may also be that the hostess has made certain plans. She may have invited friends for a cocktail party, or a garden party, to meet the visitor. There may even be a formal dinner party in prospect, in honor of the guest—who must, of course, be prepared with clothes and with jewelry to match the occasion, and do her hostess justice.

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The Garden Party

Given in the summer, usually out of the city, a garden party is a lighthearted affair. Short dinner gowns, colorful cocktail dresses or separates are best enhanced by jewels of light texture. Jewelry of twisted gold wire conveys this effect; or the gold wire used as setting for diamond or pearls. Like the flowers in colorful profusion around, jewels with stones of different colors are in good taste, providing of course that the colors are in harmony. An all-white costume will not do justice to diamonds; if a woman looks attractive in white, she should wear with it colored stones or pearls. Sapphires, however, may be combined with diamonds, most pleasantly with a fair complexion; on a dark beauty there should be rubies and diamonds set in gold.

A sense of lightness, even of airy delicacy, should be maintained in the adornment. One’s richest array of jewels should not be worn.

At the Beach

If the weekend is at a resort, or includes a trip to the water, another sort of jewelry comes to mind.

Sunbacks, sports dresses, slacks, accord better with tailored gold than with diamonds. Massive gold bracelets with charms may be attractive; but they should be balanced by simpler earclips of the same metal. Hoop earrings may be worn, if not too large. Large hoop earrings should dangle only from the ears of an exotic dancer.

On the beach precious stones will seem pretentious. Besides, jewels should not be subjected to the multiplex dangers of surf and sand. A bathing suit leaves the body largely to be its own ornament, but may be charmingly enhanced by such[210] accessories as straw flowers, plastic ornaments, ivory seahorses and colored seashells.

On the Golf Course

On the golf course, whatever a woman’s score for the eighteen holes, she wants her jewelry to be at par. Diamonds, of course, are not even for duffers. A golfer may well be wearing a tailored sports ensemble, which means that gold jewelry is in good taste. It should preferably be small, however, especially in a mixed foursome, so as to keep the adornment secondary to the game. It should be smart while seemingly functional. There may be a neat gold monogram pin on the blouse, tailored gold earclips, even a fairly heavy gold pinkie ring. No bracelet, to interfere with or jingle during the swing. Crossed golf clubs might make a gold brooch. Gold pins may be designed to hold the tees. A gold pin usually sheds its glow upon the complexion; and it adds highlights to the sports costume.

A simple gold wrist watch on a leather strap is serviceable, unobtrusive, and in quiet good taste.

At the Races

A visit to the race track becomes a special event when it includes the Kentucky Derby, the French Grand Prix or Ascot. Hats and gowns are often bought especially for these events; they should be accompanied by accordant jewelry. Here a woman may display her most colorful jewels. Rubies and sapphires will be resplendent, but colored stones of all sorts will brighten the scene. A pearl necklace may be becomingly worn. Long earrings, however, and diamond necklaces should[211] be reserved for the party that will follow the race. Particularly if the wearer’s horse has won.

If a horse of one’s own is entered in the race, this may be made a part of the design of the jewels. An imposing pin may be set with precious stones in the colors of the stable. Or the horse itself may be designed in diamonds; such a jewel can be worn proudly even away from the turf.

I once designed a beautiful set of jewelry for the Duchess of S——, whose stable colors were yellow, blue, and white. Whenever one of her horses ran, she wore this parure, brooch, bracelet and earclips of canary diamonds, white diamonds, and sapphires from Kashmir. She told me that invariably her horses won. “Once,” she said, “I forgot to put on the jewelry, and my horse finished out of the money.”

Whether she has a horse, or wins her bets, or not, every woman that wears beautiful and appropriate jewelry has good luck.

Business Luncheons

There are occasions when a business woman must pay special attention to her jewels. She must seek to convey the impression of dignity and good sense and avoid the frivolous.

At a business luncheon, whether it consists of two persons or a small group, the business to be transacted is of less immediate significance than the friendly spirit of good will the occasion should engender. A woman—with her sex still not wholly accepted as on a par with men in the business world, especially in what are referred to as the upper echelons—must feel at ease, and create a good impression. This is made easier by her knowledge that she is pleasant to look upon, impeccably dressed and adorned. Simple jewelry is best, with gold plainly visible though not oversize. A simple necklace of pearls is[212] highly appropriate, with not more than one precious stone upon the hands.

The Charity Luncheon

At least once in every year the woman who does not work—along with many who do—may be called upon to attend a charity luncheon. The woman attending such a luncheon may be grouped at table with her close friends, but she will meet or at least be seen by many others. The occasion, therefore, calls for a degree of elegance. The jewels should be well matched; pearls are to be preferred.

If a woman possesses a distinctive jewel, one that might be considered a conversation piece, this is the occasion for wearing it. Especially is this true if the entire table is not taken by close friends. There should be no such display of diamonds as to make distinctions invidious; but a well-designed jewel or an attractive parure offers a pleasant opening for conversation, and mutual interest in conversation makes for friendly ease among strangers at the table.

Opening Night

Opening nights at the theatre are always gala occasions. A premiere of a great ballet company is perhaps even more festive. Most elegant of all is the first night at the horse show, or the opening of the season at the opera. For such events, one appears in one’s most elaborate jewels.

The more festive the occasion, unfortunately, the greater the opportunity for faux pas. Cartoons of the “Keeping Up With the Joneses” variety often show a woman who does not distinguish between wearing the best jewelry and wearing the[213] most. An observant eye at the openings will note that such caricatures have their counterparts in real life.

Every woman of taste—regardless of wealth or social status—is a collector of jewelry. Whether the pieces she has gathered be costume jewels or precious ones, each woman who knows the importance of appearance has her treasure chest. And those who can afford individual workmanship, and jewels constructed in personal design, select their jeweler at least as carefully as their decorator or their milliner.

Matching the Gown

Among the treasures of her jewel chest, the woman will select with a discerning eye. If she is to wear a new gown made for the opening, it is well to try the jewels on, with the gown, in advance. If she finds that a necklace with a pendant, or pendant parts, graces the décolletage, even the most beautiful pendant earclips should not tempt her to wear them. Such earclips are probably adjustable so that the pendants can be removed, and the upper motifs worn to grace the ear lobes. On the other hand, if a tiara is in the cherished jewel collection, it may now be taken forth and worn. Then a brilliant clip may be set directly on the shoulder, above the décolletage. This skinpin admirably breaks the long line from tiara to décolleté gown. If the evening gown is embroidered, however, the clip should be left in the box. The various possible combinations should be tried, and examined carefully in the mirror, before the outfit is complete.

Matching the Man

An opening night is one of the few occasions, in our increasingly informal times, when the gentleman will embrace[214] the opportunity to blossom forth in evening clothes, with white tie. The opera opening recalls the olden grandeur; the diamond horseshoe of boxes still deserves the name, for accompanying the gentleman in his most formal attire comes the lady in her most glamorous jewels. These are unquestionably diamonds.

Some Basic Rules

If no tiara is worn, diamonds may be used as ornaments in the hair, as earclips, as necklaces, as bracelets. While the diamond is the basic gem in the jewelry, other precious stones may accompany it, such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. They may be set around a large central diamond; or they may be the center stones, with smaller diamonds of different shapes set around—so that the brilliance of the one and the deep color of the other will interact in a fireplay of beauty. Of course, the stones must be of a color that will harmonize with the gown—in all likelihood, the gown was ordered to harmonize with the chosen gems.

It must be repeated that elaborate jewelry does not mean a quantity of jewels. One brooch, which may be a large rose, will suffice; she may have other beautiful bracelets, but the discriminating woman will wear just one, which has been carefully made or chosen for the shape and size of her arm, to stay precisely where its beauty will most enhance her lines.

The diamond bracelet should not be worn over gloves, unless these are not removed for the entire evening. A two-piece evening glove is available, the hand of which may be doffed, so that the remainder becomes a long sleeve over which the bracelet is worn. Women whose arms taper sharply to the wrist may find that such a glove helps to maintain the bracelet at the proper place on the arm.

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A diamond clip should not be worn on a fur coat, jacket, or stole. For then either it is put aside, hanging over the back of the chair at a restaurant or in a closet at a private home, or when the coat is taken off the clip must be removed and reattached to the gown. One seems ostentatious disregard; the other, ostentatious concern.

A proper decision as to what to wear and what to leave at home helps make the occasion of an opening a source of memorable satisfaction.

The Dinner Party

Such a gathering usually brings together a significant part of one’s personal world. Well chosen jewelry will confirm a woman’s standing in that community, and it will be a source of gratification to her husband and to her hosts if she is tastefully adorned. Wearing one’s best jewelry and finest gown is a gracious way of paying tribute to one’s hostess, as well as doing one’s duty as a guest, to help make the party a success.

At the dinner party a parure, a matching ensemble, is quite attractive. At the opera the more elaborate jewels can be enjoyed from farther away; by most, any one person’s jewels are seen but for a glance or at a distance. But here, there is opportunity to observe the matching of stones or of the balanced jewels in a parure. While one jewel may contain stones of various colors, there should not be such variety from jewel to jewel; to be avoided, for example, are such combinations as a sapphire bracelet with a ruby brooch or an emerald necklace with a turquoise bracelet. And the colors of the jewels, as always, must harmonize with one’s gown and one’s complexion.

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The Watch

No woman should wear a leather strap for a wrist watch with an evening gown. It would completely break the spell of elegance. If no watch with matched strap of bejewelled metal is in the treasure chest, the watch should be kept at home or—for sheer utility—in the purse. The watch for evening wear has its functional aspects concealed. Its face is almost hidden in precious stones, or may be so encased that the jewel must be opened. It is worn less as a timepiece than as a bracelet, or perhaps a brooch.

The Cigarette Case

One intrusion on the elegance of a formal dinner is the too frequent practice by men of offering a lady in evening gown a cigarette from a crumpled paper package. One might as well offer candy from a subway stand in its paper container. The hostess has not proffered her food from the grocery bag. It is expected that the food will be attractively served; when a dish is a delight to the eye, it is more delectable upon the palate. Similarly a cigarette should be taken from a case that has aesthetic qualities.

The Hostess

The hostess at a formal dinner has of course greater responsibility than her guests. She should make quite clear the degree of formality intended, to prevent the bother and the embarrassment of calls to learn what sort of clothes one should wear. Beyond that, the hostess should be aware, in at least a general way, of what jewelry her guests can afford[217] and are likely to wear, and adorn herself within that range. Above all, she must be sure not to wear more elaborate jewelry than her most important guest. The considerate hostess will be in good taste, inconspicuous, content to have her guests admired. The successful party is that at which the hostess is most unobtrusive, until everyone realizes what a good time she has made it possible for them to have.

The one exception to this is an occasion at which the party is really given by the host, to mark an event important in the hostess’s life, such as a birthday or an anniversary or other time when her husband may wish to present her with a jeweled token. Then, for the special part of the evening, she may properly be the focus of attention, the sparkling cynosure of friendly eyes. But after “For she’s a jolly good fellow!” has been duly sung, the hostess should gracefully and unobtrusively become once more the catalyst of the evening, the aid in producing the desired reaction among the various elements. In recognition of her husband’s love and thoughtfulness, she should of course have him put upon her the newly given jewel.

At the White House

There are various occasions on which one may be privileged to be invited to the White House. For all of them, a woman must remember, in selecting her dress and jewels, that she is a living symbol of her own or her husband’s significance. Again, her jewels must be unostentatious, but befitting dignity and position.

For a White House luncheon, the neckline will not be low, hence no elaborate necklace will be worn. Gold should be seen on the jewels, accented with a few diamonds. Pearls with diamonds are also effectively in place. Always there is distinction, as I have said, in one earclip with a black pearl, one earclip[218] with a white, while a black and a white pearl are set together in a finger ring.

For a White House cocktail party, jewelry with diamonds and multicolored stones may be worn. Still more appropriate, with the simple cocktail dress, is a parure. An especially effective set is a pearl necklace with a diamond clasp on each side, and matching earclips, bracelet, and ring.

The President’s Dinner

For a formal dinner at the White House, marked by the presence of the President, diamond jewelry is the only kind to wear. The guest’s prominence and influence may be emphasized to the fullest degree in the elaborateness of the jewelry chosen. And this is one of the rare occasions when a woman need not be worried lest she outshine the boss’s wife. The President, after all, is the servant of the people.

The glamour and the resplendent brilliance of such a dinner must come mainly from the guests. The President and the First Lady will affect a more modest attitude, so as to give the guests full opportunity for display. She is an unusual woman who will not take that opportunity!

The most elaborate of all White House occasions is the Inauguration Dinner. For this, and for various international balls, to which the heads of the nations’ embassies are invited, there is an established set of rules of protocol. One must have these in mind, as well as one’s own position, before determining what sort of jewels to wear.

The Captain’s Dinner

On an ocean voyage, one encounters a ruler as absolute as any throned monarch. The captain is usually most genial,[219] but he is the man upon whose shoulders rests total responsibility for the vessel, the passengers, and the crew. He is an accessible ruler, however, and invites many in his shipbound world to dine with him.

Cocktails in the Captain’s private suite may precede the dinner. There will be no time for a change of clothes between, so one must go to the cocktail party prepared for dinner. And it will be a feast for the eyes as well, with many parts of the world represented. Each woman will be adorned in accordance with the customs of her land. And each must keep in mind that she is, in some measure, an ambassador. Most persons abroad have no way of judging America save through prejudiced newspaper stories and flashy Hollywood films. Among the films Hollywood sends abroad are the grim gangster melodramas and teenage delinquency films and the gaudy sentimental dream-stories with happy, wealthy endings. Our paintings and our literature give a truer picture of real Americans and for the direct, most meaningful impressions on the largest number of people, there are only our soldiers and our tourists. In spite of spread stories of military misbehavior (good news is no news) and cartoons of uncouth tourists, Americans abroad are in the main as good-natured and as decent as they are at home. The Captain’s dinner is a good place to make the pleasing first impression.

Women make a spectacle of splendor there. The Maharanees are attired in delicate draped saris, six yards or more long, with Indian jewels exquisitely and finely set in bright yellow gold. The Chinese ladies wear elaborately embroidered mandarin robes, tight-fitting and slit at the sides, with smooth green jade jewelry worn more smooth by loving generations. The English ladies will wear many sapphires, that jewel deservedly popular with them, for it is most becoming to light hair and fair complexions. The American woman must equally represent the charm and beauty of her[220] land. A wide range of jewels is appropriate here, within the limits of moderation and good taste.

Embassy Parties

In the capitals of the world, next to the formal functions of the government itself, come the parties at the embassies. Just as the embassies in Washington and the Ambassadors at the United Nations in New York hold festive parties on their national holidays, so in other lands important American holidays are celebrated by the United States Embassy. Perhaps the most famous of these is the annual party for that special American holiday, Thanksgiving.

An embassy party, however, is festive rather than official. The key is color. Diamonds will naturally flash and sparkle, elegance will prevail; but amid the brilliants there is opportunity for the display of other precious stones. As always, the central factor from which other considerations radiate is the wearer’s complexion. This has already determined the choice of emerald, ruby, or sapphire as the gem around which to build a parure. The choice of the parure leads to the color of the evening gown, which, even if mainly white, may well be touched with the chosen color. A matched necklace of the chosen precious stone interspersed with diamonds is admirable. Pearls are in place, but carefully chosen, so that their tint has part in the total harmony.

An American woman may, of course always within the bounds of good taste, wear somewhat more elaborate jewelry if the party is at a foreign embassy. If it is at the United States Embassy, she will do better, as an American citizen, to wear a more modest set of jewels, graciously giving consideration to the guests from other lands. In a sense, every American woman at a United States Embassy party is hostess.[221] She has in part probably been invited for this reason; keeping it in mind will help her select the right jewels.

Meeting Royalty

There has been a spread of royal houses across the continents, in the tumultuous years marked by two World Wars. It may well be that, in homes in the United States or abroad, a woman will be invited to a gathering at which a member of the nobility or of a royal family will be present. Whether the person is in actual power or dethroned by the vicissitudes of revolution, there is no need to wear more elaborate jewels than the occasion in itself calls for. A woman should always be herself, at her best; there is no need to seek better than that best for any nobleman. The effort would be undemocratic; the result would be overdone. Good taste, and the requirements of the particular party, formal or informal, should reign.

Good taste does suggest one specific warning: under the circumstances, in deference to the noble guest, a woman should refrain from wearing a tiara, or any head jewel resembling a coronet.

Coronation

A coronation, or a royal wedding—which usually includes the coronation of the one marrying into the reigning house—is a special function, growing less frequent in our strangely mixed times. The accession of Grace Kelly, however, to become Princess of Monaco, shows that these occasions may still spread their glamour wide.

At such events, the type of diadem or coronet each person may wear is strictly defined in regulations that for centuries[222] have been built up around the aristocracy in various lands. Manuals describe the ceremonial and the regalia in detail. An untitled woman privileged to be present will wear nothing but diamonds and precious and semiprecious stones; imitation jewelry is out of place. If she has a large diamond necklace, with pendants, there will be diamond earclips; if the necklace is a choker, the earclip may have pear-shaped diamond pendant or emerald or pearl drops. A beautiful diamond bracelet and ring will complete the regal costume.

A Queen’s Crown

The monarch’s crown, and often his consort’s or his queen’s, has of course been handed down from the heads of those that ruled before. Occasionally there is a deviation from the tradition, as at the bridal coronation of Queen Geraldine of Albania. Geraldine was a Roman Catholic countess betrothed to a Mohammedan king. A royal crown usually bears a symbol of the monarch’s faith incorporated into its design; there are religious motifs in the ornamentation. In this case, naturally, such motifs and symbolism were not to be involved.

The honor of designing Queen Geraldine’s crown was entrusted to me. My problem was to establish a royal but not a religious motif. I found it in the crest of the kings of Albania. This bears the stylized head of a rare mountain ram, which roams the snowy peaks of the beautiful Albanian mountains. A sculptured head of the ram I had encrusted with diamonds and set in the centre of the tiara; this tapered down to a border of white roses made of diamonds, the leaves fashioned of diamond baguettes—a decorative and distinctive diamond crown for the decorative and distinguished Queen Geraldine.

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When Every Woman is Queen

There is one day on which every woman is queen: her bridal day—the day when all others yield place and do her deference. And she must remember that a queen comports herself with dignity, yet is always gracious.

While to the guests a wedding is mainly a social gathering, it is also a religious occasion, and to the bridal pair a sacred service. The bride therefore, especially at the formal evening wedding, will wear only jewelry in white, diamonds or pearls. As the symbolism of the marriage will be spread with the long veil and bound into the wedding ring, jewels should be modest and few.

Earclips should be small, and carefully chosen, of diamonds in simple design. If a bracelet is worn, it should be on the right arm. The left arm and hand should be bare of ornament, the engagement ring being transferred, before the service, to stay on the right hand until the groom has slipped the wedding band on his bride’s finger. No wrist watch should be worn; on this night the groom is guardian of the hours.

A small pin in appropriate design, with diamonds and pearls, may gleam on the bosom. A four-leaf clover pattern, flowerets, lilies of the valley, a small circle of diamonds symbolizing endless love, two hearts of diamonds: any of these may be wrought, in diamonds or pearls or various combinations of the two, for an added touch of appropriate beauty.

The corsage or flower arrangement of the bride should be planned with thought of the jewels she will be wearing.

A morning wedding is less formal than the evening wedding, and one in the afternoon more informal still. With the informal dress for a morning marriage, a gold clip and gold jewelry are in place. In the afternoon, or in the morning if it is planned to depart at once on the honeymoon, a hat or a[224] cap-like covering may be worn. Precious stones other than diamonds are suitable with such a garb, but should preferably be of one color, selected to blend with the wedding ensemble. With a light suit or long-sleeve dress, no bracelet is desired. An evening marriage is more formal, more elaborate, but never more festive; at any practical hour there is joy at a wedding, and there should be jeweled beauty for the bride.

The Bridesmaids

The bridesmaids should recognize that they are present to provide a beautiful frame for a beautiful picture. When the bouquet and the garter have been tossed and the toasted couple has gone, the bridesmaids may have moments of their own; but at the wedding they are charming accessories. As such, they should blend into the pattern set by the bride. The bride-to-be, in fact, has selected the color scheme that the bridesmaids will carefully follow. If they do not all have gowns of the same design, these should be planned carefully so that no one outshines the others, or draws attention from the bride.

This balance should be maintained also, in the bridesmaids’ choice of jewels. It may be that a simple pin or pair of earclips will be a gift to each bridesmaid; such a jewel should of course be worn. If any necklace is worn, it should be small. Pearl or gold earclips, without pendants, should be chosen to blend with the person and the costume, not to stand out. A small gold clip, with perhaps one precious stone or a small pattern, will not be too conspicuous. There may be one gold bracelet, not wide. Such jewels will preserve the individual grace of the bridesmaid while softening her into the harmony of the whole, as a background of youth and loveliness for the bride.

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The Mother of the Bride

As every mother knows, her proudest moment is not that of her own wedding, but that when she watches her daughter being wed. This is the altar of her dreams. The mother of the bride symbolizes the continuance of tradition, the unity of the family, the onward flow of the race. She will dominate the hour before the ceremony, and she will continue to receive congratulations and good wishes as she presides over the festivity long after the bride and groom have slipped away.

The mother of the bride may therefore wear more elaborate and more colorful jewelry than the bride herself. The bride is adorned for the occasion, her mother is adorned for the guests. The mother may wear, then, important and imposing items: earclips, necklace, ring (not too many rings!), bracelet, and brooch. Equally she may choose among her jewels those that together show to best advantage, diamonds combined with rubies, sapphires, or what she will. Good taste will be her criterion; her desire, to make her daughter as proud as she is happy. There may perhaps also be the suggestion in her costume that, mother though she is, she still possesses freshness, vitality, and youth.

Even at the most formal wedding, however, the mother should not wear a tiara unless it is a treasured heirloom and thus a matter of family tradition.

What has been said of the mother of the bride holds as well—with a touch more of simplicity—for the mother of the groom.

The Wedding Guests

A late afternoon wedding in a church may be followed by a dinner in a hotel or hall or home, nearby; or the formal[226] ceremony at night might be performed in the special room of the hotel at which the dinner is to take place. Usually the movement is directly from the ceremony to the celebration.

In Europe, when days were bright and frontiers uncurtained, there was frequently time allowed after the ceremony for dresses to be changed before the party. More decorative or elaborate gowns were put on, not infrequently picturesque local or national costumes—and livelier jewels. Sometimes this practice is allowed in the United States, especially when an afternoon wedding in June is held outdoors, on the lawn or in the garden.

Then the change should be into brighter colors. Each bridesmaid can again blossom in her own individuality. Gold gleams at the ears, around the neck. Heirlooms and other special pieces may add to one’s adornment. There is open field, now, in anticipation of the next wedding. There is no need to fear outshining the bride; she is already far away, in body and mind, with the man to whom she is giving her richest jewel.

The Newborn

A newborn child should not be presented with an important piece of jewelry, unless this has been specifically left for that occasion by the will of a wealthy grandfather or maiden great-aunt.

The babe will smile just as pleasantly at the more appropriate charm adorned with its birthstone, or a lucky locket, or an amulet to protect it against evil. The month in which, the day on which, and the star under which a child is born, all have their special stones. These may be incorporated separately, according as the donor evaluates their power—or all together, if the donor wishes to take no chances—in a little[227] jewel. More specifically religious symbols, or tokens of a saint or a guardian angel, are of course appropriate. A peaceful animal, such as a lamb, in enamel outlined in gold, or itself golden, makes a fitting gift for the newborn child.

Thus the rules of jewelry etiquette begin at the beginning of life.

The Anniversary

Naturally, as the anniversaries roll around, adding on new year after year, a woman wants to continue looking and feeling young. For the effect of youth, flower motifs in the jewelry ensemble are the most flattering.

When these are made out of diamonds and colored stones, a little imagination can combine them beautifully in a flower cluster or corsage. Thus another piece of flower jewelry is always welcome; it may not only be worn, but most appropriately be given, at an anniversary.

Table of Anniversary Gifts

For those who wish to observe wedding anniversaries with an appropriate gift, they are here listed.

Anniversary of Wedding	Gift
Third	Crystal
Fifth	Silver
Tenth	Diamond
Eleventh	Gold or silver jewelry
Twelfth	Pearls or colored gems
Fourteenth	Gold
Twentieth	Platinum[228]
Twenty-fifth	Silver Jubilee
Thirtieth	Diamond
Thirty-fifth	Jade
Fortieth	Ruby
Forty-fifth	Sapphire
Fiftieth	Golden Jubilee
Fifty-fifth	Emerald
Sixtieth	Diamond Jubilee

For those who prefer to observe the older, less commercialized—at least, unmodernized—associations, here is the traditional list:

Fifth	Wooden
Tenth	Tin
Fifteenth	Crystal
Twentieth	China
Twenty-fifth	Silver
Fiftieth	Golden
Sixtieth	Diamond

While these associations may help suggest a gift, they should not be felt as in any way binding. The desire of the woman, the taste of the man, the discovery of a superb jewel in a shop, or a talk with a designer, may any of them shape the decision and the gift. A flower design, as I have said, is always attractive. And if one comes upon a fine one, why wait for an anniversary? Alice looked up in Wonderland to remark that she preferred unbirthday presents to birthday presents, because there could be so many more of them. An unexpected gift can be a bright surprise, and make any day a rich occasion.

The More Solemn Time

A wedding and a christening form occasions when happiness and piety are intertwined. On other religious occasions,[229] the gaiety gives way to solemnity, or is overcome by sadness. At these graver times, there is a concordant change in the selection of jewels.

Audience with the Pope

A telephone call and a friendly word may admit one to a group audience with the Pope. This may be a happy, but it is also an awesome occasion, for the Pope is the avowed divinely appointed supreme authority of the longest-lasting institution in human history, the Roman Catholic Church.

The procedure surrounding such an audience is set down and long established. A woman who enters the audience chamber does not come to be noticed, much less admired; she is there to participate in a service. The solemnity and significance of the occasion make all adornment out of place, with the exception of very simple jewelry of black jet.

In Mourning

At funerals and for visits of condolence, dark clothing should be accompanied by very few if any jewels. It is a gesture of sympathy to the bereaved to come to them unadorned.

In many countries it is the custom for the bereaved to put away all their bright gems and colored jewelry, for the entire period of mourning. Special jewelry is made for the mourning months. This may include a memorial ring in gold, with some token of the beloved dead. Otherwise, the jewelry for this period will be limited to pieces made of black enamel and jet. During the period of semi-mourning, which extends for the second six months, the more unobtrusive colors may be chosen from the jewel chest, and begin to reappear. But[230] a full year will pass, save for most exceptional circumstances, before the bright constellation of jewels again takes the ascendant.

Other Observations

A few more general observations may be made, in the field of the etiquette of jewelry.

The time of day has a share in the determination of the jewelry. Just as a gourmet never smokes before the coffee, so a woman of taste never wears diamonds before lunch. In the evening, conversely, save on the most informal occasions such as a surprise party or an outing, she will not wear a tailored piece of leather, silver, or wood.

Color Combinations

Gems of various colors may be combined on a single piece, but it is inharmonious to wear two jewels of differently colored stones. Thus a tiara of rubies will clash with a necklace of emeralds; a sapphire bracelet will war against a pair of ruby earclips. The colors may not be at odds, but the jewels instead of blending will vie with one another; the effect will be of discord instead of harmony. Sets of matching jewels enhance one another, and ameliorate the wearer’s measure of beauty.

Restraint

Jewels in too many places create a confused rather than a blending effect. If earclips, necklace and a dress clip are worn,[231] a jeweled comb or hair-clasp will add an excessive touch, unless the jeweled part is visible only from the back. An exception to this is the tiara, which adds regal height and dignity, but of course a tiara is worn only with a décolleté gown on a most formal occasion. If a tiara is worn, the other jewels should match it in period design, antique, classical, romantic, or modernistic.

Eyeglasses

I have already mentioned eyeglasses. The simpler these are, the better. Certainly they should not gleam with gold nor glitter with rhinestones when one is wearing earclips. The meretricious sparkle of the eyeglass rims draws attention from the earclips—which is the reverse of the proper procedure, for well designed clips can lure attention away from the glasses.

The Lorgnette

A woman who wears eyeglasses will be pleasantly surprised if, for more formal occasions, she tries the effects of the lorgnon or lorgnette. Whereas eyeglasses, fixed upon the face, tend to fight with the features or with other accessories, the lifted lorgnette becomes not only an adornment but a weapon. As much as the once universal fan, it can play a part in the charms of coquetry, and add to the eloquence of the various gestures of gay conversation or romance. In itself, the lorgnette can be a beautiful jewel, in gold or platinum and precious stones. In the hands of a graceful woman, it can considerably embellish her beauty, and is an adjunct to an evening’s enjoyment that should be more widely employed.

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The Corsage

There are many festive occasions on which a corsage is a fit and flattering decoration. It will, however, weaken the effect of a pin or a clip nearby. Variations in position, of either the clip or the corsage, may preserve the full values of each.

A corsage need not always adorn a dress at the shoulder. It may be fastened at the waist, or on the evening bag, or even, if properly sized, on the back of the wrist. If it does seem especially becoming at the shoulder, or if the woman wishes to thank the donor by wearing it thus prominently, then the clip may be the ornament that is transferred. It may find a suitable place on the bag, the belt, the veil, the hair. A band of velvet around the wrist, of the same color as the dress, may have the clip caught into its bowknot. If the clip is of diamonds, it may be attached to a pearl necklace or bracelet. In any of these ways, and more, the clip and the corsage may be made not to clash but to combine for beauty.

Embroidery

On an embroidered blouse it is best not to wear jewelry. Certainly no brooch. Perhaps a skinpin, judiciously placed above the blouse, can add to the harmony. This, and earclips, ring, or bracelet must be carefully chosen, so that their colors and the embroidery do not clash. Plain gold is best, especially for the bracelet.

More About Bracelets

Flexible link bracelets and stiff charm or bangle bracelets should not be worn together. They battle for predominance.

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Many women prize bracelets, and have a large collection of different sorts. They can be found in innumerable designs, of beautiful antique and challenging modern, also in many materials and various colors of metals, and set with a wide range of color in stones. It is a delight to form and to build such a collection. But in deciding which bracelet to use, discrimination must be summoned. One or two that harmonize with each other and the dress, and fit the degree of formality of the occasion, should be chosen and will catch the admiring eye.

Among current favorites is the charm bracelet. This can be most attractive, although only a teenage subdebutante will breeze into a room with a tinkling of several bracelets laden with charms. One such bracelet can have pleasantly and decoratively dangling mementos of special events and occasions. I know a well-traveled young woman who adds a golden token of each new country and important city she visits: among her dangles of wrought gold and stones are a Mexican peon, a Balinese dancer, a gondola, the Eiffel Tower, the volcano Fujiyama, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There is also a heart, to indicate another region of her travels.

Queen Elizabeth I had so many dangles that she used not a bracelet but a girdle, which held keys, a pair of scissors, and even the fork—a new luxury in her days!—she used at the table. Beside these around the royal waist, there hung “a round clock fullie garnished with dyamondes,” and a prayer book two and a half inches long, bound in gold and set with a cameo.

A pendant birthstone, the three monkeys that see, hear, and speak no evil, and various lucky charms are also fit for dangles. Such items, gathered through fortunate finds, add a personal and distinctive touch, and convert an otherwise common ornament into an interesting jewel.

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More About Rings

Never should rings be worn on different fingers of the same hand. In other words, counting the engagement and marriage rings as one, one should wear one ring on one hand at one time. Have many rings, if you wish, but wear them in succession.

If the left hand is bound by the wedding pair, the middle finger of the right hand might be the place for a fine touch of color, in a plain band, or one ringed with small diamonds, with a large central colored stone.

The only ones by general consent allowed to wear many rings on many fingers are the dowagers who can (and do) recall their youth in Queen Victoria’s days.

Gold Jewels

Gold jewelry, without colored stones, may be termed neutral; that is, any such piece will harmonize with other jewels. A plain gold bracelet or watch, for example, may be worn with a gold and pearl ensemble. Similarly, a plain gold piece can be worn with a multicolored jewel—if the gold in the two pieces is of the same shade. Gold jewels, however, should not be worn with other metals, such as diamonds set in platinum. Silver, gold, platinum, or palladium: the same metal should characterize the ensemble.

In the Spotlight

There will be occasions, in many women’s lives, when they will officially be the center of attention. The various observations just made apply all the more strongly then.

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One may be summoned for an appearance on television, or as the speaker at a gathering or meeting. Or one may, indeed, be in a profession that calls for frequent public performance, as on the concert stage. I do not speak of acting, or of singing in opera, for in such situations the part naturally determines the costume.

A violinist, obviously, should wear no earclips or ring or shoulder piece. A hair jewel is appropriate, and perhaps a touch of jewelry at the waist. A pianist likewise should wear no adornment on hand or arm—a bracelet, moving and gleaming as the fingers flit along the keys, would be most distracting. In this case a diamond earclip would be appropriate, or perhaps a jeweled pin in the hair on the side toward the audience. The essential, for such performers, is to avoid distracting jewels.

For a speaker at a meeting, or on television with the world watching, the general principle of suiting the adornment to the personality holds. Neither a singer nor a speaker, of course, should use pendants, which by movement with the motion of the head would attract undue attention.

With a low-cut gown, the necklace should not be a choker (which might seem to move as one speaks) but a loose band, following the line of the dress. It might be safer, indeed, to avoid the necklace. Instead, with a V-neck dress, one large clip or pin will sufficiently hold the eye. With a square-neck dress, a pair of smaller clips, one at each corner, will be unobtrusively attractive.

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The cornerstone in the etiquette of jewels, whether one is the center of all eyes or one of a party, remains erect on three values: good taste, harmony, and beauty.

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It is indeed a gift, not shared by all, to be able to select a truly appropriate present, one that fits the occasion, the recipient and the donor. Without this threefold accord, something will seem lacking in even the most expensive bestowal.

Give Yourself

Americans have long recognized the complex ties of sentiment that should come together in the neat bowknot of a gift. Emerson devoted an essay to the subject, making the point that the best gift is one that includes a part of oneself. Lowell, in his great poem The Vision of Sir Launfal, compresses the same idea into a trenchant line: “The gift without the giver is bare.” We are not all—like grandmother, each of whose six grandchildren received a linen table set embroidered by her own hands—able to create our presents; but we can all choose thoughtfully, so that to the gift clings some savor of our personality.

Nothing is more disappointing—even to those who expected nothing—than to receive a box of candy evidently picked up at the corner store, or a bottle of quick-bought wine or whisky. If the wine is of a rare vintage, the gift shows taste[238] in the donor and respect for the recipient; but other considerations should be weighed too.

Gifts of Lasting Value

Obviously, a gift quickly consumed and soon forgotten is less prized than one that provides a lengthy or a permanent memento of the occasion. A good wrist watch, appropriately engraved, may cost no more than a case of whisky; instead of the bottle of perfume there might be a memorable charm. Such gifts are evidence of thoughtfulness and warm affection; they are not transitory; they abide.

Most occasions for bestowing presents are heart-entangled; a gift is a sign of a sentimental attachment. Some such occasions are touched upon in other parts of this book; here the emphasis is more practical, indicating the lines along which proper choice should be made. But whatever sort of gift is suggested for any particular occasion, it is still the donor’s concern to show that this is not just a routine purchase, but one that has been made with affectionate care.

Gifts to the Baby

As I have already pointed out, the etiquette of jewelry begins with the newborn babe. The little charms may be heart-shaped, or a tiny hand of coral. There may be a small string of turquoises as a bracelet, long believed sure to keep the infant from falling. One of the gifts a child will come to prize more and more as the years go by is a little necklace of pearls—to which at each birthday another choice pearl or two are added, until the budding young woman has a beautiful string.

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To the Mother Too

Among European aristocratic families it is the pleasant practice to present a gift to the mother, as well as to the newborn child. The husband can express his joy no more satisfactorily than by a precious jewel. This might be of pearls or diamonds, to be added to on subsequent birthdays.

In royal houses, especially on the birth of the first male, elaborate gifts were showered on the mother not only by the family, but by the people, the state, and other royal houses. Outstandingly luxurious are some of the jewels created by Fabergé for the lavish Czars of Russia to present at the time of a noble birth.

As the Child Grows

Birthdays for the growing girl or boy are likely, in the earlier years, to include many books and toys; but, for the girl, earclips, lockets, charms, and brooches may be given, including if possible the appropriate birthstone.

Graduation from high school may be fitly marked by a gold pin or a watch; often the school has its seal available on a gold ring or pin. And in the fall, if the young lady goes on to college, a small pin or clip with her initials in gold is an appropriate and traditional gift.

St. Valentine’s Day

Perhaps the casual or humorous Valentine is to be replaced by more serious sentiments, and more memorable gifts. Dress clips, earclips, money clips, and tie clips are all appropriate in the shape of a heart.

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A heart-shaped locket may open, to set a picture inside. Gems are cut heart-shape: the topaz, the amethyst, the diamond. These gems may be set in a ring, or the ring itself may bear a heart of precious metal. But remember the warning in the chapter on rings: the ring is a jewel of binding symbol, and should be given or exchanged only when the tie is truly close.

College Days

Certain occasions in college dictate not only their own jewels but the manner of their presentation. A sorority or fraternity pin may be designed with different varieties or qualities of gem, but in all likelihood there will be one type, and one formal occasion on which it is conferred upon the happy initiate. Similarly, the Phi Beta Kappa key and the insignia of other honorary societies are prescribed by tradition and won by merit.

When a young man and a young woman exchange such pins, however, time is approaching for the lasting ties. Gift-giving is one of the pleasures of courtship. On many a night a corsage or a box of bonbons is quite in place; but more significant, and a richer testimony to one’s love, are the twin friendship rings, or the farther-progressed lovers’ knots which can be found in earclips, rings, and brooches.

The Wedding Day

The engagement ring marks the promise, the wedding ring marks the fulfilment. But the wedding ring is a symbol upon which the ages have set their approving stamp; it is not a gift. Some special token of the groom’s appreciation and love[241] should warm the heart of the bride. Tradition suggests a necklace, which in its way is also a binding symbol. What it is made of depends wholly on the groom. It may be a plain gold band, or a golden series of little leaves, or of orange blossoms. It may be of pearls with a diamond clasp; it may be all of diamonds.

Whatever the material of the necklace, it should be of a fashion appropriate for a maid; nothing heavy, nothing with an air of sophistication; something of almost fragile grace, suggesting youth and simple feminine charm.

For the Bridesmaids

The matron of honor and the bridesmaids should receive their gifts from the bride at a luncheon or other occasion, such as the rehearsal, as close as possible to the ceremony. She will by that time know what they are wearing and fit her gifts to their gowns. Among appropriate gifts are gold charm bracelets, disks, cigarette boxes, powder compacts, lipstick holders, and the like. These should be engraved with the date of the wedding, the name of the happy couple, and a memorable phrase. If the jewels are such as have no proper space for engraving, the box that contains the jewel should be embossed with the initials or name of the couple, and the appropriate words.

For the Ushers

The groom in similar fashion, and with the same engraving, makes his gifts to the best man and the ushers. In gold, he may choose tie pins and clips, cuff links, money clips, key chains, toothpicks. Pencils and fountain pens are appropriate,[242] or silver letter-openers, with the box or the article bearing the signs of the occasion.

Other Gifts to the Bride

In addition to any more substantial contribution to the hopes and happiness of the newlyweds, the parents of the groom should give their daughter-in-law-elect a gift that she will wear on her wedding day. This will usually take the form of a brooch or clip. A flower design is always appropriate; more playfully accordant is a clip of a four-leaf clover or of bells, in diamonds.

Perhaps the most touching among the wedding gifts is that which comes to the bride from the grandmother. In many cases, it will be a jewel that grandmother wore on her own wedding day; it is thus not only a precious but a tender link that helps bind the family through the generations.

Parents’ Days

When time comes around for Mother’s Day, then Father’s Day, we realize that all through the year our parents’ love reaches out to us and deserves our grateful thoughts. Every day is a day to honor one’s parents. They have shown us that love is the one gift one need not earn. “Home,” says the poet, “is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

But on the special day set aside for Mother, children may combine to give her a bracelet on which charms commemorate happy family times, or list the names of children, grandchildren, and—if the years are generous—great-grandchildren.[243] A tree of life, a family tree, or various brooches, make excellent gifts.

Gifts for Father are likely to be simpler. Gold cuff links suggest themselves, shaped in his initials. A gold pencil or pen, a key ring, or—if it does not seem too much like a hint!—a money clip, may all be appropriately inscribed, as a tribute to the person commonly called the head of the family.

For Later Birthdays

Birthday presents become more complicated, and longer cherished, after childhood. The older one grows—in spite of the jesting about beginning to count backwards—the more one should have absorbed of the wisdom of life, and the more endeared one should be to friends and family.

For one’s wife, one may add a tender touch to a bracelet or other jewel, by a secret message others will not guess. Thus the first letters of four stones set in this order—diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby—spell Dear. One can form an alphabet of stones from which many hidden messages can be conveyed to the loved one alone.

For a man, a beautiful birthday gift is a ring with a star ruby, a star sapphire, or a cat’s-eye, set in simple heavy metal, gold, platinum or palladium. A plain gold signet ring is in good taste, or one with initials sculptured of the metal.

Remember, in buying a ring for a man, that it should be solid; for a big man, quite a heavy band. A man pays little attention to his jewelry, once he has put it on, and gives it the hardest wear. He keeps on his ring, for example, while driving his car, swinging through a round of golf, even performing a quick repair job in the house or working through some “do it yourself” mechanics.

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Gifts For the Man

Whatever a man needs, he probably has. Most gifts to men, therefore, such as cuff links, provide them with another jewel of a kind they already possess. This should be no deterrent, however, for what a man prizes is less the gift itself than the feeling that inspired it.

I will venture the suggestion that man is the sentimental sex. If there is evidence of thoughtfulness behind the gift, he will doubly cherish it. Those cuff links, for example, can be chosen in a pattern that suggests one of his special interests or brings memories of some incident shared only by his wife.

The Wife’s Role

Every business and professional man is aware of the importance of proper appearance. Many, however, do not have the time a woman has to shop and weigh and consider. Some, indeed, would not think it becoming in a man to spend much time seeking items for his personal embellishment. Yet he likes to be well dressed and is naturally pleased when his good taste in accessories is admired.

It is thus often the wife’s role to see that her husband is fitly equipped. No well groomed man overlooks the place of jewelry in his dress, but his choice is likely to be quick, almost slap-bang. It is a further sign of her love that the wife takes it upon herself to make meticulous choices for him. It is as important for a man to wear the right jewelry as it is to wear a clean, well-fitting shirt.

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The Right Accessories

However elegant a man’s wristwatch, there is, for formal occasions, greater distinction in a thin pocket watch. With a fraternity key, a pocket watch and chain are also appropriate, or else a key ring and chain.

Tie clips and money clips may be secured in many varieties.

A superb and truly masculine pair of cuff links can be fashioned of twenty-four carat gold nuggets. Although not shiny, they have an unmistakably precious look; and, as a gift, they capture the genuineness of the feeling in the purest of gold.

The Personal Touch

A wise and thoughtful—not to say loving—woman will add a personal touch that marks the gift as something intimately shared. A few words engraved on the gift, a date significant in the two lives—it may be the anniversary of their first meeting—add a special significance that makes the gift a treasure.

Just as there may be secrets caught into a gift to a woman, as when the jewels spell out a sentiment, so a gift to a man may have its values multiplied by a hidden message. That bar on the key chain, for example: who but the two concerned know that it can open and reveal a tiny picture of the beloved? Inside the ring may be their linked initials. In many ways which will suggest themselves, according to the events in the particular couple’s life, a secret shared in the gift keeps the love twinkling.

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Special Gifts

On various business and professional occasions, certain gifts have become established by long practice. A twenty-fifth or other such anniversary in business relations is appropriately marked by the gift of a gold watch. Executives leaving their company may be given gold cigarette boxes or cases.

To mark special appreciation of an employee, gold cuff links bearing the seal of the company are a frequent testimonial. A gold watch may mark his long and faithful service.

Various professions have their honors, as when a doctor is received into the association of his specialty; in such cases there are usually insignia that can be wrought into the gift.

Historic Gifts

Among givers of gifts, perhaps the nobles and the Czars of Russia have been most lavish. The painted Easter eggs of the Russians are widely known, and many amusing and artistic designs have been painted on actual eggs. But the Easter egg jewels made by Fabergé are gem-studded works of the lapidary’s art.

Czars and Emperors—Nicholas, Franz Josef—have bestowed upon persons, who caught their favor, watches initialed in diamonds. Sometimes, however, the Czar merely ordered the bestowal of the gift, leaving the details to an officer of the court. This happened after the first command performance of Chaliapin who scornfully refused the proffered watch, saying that the Czar had never sent him that! Shortly after, Chaliapin received another watch, this one with the Imperial coat-of-arms in diamonds.

For King Zog of Albania, our firm developed a jewel that has grown in popularity: a watch so thin that it is fitted inside[247] of a hollowed coin. Those coins bore a relief of King Zog on one side, his coat-of-arms on the other; the watches were presented to high officers for supremacy in horsemanship and other contests.

The Presentation of a Gift

In the United States, where the packaging industry has achieved consummate skills, the way in which a gift is presented is particularly important. The care taken in selecting the jewel must be reflected in the container. The first thing the recipient sees is the wrapping; this must quicken the anticipation of the surprise and delight inside.

Naturally, the gift comes wrapped by the jeweler. It should be left that way. A precious jewel will be encased in a fine leather or velvet box. To this, the jeweler has given considerable thought, selecting shape, size, color, and material that will display the particular jewel to best advantage. Often, when I design a piece of jewelry, I am asked to suggest how to package it for presentation. The box, then, is a carefully chosen background for the jewel.

For an especially significant gift, it can be arranged to have the box embossed in gold with the initials or name of the person receiving it, and the date of the special occasion.

Without taking the jewel out of its wrapping and box, there are many ways in which an added personal arrangement may grace the giving. The jewelry box, for instance, may be adorned with a single rose, or a few of the lady’s favorite flowers, or flowers associated with a mutual memory. Or the florist may be asked to place the jewelry box inside the cellophane box that holds a corsage or an orchid. The flower brings its own pleasure, then multiplied by the surprise of the jewel.

The sweet tingle of surprise may also be increased by[248] enclosing the jewelry box in a larger one, which disguises the typical shape of the gift box. If the gift is a bracelet, it might well be tucked into a glove box, along with a pair of gloves. Or the jewel may be innocently placed in a drawer of a little antique jewelry case; on opening the attractive case, behold! the attractive jewel.

At Christmas time, the box can be set upon the tree. Still more appealing would be a separate tree, such as those little artificial ones, the sole ornament of which is the box with the proffered jewel.

In the Middle Ages, when jewels were thought to have special powers to preserve health, to ward off evil, they were thus effective only when received as a gift. The gift of jewels still has a special power, beyond the intrinsic value of the gems carrying the weight of love, establishing a memento and sustaining the sentiments that build into happy lives.

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The Techniques
and Care of Jewels

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I have been using the terminology of the field of gems and jewelry, taking it for granted that the meanings would be understood. Perhaps it is time to make these terms more precise.

Definitions

A jewel, or a piece of jewelry, is a costly ornament, especially of gold, platinum, or precious stones; or of stones set in one of these metals.

A precious stone is one highly prized for human adornment. Its value is measured mainly by its beauty, its rarity, and its durability. The precious stones are, by general understanding, limited to the diamond, the ruby, the emerald, and the sapphire. The pearl, though strictly not a stone and far less durable, is nevertheless, because of its beauty and the rarity of superb specimens, included among the precious gems.

A gem is a precious stone of rare quality, especially when cut and polished. All other stones used in jewelry are semiprecious.

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Light on the Stones

Stones may be characterized according to their response to light. Lustrous stones are those which catch the light brilliantly and glow almost as though with an inner flame. The cutting of the gem may aid in this effect, as with the diamond. Vitreous stones are of the glassy type, not lustrous. These may be transparent, permitting one to see objects clearly through the stone, like a fine crystal; or they may be translucent, permitting one to see light and shadow but not distinct objects through the stone. When light falls upon such translucent stones as moss agate, moonstone and agate, there is a soft glow.

Or stones may be opaque, permitting no passage of light, like the turquoise. Because of their crystalline structure, even the opaque stones, however, may respond glowingly to light. Sometimes when the stone was formed, tiny cracks or bubbles stayed between the crystals. As the stone is moved, these cracks cause a play of prismatic colors which seems almost the sparking of an inner fire. To the names of such stones the term fire is prefixed; they are extremely rare and beautiful. The Empress Josephine had a fire opal so remarkably aflame that she called it “The Burning of Troy.”

Star Gems

Another variation from regularity, which can scarcely be called an imperfection or a flaw, enhances the beauty and the value of a precious stone. A certain break or tiny space in the crystalline structure may produce a radiation of three lines crossing at a single point, giving the effect of a six-pointed star. The star ruby and the star sapphire are among the most highly prized of all gems.

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The Pearl

The pearl has been described as “a disease of the oyster.” A tiny foreign object, such as a grain of sand or a chip off the inside of the shell (this inside is called nacre or mother-of-pearl) becomes imbedded in the oyster itself; it is, of course, an irritant. Drawing upon its natural resources but unable to expel the foreigner, the oyster protects itself by isolating the intruder, building around the speck a thin layer of an iridescent fluid, similar to that which lines the oyster shell. This fluid hardens, layer after layer. Given proper time—about four or five years—and the proper species of oyster—not the kind commonly used for food—and a pearl is born.

A cultured pearl differs from an imitation pearl much as a synthetic differs from a paste stone. A cultured pearl is naturally developed by an oyster which has been artificially inseminated. Man starts the process, the oyster carries it through. About 1920 an ingenious Japanese inserted a tiny bead of mother-of-pearl into an oyster; the result was the first cultured pearl. Since the oyster is first captured, then inoculated, then released under controlled conditions, the processes of production can be kept less haphazard, the time speeded and the quantity increased. As with synthetic gems, however, there are tiny indications, in structure, in lustrousness, by which the cultured may be distinguished from the native pearl.

Cutting the Stones

I have mentioned that the cutting may help to bring out the brilliance of a stone. There are two main types of cutting: the cabochon, used from earliest times; and the faceting, used increasingly over the past four centuries. Each is still valued for particular stones and purposes.

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Cabochon

A stone cabochon cut is cut in a smooth upward (convex) curve, like the arc of a circle or an ellipse. Most frequent is the medium cut, a smooth oval with the under surface flat. The steep cut produces a dome-like effect, as of a small haystack or high mound. In the hollow cut, the upper surface is convex and the lower surface is concave, the effect being that of a small bar curving upward. The fourth commonly used cabochon cut is the double cut, the upper surface curving up and the lower surface curving down, like a tiny elongated football. Which of these cuts is used depends partly upon the jewel for which the stone is intended, but mainly upon the original shape and coloring of the stone.

Facets

Transparent and translucent stones which seem to have radiance are usually made more beautiful by faceting. A facet is a small, smooth face or plane surface; a number of these are cut upon a gem.

In most facet-cut gems five regions can be distinguished. The table—the top of the stone—is usually flat, though it may be slightly domed; it is usually the largest of the facets, though the size may vary according to the stone and the type of cut. The bezel is the slope from the top, consisting of slanted, smooth faces that may proceed in various planes or by ninety-degree “steps” down to the girdle. The girdle is the widest part, the “equator,” of the cut stone; it is here that the setting is usually attached. The pavilion is the part that slants down from the girdle to the culet, which is the bottom point of the stone. Sometimes the stone is slightly truncate; that is, it is cut to a small flat surface, instead of a point, at the culet. More[263] generally, the part of the stone above the girdle is the crown; the part below the base.

Types of Faceting

There are many patterns of faceting. Six are fairly common.

1. Brilliant. This is used especially for large diamonds, which are then often called brilliants. The gem is cut as though two pyramids with sixteen-sided bases were placed base against base, the points at opposite ends. The upper point is truncated, to form the table. Brilliant-cut gems usually have 58 facets, 33 above the girdle, 25 below. For the sake of the superb light effects achieved by this cut, there is often sacrificed a considerable portion of the original stone.

2. Rose. This may be used for smaller diamonds and other gems. The rose cut is circular, with the table slightly domed. It is flat underneath. The part above the girdle is usually cut into 24 equal facets.

3. Square. This cut, as its name indicates, provides a square table. The facets are cut parallel to the girdle, both above it and below. Since they will thus seem to be proceeding downward in a succession of steps, this is also called the step cut.

4. Emerald. The emerald cut may have either a square or an oblong table. The corners, instead of being pointed and at right angles as in the square cut, are cut off and faceted. As the name implies, this is a frequent cut for the emerald, but the topaz, amethyst, aquamarine, and other stones—even the diamond—may be square cut or emerald cut.

5. Marquise. The marquise cut is somewhat like an oval, but pointed at the ends: boat-shaped. It is sometimes called navette.

6. Pear-shape. This very fancy shape is cut like a marquise[264] but with one side rounded out, giving a tear or drop-like appearance. It lends itself very well to free-hanging parts on necklaces and earclips. This cut is growing in popularity for an engagement ring.

There are many other possibilities of special faceting and fancy cuts. Stones may be cut in the shape of a kite, a keystone, a lozenge, a triangle, a half-moon or other figure. Popular among special shapes is the baguette, “little stick,” in which the stone is cut to resemble a small rod.

Increasingly in recent years, especially as a sentimental souvenir and even more in the new engagement rings, diamonds are being cut heart-shaped. This is a difficult and a costly pattern to produce since not every diamond lends itself to be cut into heart shape.

Facet cuts have come to be far more frequent than cabochon. Cabochon, usually in a medium cut, is still used for star rubies and star sapphires, as its smooth surface most lavishly displays the radiance of the star. Also, the moving band of light in the cat’s-eye and the reflection in the moonstone are at their best in cabochon. When the color in a ruby, garnet, or sapphire is beautifully deep, the curve of the cabochon takes fullest advantage of that depth and richness. Cabochon cut is also used for most opaque stones, as the opal, the turquoise, and the jade. The baguette cut is most often used around a ring, or as a frame for larger stones. Each cut has its separate beauty, and is designed to bring out the richest qualities of its gem.

Hardness of the Stones

One reason for the pre-eminence of the diamond is its indestructibility. It is by far the hardest of all stones. Setting the standard of the diamond at ten, a table has been made of descending[265] hardness. The whole numbers on this scale are marked as follows:

10	diamond
9	corundum
8	topaz
7	quartz
6	feldspar
5	apatite
4	fluorspar
3	calcite
2	gypsum
1	talc

It is at once obvious that few of these are precious, or even semi-precious, stones. What must be noted is that this list is not a proportionate scale; that is, it indicates order, but by no means any specific degree of hardness. The difference in hardness between the diamond and its neighbor, corundum, is greater than that between corundum and talc. The best that can be said is that, as they are arranged, each one can scratch all those listed below it.

Thus there is no other stone that can scratch a diamond. The old saying “diamond cut diamond” means that two champions are evenly matched, and diamonds can be cut and polished only in this fashion. A wheel of corundum or other substance is coated with diamond dust; when this is applied to a diamond stone, an equal process of attrition takes place; diamond dust is worn off both the wheel and the stone. This dust, of course, may be used for further cutting and polishing to make the finished stone.

The cutting referred to here is the shaping of the facets and the surfaces of the stone; for most crystalline formations, however hard, are brittle; that is, they may be split or cleaved along the lines of the crystal edge. This accounts for both the possibility and the danger of cleaving the raw diamond.[266] Formed under tremendous pressure beneath the surface of the earth, a diamond may be distorted in its growth; it may be an unshapely and often a fairly large stone, which must be cleft to a proper shape and size for setting. This cleaving, effected by a single hammer tap, is made only after minute examination and re-examination—sometimes a year’s pondering—by an anxious expert. After this cleavage, a diamond will be much smaller than when it was mined, but it counterbalances the loss of size by the greater brilliance and beauty the new shape discloses. The Kohinoor diamond was over 700 carats when it was found; when cut it was no more than 186⅙ carats; and since then it was recut, as a brilliant, to its present weight of 106⅙ carats. Sculpture has been defined as the process of removing the excess from the marble statue already within the block; how much more this is true of the precious stone, which the lapidary releases from its dull confinement!

Diamond dust, black diamonds, and hard metals may be used to shape, engrave and polish the other stones. A list of some of the stones frequently used in ornaments and jewels would rank them, for hardness, in the following order:

diamond	10
sapphire	9
ruby	8.8
chrysoberyl	8.5
spinel	8
topaz	8
aquamarine	8
emerald	7.8
zircon	7.8
tourmaline	7.5
amethyst	7
bloodstone	7
chalcedony	7
onyx	7[267]
jade	6.5
peridot	6.3
moonstone	6.3
turquoise	6
opal	6
lapis lazuli	5.2
pearl	4
malachite	3.5
coral	3.5
amber	2.5
jet	2.5

Qualities of a Stone

The qualities that determine the value of a stone are difficult to specify. Hardness, size, weight and shape are obvious elements. Lustre and the powers of reflecting and refracting light clearly contribute to the value. The manner in which a stone is cut may add to its value, either because of the light effects or because of the interesting shape. One might expect perfection, freedom from flaw, to be important, and indeed in the diamond this is so. The most common flaw in the diamond, by the way, is not a crack but a speck or tiny specks of carbon remaining between the crystals, the diamond being a crystallized form of carbon. In other stones—as we have observed of the star ruby, the star sapphire and the cat’s eye—a physical flaw may result in a greater aesthetic desirability. Other special features may enhance the value of a particular stone; a recently discovered ruby is the only known example of a double star, with not six but twelve rays. The history and associations of a gem or jewel, dramatic or sentimental, storied or personal, may be what makes its possession desirable.

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Measurement

One seldom speaks of the size of a precious stone; other things being equal, its value is estimated by its weight. The unit of weight, in measuring precious stones, is the carat. As the word carat comes from the Arabic, meaning the nut or bean of the carob tree, it was evidently in olden times a rather imprecise measure. It has now been made definite as two-tenths of a gram (1c. = 0.2 gr.). It takes 141¾ carats to make an ounce, and therefore 2,268 carats to make a pound. Smaller diamonds are measured by points; one hundred points equal one carat.

The pearl is usually measured by the grain; a grain equals ¼ of a carat, or one twentieth of a gram (0.05 gr.). (This grain is not to be confused with the grain that is the smallest unit in the English system of weight.) Any pearl which is less than one quarter of a grain is called a seed pearl; an ounce of these may contain as many as 7,000 to 9,000 pearls. They are used in embroidery, in weaving cloth, and for many-stranded chains.

The Precious Metals

The purity of gold is also measured in carats; in the United States, to distinguish the two systems, the gold weight is spelled with a k: karat. Pure gold is spoken of, arbitrarily, as being 24 karat gold. Pure gold, however, is too soft for most uses, especially in jewelry; it is therefore mixed with a harder metal; the mixture, and the less valuable metal used in the mixture, are both called the alloy. The number of karats of gold indicated is the proportion of pure gold in the alloy. Thus, 18 karat gold means 18 parts of pure gold mixed with 6 parts of alloy.

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Alloys

The alloy is usually formed by fusing metals together; when molten they dissolve in each other and form an intimate union, often (as in industrial uses) producing a new metal with qualities quite different from those of the separate elements of the mixture. The admixture of nickel or zinc with gold produces what is called white gold; an alloy of copper or brass is red gold, ranging in color from pink to deep rose; an alloy of silver is green gold. In addition to gold—mainly 20, 18, and 14 karat gold—pure (sterling) silver, platinum and, more recently, palladium are also effectively employed for jewels, alone or as background in which to set precious stones. Other precious metals occasionally used in the making of jewels are iridium, rhodium and ruthenium. The favorites, however, continue to be platinum and gold.

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How to Care For Jewels

There are many misconceptions as to the care and the cleaning of jewels. And there is but one sound rule. When jewelry needs to be cleaned, take it to the jeweler.

A woman who takes her jewels to a jeweler, to have him clean them, is showing that she regards him as her regular dealer; as such, he will be happy to clean them without charge. At the same time, he will check the settings, the clasps, the safety catches. While home cleaning might damage a stone, or loosen it in its setting, professional work restores the jewel so that it is both cleaner and more secure than before.

Home Care

There is one way in which a woman can help to keep her jewelry clean. Every time that a jewel is worn, it should be wiped with clean tissue paper, or chamois leather, before being put away. (Facial tissue should not be used, as it will leave a fuzz.) Such a gentle wiping will remove the grease of finger-marks, and other marks or specks.

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Cleaning Don’ts

In general, it is inadvisable to use a brush for cleaning jewelry, as it tends to loosen the stones. Eventually—not while being cleaned, but during an otherwise pleasant evening—a stone may fall from the setting.

Ammonia, soap, and other cleaning agents are likely to leave a film. This may be imperceptible; a woman may think she has “cleaned it all off”; and yet it may greatly lessen the brilliance of the stone.

Soaking in boiling water—with or without chemicals—is dangerous. Some alloys as well as some stones cannot stand such treatment. Likewise sudden heat, or sudden cooling, may seriously damage certain stones; some may even crack, or break. Most delicate are the emerald, the peridot, the aquamarine, and the turquoise.

The turquoise especially should not come into contact with fatty or oily substances. It is porous, and such substances are likely to change its color, or to make it dull.

In every case, when she is tempted to apply home cleaning to her jewels, a woman should remember that the jeweler is equipped with steam blowers and other modern devices, each for its particular type of stone, and he is glad to be called upon to give his expert knowledge and gentle care.

Pearls

Perhaps most care is required in the handling of the pearl. Boiling, for example, is almost sure to loosen any pearls in a jewel. All chemicals are to be avoided.

For casual cleaning, a pearl necklace may be wiped with a clean and slightly damp cloth. It should not be pulled; the best way is to roll it on a towel.

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If the necklace becomes too wet, the string may become loosened. A pearl necklace, indeed, should be regularly restrung; there is little sense in waiting until it breaks. When the knots near the clasp of the necklace have become grey, restringing time has come.

One must be careful not to put perfume, or any liquid containing alcohol, on, or close to, pearls. They may lose their lustre, or even start to peel.

At the hairdresser’s, pearls should of course be removed before any treatment. The heat of the dryer, for example, may loosen the pearls in their settings.

Reminders

Some of the things in this chapter I have already said; this is a time for reminders. And one important reminder is that, even if the front pearls are strung without knots—and they will be more lustrous if thus close together—a few pearls on each side of the clasp should always be knotted. That is the danger spot for breaks.

Another helpful reminder is that elaborate jewels may be made with removable or convertible parts. I have discussed in detail how a very formal jewel, likely to be worn on rare occasions, may be so fashioned that, in various smaller units, it can be enjoyed more freely and frequently.

And just one more reminder—about the necklace clasp. A colored stone, such as an emerald or a ruby, may highlight a necklace of pearls. Or the clasp may be of a single pearl, encircled by marquise or baguette diamonds. But here is the place to enshrine that still precious but “grown too small” engagement ring: make the engagement diamond the chief stone in the necklace clasp. And of course something suitable must come for that empty space next to the wedding band!

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More Cautioning

Several other observations will be helpful.

A small pearl clasp should never be worn in front. Instead of looking attractive, it will just look untidy.

A pearl necklace and a gold necklace should not be worn together. Each will weaken the effect of the other.

Rhinestone ornaments should be avoided when one is wearing precious jewelry. Rhinestones on dress or evening bag will cheapen the entire effect. With jewelry, all other accessories should be subdued.

The amethyst is a temperamental stone. If worn in a ring, it calls for nail polish in the purple hues. If these are unbecoming to a woman’s hands, the amethyst is not for her. This may happen when the skin pigment tends to be dark; amethysts may then make it seem sallow. But if the purple hues are becoming, there may be great beauty in the amethyst.

Modern and antique jewels—this is an emphatic reminder—should never be worn together. Modern cuts make stones so brilliant that they will overshadow the daintier antiques, and may even make them look false. The charm of the antique lies in its intricate and delicate workmanship, in the grace of its details. Beside modern pieces, these qualities are lost. Always, the one exception is the wearing of the engagement and the wedding ring; these may be worn with either modern or antique jewels.

For Travel

One of the major concerns in regard to jewelry is its protection away from home. Such questions as how to carry it, and how to insure it, call for consideration and prior care.

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Insurance

All good jewelry should of course be insured, itemized piece by piece. This involves an appraisal by a recognized jewelry firm, which will register the various jewels, listing the number of stones and their weight, and indicating the current retail replacement value. There should also be a photographic record made of the jewels. This may be kept in microfilm. Most large jewelers keep a photographic record of every jewel that passes through their hands.

The appraisal of the jewels should be kept up to date. Values of stones are in a state of constant change; usually there is an increase. Once a year is not too often for a reappraisal, and the insurance broker should at once be informed of any significant changes. Such a revised evaluation is a guarantee of full compensation in the event of loss, and gives an adjustor no ground for argument as to the value of a jewel or a stone.

The inventory should include every piece of jewelry, including the less expensive items, such as might be worn every day. These are just the ones that are likely to be lost or stolen.

The Traveling Case

Since most policies cover the loss or theft of jewels at home or abroad, there is no need to leave precious jewels at home while traveling. There is, of course, no need to advertise their presence by boarding a ship or plane with a standard jewelry case carefully in hand. Much less conspicuous, as well as safer and more convenient, is a jewelry pouch carried inside the handbag.

Individual pouches can accommodate the various jewels. Long experience traveling with many jewels, both of my professional[276] and of my personal collection, enabled me to fashion a pouch that combines practicality with good looks. This pattern has come to be widely used, and may be purchased at leading stores throughout the country.

The pouch is made of suede leather, chamois lined; it contains partitions that comfortably hold the various types of jewel: bracelets, earclips, clips, rings, necklaces, and the rest. Bracelets and necklaces, of course, should not be forced out of shape by rolling or bending, lest the stones be pressed out of their settings.

The chamois is designed to keep the jewels apart, so as not to scratch one another. Hard gems might, for instance, injure the skin of pearls. The hardest of all, the diamond, must be carefully wrapped so that it will not scratch other stones.

Should there be enough jewels in the collection to warrant more than one pouch, the lucky owner may have the suede in various colors. An emerald parure may thus be in the green pouch, while the red pouch holds the jewels that are mainly of rubies. This will not only save hunting around, but will simplify selection if the jewels are left with the purser.

It is wise, on board a liner, to check one’s jewelry with the purser, and to take out each day only the pieces that are to help one shine on that occasion. First day and last day at sea are most informal.

Registering Jewels

All jewels taken on a trip should be listed; a copy of the list should be taken, another copy should be left at home.

Some countries, such as Turkey, have rigid regulations regarding the export of jewels. In such cases—which can be indicated by the travel agent—it is well to register one’s jewelry[277] with the customs official when entering the country. In this way, one can be sure of taking it out.

Similarly, for complete security of this sort throughout a journey, jewelry may be registered with the U.S. Customs before leaving the United States. The customs officer checks the jewelry and the list, keeps a copy and gives one, officially signed, to the traveler. In cases where this precaution was not taken, a person returning to the United States has been unable to prove that she had a certain valuable jewel before leaving the country, and has had to pay duty on it.

Such a list may be helpful in many ways. Every large port has this service available to travelers. In New York, jewels may be officially registered at the Appraiser Stores, at 201 Varick Street, where courteous attention and thoughtful advice are given to all.

Traveling Cautions

Jewelry should never be left in an untended car. Sometimes that “just a moment” away stretches to dangerous minutes.

Jewelry should never be left in checked baggage. Jewelry should not be left in the drawers of the dressing table, nor indeed anywhere in an unguarded room. Every hotel has a safe in which, without charge, guests may keep their valuables.

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There are several important matters to be considered in the preservation of jewelry. Although all stones may grow temporarily dull from the accretion of dirt and grime, or even from a soapy film added by the attempt to clean them, most stones endure indefinitely. Most jewelry, however, does not, simply because it becomes old-fashioned.

The Old and the Antique

If jewels are old-fashioned for a long enough time, they may become antique. Antique jewelry has historical or traditional value and may be worn with great effect on certain occasion—it should not, of course, be mixed with jewels of other periods. There is a vast difference between something that is antique and something that is merely old. As out-of-date furniture makes a room look old-fashioned, out-of-date jewelry makes a woman look old.

The stones in these outmoded jewels are as good as ever they were. Indeed, they have quite possibly grown more valuable through the years. Not only are they as beautiful as when first worn but they are enhanced by the years of sentiment which have cast their special aura around them. It is the piece as a[280] whole, the design that frames the stone, that has become old-fashioned. The obvious thing to do is to have it remodelled.

Old Jewelry with New Possibilities

The immediate problem with regard to remodelling is the man. A husband may be loving and generous, but in proportion as he is, he is likely also to be sentimental. Few men recognize, or at least admit, the fact that man is the sentimental sex. A husband may occasionally ask his wife why she is not wearing a jewel he gave her years ago. He would of course resent her telling him she no longer cared for it. And he would probably be a little bewildered and resentful if she told him bluntly that it is out-of-date. A simple process of education might make him see how the old one can again be made part of the currently usable treasures.

The fact that the jewel is not disregarded but is cherished as a sign of the bond of love that led to its purchase should please any husband. But no man wants his loved one to look older than necessary, any more than he would not want her wearing knee-length skirts when all around the skirts come half a foot closer to the ground.

When the jewel was first chosen, although the design was doubtless appropriate to the times, the basic consideration was the beauty of the gems, their intrinsic value, and what they could do to beautify the woman for whom they were selected. These things have not changed. Nor has the woman’s love for them, nor—we have assumed—her love for the donor. But the brightness of the design has faded. Remodelling with a fresh design will put a new jewel in the ear and a new sparkle in the eye. The old sentiment will be refurbished, the old love will gleam anew.

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The Contemporary Jewels

It is surprising how, though the stones themselves remain unchanged, remodelling can create an entirely new jewel. Many an old-fashioned piece now in a safety vault, sheltered from all but the dust of time, can be given a beautiful modern setting and restored to an active place in one’s evenings. Modern design not only can give the precious stones a new styling, but can bring out their beauty as it never shone before.

Even the solitaire diamond, simplest of jewels and seemingly most constant in fashion, can be given a helpful face-lifting. Higher settings have been devised which permit the light to radiate more fully from all angles of the facet surfaces. The powers of reflection of which we know more now than in former years are thus used in additional interplays of light.

Modern Movement

A piece of jewelry made some years ago is likely to be symmetrical. This type of design contains a quiet beauty. The great classical statues are symmetrical; that is, if a vertical line is drawn down from the middle of the forehead, the body will be equally distributed on each side; an arm thrust forward is balanced by a leg held back. Thus all is in equipoise, calm and quiet.

But the modern figure in marble, bronze or other material, by some subtle shifting of the balance will be out of equilibrium. The sculptor Rodin has a great figure of John the Baptist, taking a giant stride—with both feet flat on the ground. This, some may exclaim, is an anatomical impossibility. Precisely! In Rodin’s statue, as the eye flicks from one foot to the other, the figure has taken the step! By this and[282] other sorts of manipulation, the modern sculptor endows his figures with expectant motion.

The comparison of jewelry with sculpture is especially apt, for the three-dimensional jewelry of today presents a challenge to the sculptor. Some of the great sculptors of all times have worked with the precious metals; some of the jewel designers have had training with sculptors’ materials and tools. I have often been gratified that I graduated from the Vienna Academy of Arts and Crafts as a sculptor, and many of my jewels I consider examples of the sculptor’s art.

It is, then, fair to say that the jewelry of our grandmothers was conceived somewhat as a mid-nineteenth century picture, symmetrical, flat, and often stiff, whereas the jewelry of today is built out into three dimensions. There are three keynotes of modern jewelry design: height, airiness and grace of movement. Literally as well as emotionally, a modern jewel is a moving work of art.

It is naturally impossible to indicate all the designs in which jewelry can be remodelled. In considering the separate types of jewel, from earclips to brooches, I have indicated what is becoming to various personalities. Beyond this, there must be the judgment of good taste, based on the need and the jewels with which the newly fashioned one will be worn, whether of a classical, modern or neutral (such as a flower) motif. Beyond all these, it must be recognized that remodelling jewelry calls first for the imagination of the artist and then for the skill of the craftsman. The wearer or the purchaser—or both—may have ideas, but they should be put to the test through the eyes of an experienced jeweler.

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The Jeweler as Artist

It is an easy matter to select a jeweler when one is purchasing something new. A woman may just window-shop along the avenue, then drift into a reliable store. She finds a jewel she likes and her husband does not object to the price.

With a remodelling project, there are many more concerns. From the purely practical point of view, the woman must be sure the jeweler is thoroughly reliable. He has to remove the gems from their setting. He must clean, count, weigh, and register them, and see that she gets the same stones back. The jeweler must be not a salesman but an experienced craftsman, able to recognize the possibilities inherent in the stone. He should be able to visualize various new settings and to decide in which of these the stone will be most favorably dressed. He should have a flair for fashion, so that the new setting, while up to the minute, does not quickly grow behind the times.

The designer should be one to whom each jewel is a new challenge. The problem must engage his enthusiasm, must make him eager to create, out of the piece of jewelry he is shown, something more beautiful and more becoming. He must look upon his task with a sense of responsibility akin to that of the old master of the guild, who gloried not in his wealth but in the competence of his craftsmen. In short, whatever the financial transactions involved, the person who is to be entrusted with the remodelling of a jewel should regard it not as a merchant but as an artist.

Varied Stones

It may be a good idea to complement the existing stones in a jewel with some extra stones of different cut. Diamonds[284] of special or fancy cut add a modern note at once, for in previous years the use of such stones was virtually unknown. In all likelihood, the jewel will be enhanced by the addition of some baguette diamonds. This cut makes a most versatile gem. It has been incorporated into virtually every modern jewel that makes use of precious stones, for it gives the designer scope for otherwise unattainable modulations. By using stones of such fancy or varied cut, the jeweler achieves in his creation contrasts in the reflection of the light that give new play to the sparkle and new depth and beauty to the jewel.

Varied Treatment

It is by no means necessary for the woman who takes a jewel to be remodelled to think of the new piece in terms of the same sort of jewel. “Once a gentleman always a gentleman,” said Dickens, and a good thing if it were so. But it does not follow that “Once an earclip always an earclip” is an equally desirable or inevitable pattern, or that a bracelet should be condemned to endure forever as a band around the arm.

The stones from a pair of earrings may well be remodelled into the center stones of a bracelet. An old bracelet, on the other hand, may become a parure: earclips, dress or hair clip, and a ring. An old pendant may have stones that can be beautifully reset as earclips and a brooch, and countless other variations and transformations need little more than the imagination and the desire.

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Remodelling of Watches

Many a bureau drawer or jewel box holds more than one discarded wrist watch. The setting may be of diamonds or other gems, but the style is passé. This jewel may be brought out and remodelled into a fresh and beautiful piece.

It should not, however, be thought of as the centerpiece in a gold bangle bracelet. Set against the stiff gold, it will not be improved, but will the more clearly proclaim that it is old-fashioned. Instead, the jeweler should consider the possibility of centering the diamond wrist watch in an important diamond and pearl bracelet. If the watch movement is still in good condition, the watch can be incorporated in the bracelet so cleverly that the functional aspect of the timepiece will be wholly subordinate to, if not lost in, the beauty of the jewel.

Adding Pearls

Pearls are perhaps the most adaptable of reformers among the gems. The addition of cultured pearls can be most helpful in restoring the beauty of an outmoded jewel. If the diamonds in the old piece are not many or not large, and a more important or imposing jewel is desired—without the purchase of new precious stones—the jeweler should be able to suggest various new designs in which the sole additions are cultured pearls.

Even the engagement ring is susceptible to flattering new treatment. The fact that the band may have grown too small provides a good occasion for remodelling. In a dome-shaped arrangement of cultured pearls the centered solitaire becomes a more significant gem, never more precious but considerably more imposing.

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Infinite Riches in a Little Room

Thus the little old jewel is capable of infinite surprises. The woman who has never had one of her jewels remodelled just has to admire a new piece of one of her friends and be told it is an old one remodelled: “Remember that diamond brooch I used to wear?” Remembering the “before” and beholding the “after,” a woman’s eyes will light with a new recognition. The old jewels were, in the main, massy with metals. The new ones are graced with an airy technique of jewel design. It is no commercial slogan but experienced truth that the light modern patterns make the jewel more beautiful and the wearer more gracefully young. And the husband, who was last to yield and permit that “waste of time and money” called a remodelling, will be the first to sense the new beauty and importance of the jewel, and to extend his admiring praise. He will be touched that the old stones, with their sentimental attachment, meant enough for them still to be desired as current jewels; he will be delighted that the remodelling has brought new ornaments at the cost of merely the setting, not the stones; and by the effect on the jewel and on the wearer, he will be entranced.

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The Story of
Rings and Famous Stones

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The Universal Ring

Of all the jewels of history, most widespread in time and space, and upon the human body is the ring. From the crown of the head to the tip of the toes, the circular band has been an adornment and a symbol. In the ears, around the neck, tight about the biceps, loose about the wrist, across the chest, around the waist, in iron fetters at the ankle in days of old to indicate the slave or in the self-imposed “slave anklet” of thin gold today: men and women have worn rings of grass, of wood, of bone, of metal. But especially upon the fingers there have been all sorts of rings, for many purposes.

The Magic Ring

One of the earliest values found in rings was doubtless magic. This worked in many ways, according to the beliefs of different times and peoples. Simply to put a ring on another person’s finger was to bind that person to you—an early magical belief which has endured as a symbol in the engagement and the wedding ring. To protect the wearer against the powers of evil in the world, rings are adorned with potent[290] gems, or carved with potent symbols. Turn the emerald in a ring on a poised snake, and the snake was stricken blind, as the nineteenth-century poet Moore remembers in Lalla Rookh:

The snake itself, being associated with the sybils and other prophets of old and linked with man in earliest Bible story and man’s most fateful hour, is also a most potent and frequent device. It might be carved upon the ring, or the whole ring itself might represent a serpent, eating its own tail—like the worm Ouroboros that winds around the world and keeps it from bursting asunder—or with its head nestling upon its body, watching for the approach of danger. Being itself a lurking danger, the snake obviously was most fit to search out hidden evil. A snake ring of gold with ruby eyes was often on the finger of George IV of England.

Divining Rings

Rings of hieroglyphic symbols, the sphinx, or later cabalistic devices, were used by diviners and seers. Sometimes, to the unwitting eye, the ring seemed an innocent adornment; when a soothsayer wished to make use of a magic formula, a cunningly hinged portion opened to reveal the mystical designs. In the Middle Ages, rings of astrologers and soothsayers multiplied. Rings with signs of the zodiac were used to cast a nativity. The powers of numbers were explored and exploited on rings. The word A B R A X A S, frequent on rings of the time, is said to have drawn its special power from the number force of the letters, which add up to 365 and thus encompass the entire year. Perhaps that is why Leap Year is said to be unlucky for men.

A common design, born no doubt of the early sphinx, was[291] the figure of a fantastic monster compounded of many beasts. Imagination created many of these hybrid and extremely powerful forms. Associated with the A B R A X A S was a creature with the head of a cock, the body of a man with outstretched hands holding a shield and a whip, the legs spread out and becoming serpents with darting fangs. Especially sought for security against shipwreck was a ring engraved with a human head adorned with an elephant’s trunk grasping a trident, symbol of mastery over the sea.

Renaissance Remedy Rings

The Renaissance, resplendent with rings, made many to be used as amulets to bring good fortune, or charms to ward off evil. Cellini made several such for his noble patrons; they seemed, however, not to stem the tide of sudden deaths. Against various vindictive powers special gems were once more utilized, jacinth to bring good fortune to voyagers, sapphires to keep the eyes keen (as some today employ the humbler carrot), garnet to soothe the bite of hornet or wasp.

The common people, even more afflicted by the pains of life, also sought these ringed remedies. The toadstone ring was deemed effective. Several actual stones have since been called by this name—no one knows precisely what it was—but the effective ones were generated by the toad, possibly as nature’s compensation for the creature’s ugliness. The toadstone was credited, as the Oxford Dictionary puts it, “with alexipharmic or therapeutic virtues.” The best known allusion to the toadstone is in Shakespeare’s As You Like it, when the banished Duke in the forest reflects upon his state:

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It must by no means be thought that the toadstone is merely a literary fiction. Queen Elizabeth, on her Progress in 1558, was given a “toade stone set in golde.” Sir Walter Scott, in 1812, called it “sovereign for protecting new-born children and their mothers from the power of the fairies.” Against fairies, perhaps the toadstone worked.

More questionable was the power of a ring against specific diseases, although to the edge of this century country folk in rustic parts, as in back-lying Suffolk, wore special rings that were blessed against cramps.

A more mechanical method of using rings in witchery or divination has been to pitch or spin them, or to suspend them and let them swing, in such a way as to have them indicate Yes or No; or, by falling upon haphazardly arranged letters, spell out a message.

Visibility Rings

Legends of rings that make one invisible are universal. An unusually potent one, we are told in a tale of medieval Europe, was given by the Queen Mother to Otnit, King of Lombardy, when he set out to seek the hand of the Soldan’s daughter. In addition to making him invisible at will, the ring always foiled his detractors by indicating to the owner the right road toward his destination.

A ring set with a carbuncle possessed the opposite property, of making one visible in pitch dark. Thus, in Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus when Martius looks into the deep pit and cries that Bassianus is lying there, his comrades ask how he can see, and he replies:

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Religious Rings

The early magician or medicine man, when he became the priest, did not relinquish his ring. As far back as we find traces of worship, we find religious uses of the ring. Their pious symbolism was perhaps most fully detailed by Pope Innocent III, when on May 29, 1205 he sent to King John of England four golden rings each set with a colored stone, and explained their symbolism in this way: The endless shape of the ring reminds us of eternity, and that we are all journeyers through time to eternity. The number of rings equals the four virtues that comprise constancy of mind: justice, fortitude, prudence, and temperance. The metal signifies wisdom from on high, which is as gold purified by fire. The four stones are an emerald, green emblem of faith; a sapphire, blue emblem of hope; a garnet, red emblem of charity; and a topaz, bright emblem of good works. The four rings, the four stones, the metal, and the shape, make ten aspects: ten is the perfect number, being the unity of nature plus the trinity of God multiplied and fructified by itself.

The religious symbolism of rings has not lapsed. Even today the Pope wears the traditional annulus piscatoris, the Fisherman’s Ring, which shows St. Peter in a boat, casting a net to haul in the faithful from the waters of the world. Clerics of various ranks and orders wear special rings. Nuns wear a ring to signify their symbolic marriage to Jesus.

Less common today, but used throughout Europe for centuries, is the reliquary ring. This band bears a small cabinet, case, compartment, or box, usually elaborately carved and bejeweled, within which was a splinter of the True Cross or the holy relic of a martyred saint.

We shall speak later of the wedding ring, which while a social is also a religious symbol. Annually on Ascension Day the Doge of Venice sets a wedding ring onto a finger of the[294] sea, to denote that the Adriatic is servant to the city just as a wife is to her mate.

Practical Rings

From earliest times, too, rings have been enlisted for more prosaic duties. Signet rings have served romantic ends in history and legend, as well as supplying the king’s or the merchant’s identifying seal. Noblemen slain in battle have oftentimes been identified by their rings, which bore the crests of their noble houses. Until recently every Chinese scholar and mandarin wore a ring, or carried a little ornamented bar of ivory or jade, topped with intaglio symbols that stamped his name. Such stamps are to be seen on many paintings, and at the end of passages of calligraphy.

The practice of sealing envelopes with stamped wax is no longer a widespread western custom, and even red tape has lost its redder seal; hence the signet ring, once most common among men, has been largely replaced by rings bearing the insignia of a high school or college class or a fraternal order.

Among other practical uses of finger rings may be mentioned their use as money by the Gauls and other tribes of northern Europe. Women have had mirrors set in their rings, to give them constant glimpses of beauty—or a chance for quick repair. In eighteenth-century England and later—my grandfather wore one—were rings capped with a little hammer to press the tobacco down in pipes.

And there were rings for fighting. Roman gladiators added iron rings to the power of their fists, sometimes even enlarging these with a bar across the entire back of the hand, held by a leather thong across the palm—predecessors of the infamous “brass knuckles.”

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Poison Rings

Even more sinister, though mainly obsolete except in spy stories, is the murderous poison ring. In some such rings, the poison could be ejected through a tiny aperture in a point of the design, as in the lion’s claw of a ring of Cesare Borgia’s. This point would normally be on the side of the ring at the back of the hand, but it would be slipped around to the palm outstretched to shake the hand of the unsuspecting victim. A firm pressure of greeting became at once goodbye.

Another of the Borgias, Pope Alexander VI, would ask the man he destined to death to open a cabinet for him. He gave the man a key ring, and as the bar twisted in the massive lock, a prick injected the poison into the pressing hand.

More frequent than these pressing devices, however, were rings with a secret compartment or concealed receptacle that could be opened, to pour out the poison, so that it might be mixed unnoticed when one was filling a glass of wine for an unwanted guest.

This type of ring was also most useful for emergency suicides. When the great Carthaginian commander Hannibal was captured by the Romans in 183 B.C., he ended his life by biting into the soft metal cap of his ring which was filled with poison. In 1794 the French philosopher Condorcet, arrested in the Revolution, made his exodus from a world in turmoil through the aid of a poison ring. Numerous accounts of international espionage in recent wars make it seem that, as a release from torture and psychological brainwashing, the suicidal use of the poison ring is not outworn. But many a ring, originally constructed to conceal a poison, before it found rest in a museum was used as a conveyor of perfume.

A more humdrum use of the ring has been not to end but to mark the passing hours. The first time-keeping ring was a miniature sundial. As soon as escapements were compact[296] enough, watches were set as the crowns of rings; I have mentioned that two hundred years ago Mme. de Pompadour wore a watch in a gold ring encircled with diamonds.

Honorary Rings

A ring has often been used as a mark, token, or reward of distinction or great service. Originally for valor in battle, these rings are now used to mark distinction in many fields. In Germany for generations, the greatest actor has worn the Ifflandring, which he takes from his hand to bestow upon the performer of the next generation whom he deems his most worthy successor. Another noted ring is the Mozart Ring, awarded to those who meritoriously continue the composer’s tradition. There are today but three wearers of the Mozart Ring: Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, and Carl Boehm.

Posies and Lovers’ Rings

The prettiest rings are those that have been used in courtship. Before the brilliant solitaire, the large diamond that marks the formal engagement, all sorts of posy rings, as they were called, were popular gifts for centuries. An English book of 1624 bears the title “Love’s Garland, or Posies for rings, handkerchiefs, and gloves, and such pretty tokens as lovers send their loves.” This was in the main a collection of little rhyming remarks or pithy sayings, to be engraved on rings, or on the inside of ring bands when the ring itself was decorated with stones in the form of flowers or lovers’ knots. A favorite was the Latin motto Amor vincit omnia, (Love conquers all), which Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales put on a bracelet of the Prioress. But simple English phrases[297] abounded on these rings. “I am yours” is blunt enough to serve. “My love is true To none but you” might make a suspicious maiden (but what shy maid in love would question so?) wonder to how many the donor had already shown love that was false. More to be trusted, perhaps, is the pious soul that sent the motto: “In God and thee My joy shall be.” A wit (or a gambler) might complacently have inscribed “I cannot show The love I O.” A less wary but more learned fellow might proclaim, inside the ring: “Let reason rule affection.” The practice of having rings engraved with such posies was so common that in Shakespeare’s As You Like It the melancholy Jacques taunts Orlando:

I quote Shakespeare not because he is the most given to such references, but because he is the best known of the many writers in whose works they abound: jewels in jeweled phrases.

In other forms than posies, rings carry the language of love. They may, of course, in engraved letters or letters shaped of stones, give the initials or the name of the beloved. Or letters may record a significant event in the course of the courtship, as when a cryptically boastful Frenchman set a ring with the letters L A C D, which pronounced in French sound “Elle a cédé”—“She has yielded!”

More subtly and more sentimentally such announcements may be made, moments recorded, or feelings expressed, through the initial letters of the gems. Thus a beloved named Adele might be given a ring with stones set in the following order: amethyst, diamond, emerald, lapis lazuli, emerald; the first letters of the names of the stones spell her name. A favorite such token is one arranged so that the initial letters of the stones spell “Regard Love”; hence, these have sometimes been called regard rings. Rings have been used to express[298] sentiment less soft, as well; politically minded Irish, in Revolution times, were wearing rings that spelled Repeal.

For those with the enthusiasm and the funds, almost an entire alphabet of gem stones can be used. Omitting duplicates, one may run along, to spell one’s message, with amber, bloodstone, carnelian, diamond, emerald, fluorite, garnet, hyacinth, indicolite, jasper, kunzite, lapis lazuli, moonstone, nephrite, opal, pearl, quartz, ruby, sapphire, turquoise, variscite, willemite, zircon. This fashion of conveying one’s sentiments has never grown obsolete and is continually renewed.

The Nuptial Ring

When courtship reaches the more definite stage of betrothal, rings are still the order of the day. As early as the second century B. C. the Romans, whose marriages were not love matches but family affairs, gave formal engagement rings. A study of Shakespeare reveals forty-five references to rings and jewels, eleven being of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, the pearl. For example, betrothal rings are exchanged by Troilus and Cressida; and such an exchange builds the sunrise comedy scene at the close of The Merchant of Venice. For friends, the fede (faithful) ring developed, a band of gold representing clasped hands. For lovers, the gimmal or gemmal, the twin ring, was popular; this consisted of two rings intimately intertwined, which ingeniously came apart so that each lover could wear half of the pair.

Climax of the deft pursuit and fond allure, the wedding ring has always been a treasured symbol. An early ecclesiastic told why: “The form of the ring being circular, that is, round and without end, importeth thus, that mutual love and heartfelt affection shall roundly flow from one to the other, as in a circle, continuously and forever.”

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Although the wedding ring for a long time was invariably of gold, fashions in recent years have been changing. Our grandmothers were proud to wear a plain wide band. After the First World War, when gold gravitated toward Fort Knox, the bands grew narrower and platinum wedding rings were introduced. The gold itself, instead of a plain band, might be drawn as though the ring were fashioned of strands, or hammered into tiny bars with corners around the circle, in various modernistic patterns. The practice also began of using diamonds in wedding rings; never one large brilliant, outthrust like the happy engagement solitaire, but a row of smaller stones inset, almost flush with the band. Today the plain wide wedding band is circling back into favor, along with the olden practice of putting a ring on the finger not only of the bride but of the groom. It is a mutual compact.

In ancient times, much more elaborate rings were used for the ceremony, sometimes so large that immediately after the wedding they were put aside, replaced by smaller rings, and put on again only at the burial day. Among the Jews the ring might have an adornment in the shape of a tower, and be inscribed with the Hebrew words for Good luck, Mazul-tov.

Less Solemn Marriage Rings

Among the country folk in late medieval times, marriage was sometimes a quickly arranged affair, and rush rings were often used for rushed marriages. The rush ring weddings, at which a “hedge-priest” officiated, were intended neither to be legal nor to endure. Some more coarsely cynical ceremonies were actually held with the assistance of the town butcher, with the bride and groom standing on opposite sides of a side of beef, being joined together with the traditional words, “till death do us part.”

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Among more playful frolics was the practice of the bachelors among the Renaissance Italians, and the Italianate Englishmen, of wearing an engagement ring on the hat or in the ear, so as to invite and incite the maidens. In England, the rings were more often confined to the hand, and a language of the fingers developed. A ring on the first (little) finger indicated that the man was seeking a wife; on the second (which we now call the third finger) that he had found her; on the third, that the knot had been tied; and on the fourth, that he had every intention of remaining a bachelor. Similarly, for the woman: first finger, not keeping company; second finger, engaged; third, married; and fourth, intending to die a maid.

It will be noted that in this system the wedding ring did not appear on what is now the usual finger. And indeed it was only gradually that what we now call the third finger of the left hand became the permanent choice for the bond of matrimony. Those who must have reasons have found three for this choice.

The first reason is physiological. It developed when various theories of the blood circulated freely, before the blood itself was known to circulate. The Romans spoke of the vena amoris, the vein of love, but the idea was earlier expressed by the Greeks, who credited it to the Egyptians. This vein of love, they declared, connected the third finger of the left hand directly with the heart, which is the seat, as everyone knows, of the tender passion.

The second reason is the product of logical elimination. The analysis was made by Macrobius, a Roman commentator of the late fourth century. The thumb, Macrobius declared, is too busy to be set apart for special dedication. Because of the shape of the hand, the forefinger and the little finger are only half protected. The middle finger (being in his time used by mothers as a practical suppository and by doctors for anal exploration) was too opprobrious. This left only what he[301] called the pronubus, the one “for the nuptial,” which has ever since been called the ring finger. On the left hand, to indicate the woman’s subjection, it is the engagement finger.

The third explanation grows out of old church practice. The bride was blessed “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.” Starting with the thumb, if the bridegroom touched one finger with each name, he would complete the trinity with the middle finger, then put the ring on the next one. That finger is the husband’s to whom the woman owes allegiance next to God.

For a long time, it should be mentioned, the wedding ring was worn on the right hand; sometimes on the little finger, as the least obtrusive; while in many eastern lands it has been worn upon the thumb.

Counting Fingers

In his Treatise of Spousals written in 1680, Henry Swinburne declared that the wedding ring “is to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, next unto the little finger.” Since his time there has been confusion in the counting.

If we name the fingers, the matter is simple enough: holding the arms outstretched, palms down, and starting from the inside, we have the thumb, the index finger (or pointer or forefinger), the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger (or, to use the word borrowed from children, the pinkie).

Numbers complicated the picture. Swinburne counted the thumb as the first finger. The Elizabethans a century before him, as we noted in their practice of indicating their attitude toward matrimony, counted the little finger as the first. The common system of counting today starts not with the thumb, but next to it. Thus the index finger is the first; and the engagement[302] and the wedding ring adorn the third finger of the left hand. Perhaps it is wiser to speak of the fingers by their names. The important thing is that they be fitly adorned.

Memorial Rings

Lighthearted ceremonies were no more than flyspecks on a pattern of permanent matrimony, with no frills of separation or easy divorce. Marriages were “made in heaven”; their earthly aspect ended only at the grave. A married couple had a long time to be fond of or at least to grow used to one another. Death made a great gap in the pattern of family life, so that it came to be marked by a memorial ring. The more pious, indeed, did not await the fearful summons to wear its grim reminder; many wore mortuary rings that, like the skeleton at the feast, kept their final fate solemnly in the minds of the living. These might be shaped with a death’s head, or open to reveal a skeleton or a crucifix. Or they might present a somber motto: “Breathe pain, death gain,” or the forthright counsel, “Live to die.” The favorite stone for such rings, of course, was jet.

Many a will provided money for the purchase of memorial rings by family or friends, thus hoping to keep the dead one alive in thoughts. “Bind me to your hearts with bands of gold.” When Anne of Cleves, divorced wife of Henry VIII, died in 1557, she left money for memorial rings. In 1616 William Shakespeare left twenty-six shillings sixpence apiece to Hamnet Sadler, William Reynolds and “to my fellows,” the actors John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, to buy them rings in his memory. He left no other jewels, no books, and his second-best bed to his wife.

While the 250 odd rings of England’s last King Henry were probably seldom equalled for one person, a more modest but[303] more representative listing was given, in 1649, of the rings of a country lady. She possessed, among other jewels, a toadstone ring, two Turkies (turquoises), six thumb rings, three alderman’s seals, five gemmels and four death’s heads. Always, in every period and every guise, the realm of jewelry has been marked by the reign of the ring.

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History and fiction throughout the ages find mystery, glamour and romance in the stories of great jewels. The Count of Monte Cristo, one of the most successful of all romances, has its hero achieve his goal by finding a hidden treasure of great jewels. The Queen’s Necklace, another of Dumas’ masterpieces, centers its intrigue around a necklace fraudulently secured, upon which hangs the evidence of Marie Antoinette’s fidelity. Or one thinks of a marauding foreigner, plucking the great emerald from the eye socket of an Orient god—then followed, as in Dunsany’s grisly play A Night at an Inn, by the great stone god itself, come to crush the desecrator and regain its vision.

The Black Prince’s Ruby

The historical stories tell fascinating tales of changes of ownership, as the gems endure across the dying centuries. In the state crown of Britain, guarded in the Tower of London, is a stone called the Black Prince’s ruby. It belonged, when first we hear of it, in 1367, to the King of Granada. Don Pedro, King of Castille, slew him and took the gem. But Edward III of England, the monarch who established the[306] Order of the Garter, had sent Don Pedro some 5,000 men; in thanks for these services, the triumphant Spaniard sent the ruby to Edward’s son, the Black Prince. The ruby was pierced at the top, as though it had, back in its unknown past, been part of a fabulous necklace of an Orient potentate; today, the hole is filled with a small ruby set in gold. The Black Prince, dying before his father, left the stone to his son, who became King Richard II in 1377 and was deposed by Henry IV in 1399 and probably murdered in the very Tower where the ruby now rests. Henry V, to whom it came in his turn, wore the stone at the Battle of Agincourt, where against great odds he defeated the French. After that, it was deemed safer to leave the gem in London; there it became part of the crown jewels. But the crown jewels were scattered by the Puritans in 1642, after Cromwell became Lord Protector. With the Restoration, the Black Prince’s ruby was returned to the crown and has remained unharmed since—save that modern methods of examination have revealed that it is not a ruby at all, only a “balas ruby,” that is, a spinel.

Other Precious Stones

The Stuart sapphire, a great oval an inch and a half by an inch with a hole near the top, can be removed from the royal crown and used as a pendant. This sapphire, after James II was deposed by the Bloodless Revolution of 1688, was carried away from England by the Young Pretender, who—when he grew older and more sage—bequeathed the sapphire, along with other Stuart relics, to George III of England. Since then, it has rested quietly in the crown.

Other precious stones have had their historic moments or movements. Catherine the Great of Russia sent thousands of workers into the Ural mines to hunt for amethysts. Some of[307] Napoleon’s gifts to the Empress Josephine were of emeralds and pearls. The American Museum of Natural History holds among its treasures a great star sapphire weighing 563 carats.

The Crystal Palace

Almost impatiently, however, when great gems are discussed, everyone turns from the other precious stones to talk of diamonds. At the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London, the pride of Prince Albert in 1851, stones of all sorts were on view. The collection of gems from India, the great subcontinent that was soon to change the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland into an Empire, was stupendous. Queen Victoria noted in her diary: “The girdle of nineteen emeralds is beautiful, all set round with diamonds and fringed with pearls. The rubies are even more wonderful and one is the biggest in the world ... I shall certainly make them Crown Jewels.” Among the pieces exhibited by the lapidaries of Calcutta were strange creations never seen in the western world before: gowries (“blackamoors’ teeth”), golden gothas, ferozahs, a gallobund set with diamonds, and other wonders that have since fallen out of the dictionary. There were also educational exhibits, new and world-shaking inventions like Nasmyth’s steam-propelled engine, the Folkestone express locomotive, and McCormack’s reaping machine from America. But the gaping crowd passed by all these prizes to gather and stare before the diamonds.

The Diamonds

There were diamonds for which there should have been automation to count the value. The great collection of Henry[308] Thomas Hope and his son was displayed, all the glory of their Hope chest, including the mysterious blue stone that came to be called the Hope diamond. There on white velvet lay the great Black Diamond of Bahia, weighing 350 carats, so hard that no one had been able to shape it with facets. And there, not far from a replica of the ship that had just brought it from India, was shown for the first time in England what the catalogue called “the great diamond of Runjeet Singh called the Mountain of Light or the Koh-in-noor.” This is what the millions came to see. (They were disappointed by the sight, for the diamond had been poorly cut and did not reveal all its brilliance.) The Kohinoor lay on a velvet cushion in an iron bird cage on an iron pedestal. When the doors of the Crystal Palace closed each night, wheels began to turn, and the bird cage descended into the pedestal. Safe from all the itching fingers of international thiefdom, the Kohinoor rested in its cage.

The Kohinoor

Mountain of light! The Kohinoor. First worn in the crown, perhaps, of a great ruler in India five thousand years ago. The Koh-i-nur, or Mountain of Light, was next heard of as a great companion to the Darya-i-Nor, the Sea of Light, in the scabbard of Afrasiab around 3,000 B.C. Such are the fabulous stones of ancient times, which Tennyson called

We are told that the great diamond weighed 700 carats; but, when its modern career began, it had been severed and weighed only 186 carats. In 1304 A.D. the stone was in the family of the Rajah of Malwa in India from whence most of[309] the early diamonds had come. In the early sixteenth century, it was seized as a trophy of war by Beber, first of the Mogul emperors. This long and mighty line, including Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal for the jewel of his harem, preserved the great diamond. Jehan set it as one of the eyes of his Peacock Throne. Through the long years of the Mogul Empire, the legend grew that he who owns this diamond rules the world. But all dynasties fall and in 1739 Mohammed Shah, Mogul of Delhi, was conquered by Nadir Shah of Persia. Although the defeated Mogul managed to keep possession of his diamond he could not keep control of his harem. In a group of women there is bound to be one who curries favor with the champion, and one of Mohammed Shah’s harem whispered to the Persian king that the diamond lay hidden in her master’s turban. The etiquette of the day gave the shrewd monarch his opening. The treaty of peace having been signed, the Persian invited the Mogul to dinner and there, admiring his guest’s turban, suggested that they exchange. It was impossible to refuse. In his room, unwinding the silken yards, Nadir Shah saw the great diamond. It lay on the floor, an enormous cone-shaped gem, and he exclaimed “Mountain of Light!”—Koh-i-nur!—thus giving the stone its name.

The legendary power of the stone declined, for it changed hands more times than history records. Nadir Shah was murdered by one of his bodyguards, whose most ingenious tortures could not wring the whereabouts of the diamond from the dead king’s son. It passed on through two generations, until Shah Suja was forced to flee for asylum to the court of Runjit Sing, the Lion of the Punjab, at Lahore (now part of Pakistan). The price of Suja’s safety was the delivery of the Kohinoor to Runjit Sing. And here it was in 1849, when the East India Company and the British took control. As partial indemnity for the damages of the Sikh wars, the Company took the stone, presenting it to Queen Victoria the next[310] year at the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Founding of the East India Company by Queen Elizabeth I.

After its exhibition at the Crystal Palace, Queen Victoria decided to have the Kohinoor recut to improve its sparkle. She decided on brilliant faceting. A four-horse-power steam engine was set up in the workshop of the crown jewelers to turn the cutting wheel. Prince Albert set the stone on the mill, and the Duke of Wellington started the wheel. Thirty-eight days later, Queen Victoria was given the new-cut diamond, now weighing only 108 carats but superbly sparkling.

As the Queen’s power grew—in 1876 she became the first ruler of the British Empire, on whose flag the sun never set—the legend of the diamond changed: only queens could wear the gem and prosper. From Victoria it went to her daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandria, and it is now part of the treasure of the royal ladies of the British throne.

Tavernier

Jean Baptiste Tavernier was the first of the great travelers who went to the Orient in search of precious stones. On his voyages he saw and described many stones that have since been lost to history. They may have been recut, by illegitimate owners, into smaller stones, or they may be resting in some hidden treasure store.

The Florentine

Among these lost stones is the Florentine, a clear yellow diamond of 137 carats, which Tavernier saw among the treasures of the Duke of Tuscany in 1657. Legends say that Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was wearing the stone[311] in 1476, when he fell in battle. Picked up by a peasant as an attractive pebble, the stone was sold for a florin; after various adventures it fell into the hands of the Medici. Later, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany married Maria Theresa of Austria, the Florentine became part of the Austrian crown jewels. It went into exile, after World War I, with the imperial family, and half a hundred rumors since have set it in as many hands.

The Great Mogul

Tavernier was probably the only European who ever saw the Great Mogul. It was shown him by Aurangzeb, sixth Mogul Emperor of Hindustani, who had usurped the throne in 1658 and imprisoned his father, the great Shah Jehan. Tavernier said it weighed 280 carats and resembled half an egg sliced through the middle. He was told it had weighed 787 carats in the rough, but had been so badly cut that the jeweler, instead of being paid, had forfeited all his fortune. (Such were the risks conscientious jewelers ran!) When the Persians sacked Delhi in 1739, the Great Mogul may have been among their loot. It probably still adorns a beauty in Iran—unless it turned up in the western world as the Orloff Diamond.

The Orloff

Similar in shape to the Great Mogul but weighing (one can hardly say “only”) 199 carats, the Orloff was among the more than 2,500 diamonds owned by Catherine the Great, ruler of all the Russias. One story says the gem was stolen by a French grenadier from the eye socket of a Hindu idol and hidden in a self-inflicted leg wound. Such accounts recur in tales of many jewels. Another story says that it is one of the[312] stones resulting from the cleavage of the great rough diamond that also produced the Kohinoor.

At any rate, it was purchased in Holland in 1774 by the Russian Count Gregory Orloff for 400,000 rubles ($450,000). The Count had been a favorite of Catherine’s; she had made him a prince and the commander-in-chief of her armies. The Court did not mind—or could not help—the number of Catherine’s lovers; but she seemed on the verge of actually marrying the Count. Her entourage therefore set their wits to work, and Orloff fell from favor. For Catherine’s name day, when others at Court presented the customary bouquets, Orloff gave her the diamond. His family’s fortune had been pledged for it, but it failed to re-open Catherine’s arms to him. She never wore the diamond but had it mounted in her sceptre, right under the double eagle. Under that symbol of imperial power, it presumably rests in the Kremlin today. A more prosaic version of the Count’s enterprise states that he assured himself of heart balm by selling the diamond to Catherine for £90,000 plus a £4,000 life annuity.

The Shah of Persia

Another diamond reported by Tavernier and now reposing in the Kremlin is an 88-carat bar-shaped stone of finest quality. It has a tiny furrow cut in it, presumably to secure the cord by which Tavernier, in 1665, saw it suspended in front of the Mogul throne. It also has engraved on it three names and dates. The first name is that of an Indian prince, Bourhan-Nizam Shah II; the date, the year 1000 in the Mohammedan count, the western 1591. The second engraving, in the western year 1651, sets this gem as another among the treasures of the great Mogul Shah Jehan. The third date is western 1824; the owner, the Shah of Persia.

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The Persians possessed the jewel until 1889, when a Teheran mob slew the Russian ambassador, the thirty-four-year-old playwright Griboyedov. As a sign of their regret, the Persian royal house sent the Shah Diamond to Russia, where it has remained.

The Great Table

Another stone that Tavernier was the only European to look upon is the Great Table Diamond, sometimes called the White Tavernier. This 242-carat stone is described by the French traveler: “When at Golconda in 1642, I was shown this stone, and it is the largest diamond I have ever seen in India in the hands of merchants. The owner allowed me to make a model of it in lead, which I sent to Surat to two of my friends, telling them of its beauty and the price, namely, 500,000 rupees. I received an order from them, that if it was clean and of fine water, I should offer 400,000 rupees; but it was impossible to purchase it at that price.” The asking price was about $280,000, for want of which the Great Table has totally disappeared.

The table cut—which was virtually discontinued after 1520, when the rose cut grew popular—sliced the gem into a flat slab, sometimes so thin that the diamond was used as a “portrait stone,” set over a miniature painting.

The Blue Tavernier

One diamond that Tavernier brought back from his travels was a blue diamond, roughly heart-shaped, of 112 carats. He sold it in 1668 to Louis XIV of France. It was recut as a slightly pointed drop, being reduced in the process to 68[314] carats. Louis XV set the diamond in his Order of the Golden Fleece. It was also worn by Louis XVI but was among the treasures of the royal house that disappeared at the beginning of the French Revolution in the great crown jewel robbery. Of these, only the Regent and the Sancy were recovered.

The fate of the Blue Tavernier is in doubt. One story runs that the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece were smuggled to England, where later this diamond was recut. A one-carat blue diamond, last heard of in London, is supposed to have come from the tip. A second stone is a blue drop diamond that came into the possession of the Duke of Brunswick. The third and largest cut is the Hope Diamond.

The Hope

Without any guarantee of this past history, Henry Thomas Hope in 1836 bought a superb blue diamond of 44 carats. Blue diamonds are exceedingly rare; the nearest in weight to the Hope Diamond are the Brunswick diamond, mentioned just above, of almost 14 carats, and a 35-carat stone, the Wittlesbach, exhibited in London in 1930.

The Hope Diamond was willed by Lady Hope, in 1887, to her daughter’s son on condition that he adopt the family name. He became Lord Francis Pelham Clinton Hope. In 1894 he married the American actress May Yohe who wore the diamond when she sang in the music halls. It is said to have been part of the “stage jewelry” listed among her belongings when her trunks were held for a lodging debt, but it was returned to the Hope family.

In 1908 the gem was bought for $400,000 by Abdul Hamid, Sultan of Turkey. With the breath of revolution on his neck, the Sultan three years later sent it to Paris to be sold. It became part of the famed collection of Mrs. Edward B. McLean,[315] whose gems dazzled Washington, D. C., for almost forty years. After her death, it was bought in 1949 by Harry Winston, noted diamond merchant of New York.

The Jehan Akbar Shah

This diamond deserves distinction as the second great eye of the Peacock Throne of the Mogul Emperors. It was engraved with the names of Shah Akbar and his grandson, Shah Jehan. It weighed 116 carats. After Shah Jehan was deposed by his son in 1666, the stone disappeared. Precisely two hundred years later it was shown in Constantinople as the Shepherd stone. Recognized by the inscriptions, the diamond was bought by an English merchant. In London, it was recut to 71 carats, losing the inscriptions and sold to the Gaekwar of Baroda.

The Cullinan

The largest diamond ever discovered was found in 1905 in the Premier Mine in South Africa, which had been opened by Sir Thomas Cullinan. The rough stone, weighing 3,106 carats, about one and a third pounds, was bought by the Transvaal Government and presented to King Edward VII of England, in 1907, on his sixty-sixth birthday.

The Cullinan was sent to Amsterdam to be cut. There, after months of study, the expert set the cleaving blade on the diamond and tapped it with a heavy rod. The blade broke. On the second try, the expert fainted. He recovered to find the great diamond split precisely as planned. Out of the great Cullinan came nine major gems and ninety-six smaller brilliants. The greatest of the cuttings, called the Great Star of[316] Africa, weighs 530 carats, and is the largest cut diamond in the world. It adorns the sceptre of the British Empire. The other large stones are also part of the British Crown jewels.

The Excelsior

Mention should be made of the Excelsior, a diamond of 995 carats, found in the Orange Free State in 1893 and, until the discovery of the Cullinan, the largest diamond known. The Excelsior was noticed by accident, seen by a native in a shovelful of gravel he was pitching onto a truck.

The stone was cut in 1903 by the same firm, Asscher of Amsterdam, that later cut the Cullinan; but the cutting is unique in that all the resulting stones—twenty-one gems—are either pear-shaped or marquise.

The Regent

The Regent Diamond, like the Blue Tavernier, was stolen from the French royal treasures at the brink of the Revolution, but unlike the others this gem was recovered and restored to its place in France. A superb stone, the diamond weighed 410 carats in 1701, when it was picked up by a slave in the Partial Mines of India. The slave, following storied precedent, gashed his leg and hid the stone in the bandage. He limped his way to the seacoast. There he offered to share the proceeds of the sale of the stone with a sea captain; but unfortunately the slave did not survive the rigors of the ocean voyage, and the ship’s arrival in Bombay found the captain in sole possession of the stone.

From an Indian merchant it was bought by Thomas Pitt, then Governor of Madras, and sent to England to be cut.[317] Political enemies bruited abroad that he had obtained the stone by questionable means; though they never got to the core of the matter, he became known as Diamond Pitt. He sold the diamond in 1717 to the Duke of Orleans, then Regent of France, for about $500,000, which kept the family in affluence through several generations. But at any moment in the political careers of the great English statesman, William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger—major figures in the struggles with the American colonies and the American Revolution—there might be dragged out, as a political target, that family skeleton about the coming of the Pitt Diamond to England.

The Pitt Diamond, now renamed the Regent, was cut into a cushion-shaped brilliant of 140 carats, a superbly sparkling specimen of a great gem deftly handled. Marie Antoinette used it to adorn a large black velvet hat she favored, borrowing it from the crown of Louis XV. But it remained with the royal jewels until they were all stolen in 1792.

Found in a Paris garret, the diamond came to Napoleon, who pawned it to secure funds for his triumphant campaigns. After using the stone in this fashion several times, he had it set into the hilt of his ceremonial coronation sword.

When Napoleon went into exile, the stone accompanied his second wife, Marie Louise, to the Chateau of Blois. Her father, the Emperor of Austria, returned it to Louis XVIII. The diamond shuttled between the Napoleons and the Louis until France became a republic. When the French crown jewels were auctioned in 1886, the Regent Diamond was withheld from the sale.

By lying quietly behind a stone panel of a chateau in Chambord, the Regent escaped capture by the Germans in the Second World War. It is now on display in the Louvre where, like the Kohinoor cage at the Crystal Palace, its case sinks nightly into a burglar-proof vault.

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The Sancy

The Sancy and the Regent are the only jewels of the French royal treasure that were recovered after the robbery of 1792. Legend has confused the early story of the Sancy stone with that of the Florentine Diamond, but it has had enough vicissitudes to make an historic tale. A superb and fiery stone of 54 carats, one of the first ever cut in symmetrical facets, the diamond was bought in Constantinople, about 1570, by the French Ambassador to Turkey, the Seigneur de Sancy. Back at the court of his king, vicious and vain Henry III, Sancy was constrained to lend the diamond to his monarch, who set it in the cap he wore to cover his baldness.

The shrewd successor to the throne, Henry IV, made Sancy the Minister of Finance, and the again borrowed diamond was used as security to raise troops. The stone was sent to the moneylenders in Metz; but the messenger was waylaid and slain. The diamond vanished. Sure of the man’s loyalty, Sancy recovered the body and had an autopsy performed; and from the stomach of the faithful servant the diamond was recovered.

Wary of further loans, Sancy sold the diamond to Queen Elizabeth I of England. It stayed with the royal house until Charles I was beheaded. The Earl of Worcester, to whom Charles’ widow had entrusted it, returned it when the monarchy was restored. In the second Revolution in 1688, James II took it to France. There, after a time, it passed from the royal exile to his diamond-hungry host, Louis XIV. Again the gem stayed with a royal house until the turbulence of revolution; the Sancy, along with the other royal treasures, was stolen in the tumultuous days of 1792.

For almost forty years the Sancy’s story is hidden. In 1828 it turned up in hands that sold it to Prince Demidoff of Russia, husband of the Princess Mathilde, niece of Napoleon Bonaparte.[319] Many of this Princess’ jewels were designed by Louis François Cartier, whose creations she made popular at the court of the Empress Eugénie, thus giving impetus to the young House of Cartier.

But at this point the story of the Sancy Diamond takes a double path. Sold to the Maharajah of Patiala and set in platinum, it remains part of the treasure of the land from which it first came. So goes the story. But either the Sancy diamond or a mysterious twin is worn by the former Nancy Langhorne of Virginia, now Lady Astor.

What further wars such gems may survive, and what owners they may be cherished by, in the coming centuries, future historians may tell.

Out of the Earth

From the dull earth comes the bright sparkle of the diamond. Early prospectors, as gold-hunters panned the streams, sifted the surface gravel. When likely spots were located, men and machines began to dig. At Kimberly, the mine shaft is more than 3500 feet deep. One diamond may be secured for each 21 million parts of ore; but gem diamonds in the larger sizes are so much more rare than industrials or gems in the smaller sizes that more than 250 tons must be mined to yield a stone that can be cut and polished into a one-carat gem.

A purchaser, at the end of this arduous searching, must see to the four C’s of diamond value. First the weight in carats. Although more labor goes into the preparing of five one-carat gems than of one five-carat gem, the single large stone is worth more than the sum of the five. Comparatively few rough diamonds can be effectively cut into large-carat stones.

Second, the clarity. A flawless gem, by official standard,[320] is one in which no imperfection is visible to the trained eye under tenth-power magnification. Such a stone can be shaped to fullest brilliance.

Third, the color. Rarest is the pure colorless diamond, together with the flawless blue. Slightly yellowish tints are in disfavor, but red again is extremely rare and highly valued. Of all, the colorless, or white, diamond, is most likely to be richly responsive to light.

Fourth, the cut. Not merely how well does the particular cut—brilliant, marquise, rose, and the rest—become the diamond; but, whatever the cutting, how well was it made? That is the pertinent question. And perhaps there should be added to this the matter of the setting—the degree to which the finished jewel sets off, displays and enhances the precious stone.

When these qualities are properly present, when a choice gem in a fine jewel adorns a fair lady, then one may truly say, in every sense, that all beholders are privileged to look upon beauty in jewels.

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