The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-09-04
A MINE OF GEMS.
Ropes OF Pearl and Necklaces of Solitaire
Diamonds,

hOpeb OL feaTl ana NECKLACES OF S0lltalr
Diamonds.
A correspondent Of the st. Loui
Globe-DemOcrat writes about gems ant
jewels on exhibition at the Centennial
Among other things he makes mention
of
PEARLS.
Ropes of pearls aud necklaces Of
solitaires set with diamOnds, are
matched with pair OF earrings having
two perfect pear-sbaped pearls nearly
an inch long. An immense black pearl,
weighing one hundred and twenty
carats, is set as O chestnut in golden
burr, and this is the special envy and
admiration of all other jewelers.. Ar
a large, irregularly-shaped black pearl
for head-but l can't imagine any
right-minded daughner Of Eve wanting
such bracelet. Two. exquisite pink
pearls serve as rosebuds, set in silver,
with calyx, pendant, set with diamonds
and black pearls, bears the purchase
card OF the Empress of Brazil as well as
a necklace OF sardonyx intaglios and a
chatelaine watch set with three canoes
in onyx. Among their jewels are four
teen black pearls, two OF them pear
shaped, several pink pearls, and thr ee
very large white pearls.
SHELL CAMEoS
can be seen In every stage OF the work.
from the rough shell down to the finished
piece. In tint and texture some of them
are almost equal to stone canoes. One
piece, four inches long and two and a
half inches wide, represents "Horatius
at the Bridge" Horatius, in helmet and
shield, opposes the Tuscan warriors of
Lars Porsena; behind him the three
Romans are cutting away at the last
beams of the tottering bridge, and below
him friend and foe are battling in
Father Tiber." The price of this one is
$500.
A necklace Of onyx canoes, with a
deep front piece caught together with
golden chains, presents twenty studies
from Canova. 1t is small art gallery by
itself.
The high relief Of some of these canoes
is surprising. One representing naiad
in a shell has both naiad and shell raise d
Il half inch from the background. Pale
pink conch shell jewelry is shown, car
we'd in loVeliest designs, and with 1t the
large shells from which 1t is taken.
oPALS.
Chief among the jewels here are the
black opals, the strangest OF all gems,
whose murky depths, cleaning and blaz-
ing with green and red flames, look so
very diabollcal as to suggest the possi-
bIlity of Satan having had hand or
hoot in their making. They are at any
rate the most fascinating of all stones,
and from the number of opals, both
white and black, it would seem that
they are rapidly coming into fashion and
favor, and that the silly superstition,
about their bringing bad luck, is dying
out. Four strings Of pure and perfect
pearls, pendant and pear-shaped ear
rinKs, were once the property ofthe En-
press Eugenie, and were purchased at
The sale of her jewels four years ago.
The price OF the set is $22, 900, and there
is, of course, horrible chance that some
coal oil parvenu will purchase them,
and sport the jewels OF fallen EN-
press.
From Austria-Huugary comes the
largest opal In the world, weighing 602
carats, and valued at $25, 900 in gold. 1t
is irregular In shape, about four inches
long, three inches wide and half an inch
thick, and the fires and lights play
it brilliantly. Two 0pals have
portrait heads of the. Emperor and EN-
press OF Austria cut on them in high
relief, and are considered quite wonder
full, on account of the hardness Of the
stone and the danger Of its splitting
while being worked. ..'..
DIAMOND NECKLACES,
liaras, bracelets, pendants and rings,
make a chaos OF sparkles around the
arge diamond called the American Star,
we Ching fourteen carats, and only wait
ing iOr some citizen to hand over the
SIS, 900 necessary to ownership. A brace
let has in its setting a stone entirely
noYel-a yellow sapphire. In tint it is a \
pure, golden yellow, and IL is ineXplic-
able by what freak it became yellow in
stead fbue. An immense square neck
lace, over an inch broad, contains nearly
TWO pounds OF gold, and is fairly bar
)aric in its rich and brilliant settings of
diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sap
Dhires.
A NECKLACE OF SOLITAIRE DIAMONDS,
twenty seven stones, is
valued at $4,000, and please justi imagine
low brilliant it is. The ear-riugs to
,f diamonds has in its center a large yell
ow diamond, weighing twenty-nine
,arats, formerly in the collection of the
l.Ee g. Brunswick. This Duke, a
,ousin of Queen Victoria, vas. q great !
and collector Of diamonds |
md antique gems, and al his death left |
lis collection TO the City of Geneva,
Where he had resided alter losing his |
This gem was bought at the |
iale Of his collection, and is now for sale |
.gain for $15 600. Three cats eyes, a |
peculiar green stone found in Ceylon,
IND SO called for its, resemblance to |
fabuy's eyes. are set with diamonds for |
lin and earrings. These stoues are |
much worn in England, for the reason |
hat the Queen possesses u necklace OF |
hem, anu loyal Briton consequently |
leems it the correct thing to wear u |
;aTs eye scarf-pin or ring.
A tiara of rubles and di;tAondS is |
mounted on wires, so as to catch and |
effect all the light possible. neck |
ace of diamonds SET in fine leat-like |
ringe can be had for 100000 francs, |
which sounds like agood deal more than
AZ, 900, and that is why they give tAeir |
,rIces in French money.
They have a necklace of solitaire dla- |
nonds, at $4,000; pure and delicate
ale pink pearl that found a purchaser |
t 81, 0O0 Lue first day it was opened.
Sitting Bull has taken a solemn oath
ever to wash his face until he stands |
ace to face with the white Liar who
tarted the scurrilous report that he is