Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-14
BONANZA QUEENS JEWELS.

Mis-. Belps s260,OOO or Glitie,inr
sseIns ia u Maiden Lame Firms
New York Sum-
A few days ago The Sun printed
an account, taken from the San
Francisco Chronicle, Of the regal
wardrobe prepared by Worth, Of
Paris, for a bonanza queen from the
Pacific Coast, who is about to visit
Europe for an extended tour. The
wardrobe is the finest owned bv
any lady on the American conti-
nent, and cost a fabulous sum Of
money. The lady referred to is
Mrs. t. P. Bell, of San Francisco.
She is a native of Boston, about
twenty.eight years of age, and the
wife of Mr.. Bell, one of the direc-
tors of the Bank of California. He
is also largely interested in silver
mines with Flood, O'Brien, Mackey,
and Others, and is said to have an
income Of 100000 a week. Mrs.
Bell is now at the Hoffman House
in this city, and will start for Eu-
rope about the 1st of April. She
appeared at the Charity ball, flash
ing with diamonds from the crown
Of her head to the buckles of her
shoes, and created an immense SEN
sation. Few knew who she was,
and fewer still the value of the
gems she displayed. Her Jewels
are now in the vaults of a Maiden
Lane jewelry firm for safe keeping,
and to undergo some alterations
before her departure for the Old
World. A reporter of the Sun was
permitted an inspection OF this
glittering array yesterday. The
sight was dazzling. It's the largest
and most costly collection OF gems
owned by any one lady in the
United States.
There is q stomacher and chate-
laine Of diamonds that is perfectly
bewildering to look upon. In the
golden belt alone are $50 diamonds.
The chatelaine is composed of stars
and crescents of exquisite work
manship, descending to the bottom
of the skirt. 1t contains 1878 dia-
monds. A tiari Of diamonds is
fashioned into crosses, with one
huge black pearl in the center that
alone cost $4,000. There are two
arnlets, with star pendants Of dia-
monds to match the stomacher,
each containing fifty large stones,
Two bracelets matching the last
named article contain gems of the
purest water, weighing from two to
four carats each. A necklace Of
huge stones and star pendants cost
$4,000. The central "spark"
weighs ten carats, and other stones
weigh from three to eight carats
each. None are of less weight than
three carats. There are just 240
diamonds in this triaing article Of
adornment.
A large emerald and diamond
necklace of magnificent workman
ship, has two hundred and fifty
large diamonds and an equal num-
Der of emeralds. There are large
emerald ear-drops to match the
above. Bracelets of emeralds and
diamonds complete this set. An
article of adornment that would
make half Of Murray Hill sigh with
envy, is q coral aud diamond neck
lace. The coral is of fine pink
hue, and the diamonds are of large
size and great brilliancy, attaining
a striking and dazzling contrast.
Ear-drops and two bracelets of the
same complete the set. A butterfly
hair ornament has the body of the
insect composed of a fine long pearl
of a YellOwish white. Pearls, sap
phires, rubies and emeralds com
pose the wings. There is second
butterfly hair ornament. A fine
large opal, of magnificent colors,
compose the body, while the wings
are made of diamonds, pearls and
rubies, arranged to represent the
national colors, A vinaigrette Of
solid Roman gold has a solitaire
diamond in the center resembling
a fair. sized calcium light, In this
superb collection are such trihes as
two solitaire diamond ear. drops,
weighing eleven and a half carats