Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-21
FASHIONS IN FINGER RINGS.
Gems that are Desired in Settings and
Those that have had NO Sale Lately.

Gems that are Desired in Settings and
Those that have had NO Sale Lately.
From the N. Y. Sun.
There is not much left on hand now" said
the jeweiler, looking with indifference over a
million dollars worth of diamonds. rubies, en-
GRADS, and other brilliant gems that glowed
and flashed in the light. At present we have
only few thousand styles of finger rings rang.
ng in value from 81 up to $1,000 Probably
the most interesting class of rings, for young
people at least, are those known as engagement
rings. Fashion prescribes that they shall be
solitaire diamonds, set as simply as possible. SO
as to show but little gold about the stone. Here
they are of all values, from $50 up to So, coo.
Sometimes a ruby is preferred instead of a
diamond and really fine rubies Of good size are
more costly than diamonds. Their value de-
ponds wholly upon their color. Here is one OF
three carats which Is worth e, 500, and another
fully half as large which is worth only $3.50.
we are now getting q good many cabochou
rubies-that is, stones which are cut round and
smooth instead Of with facets. Very beautiful
novelties they are, too. 1t is style which has
long been popular in India, but little Seen in
Europe or this country until late years. espe-
cabochon sapphires also, which have a very
pretty effect. We have sold this winter a great
many sets rings three in each meant to be worn
together. one of them set with rubies another
with saEphires, and the third with diamonds grad
uated sizes, five stones in each ring. Their cost
has been from $1,000 to 81 300 per set OF
course the stones at that price cannot be very
large, but worn together in that way they are
very handsome. Here are two variations on the
idea-one French ring which is solid on the
under side. but cut to look like three above.
with gOod-siZed central ruby surrounded by
twenty small diamonds. "a clumsy .absurb-iookinr
thing which nobody wants; the other a trnli-
cate ring lii which the rubies, sapphires and dia-
mOnds are placed in square settings which fit
together and make the ring seem a solid one
susceptible of several notifications of cOmbina-
ton. The old-fa> hOned puzzle rings have en-
tirely gone out of fashion, the combination one
being the nearest present approximation to it,
number OF years ago there was quite a Ia re
for complicated, twisted gold wire rings The
originals came from Mexico. but we ua,ie them
from the Mexican pattern, and even improved
upon it, making a still more entan@led double
and-tWisted thing. which. when taken apart
looked more like a wire nightmare tlan a ring
but. when put together by one who understood
its trick. seemed plain and solid
Here are few magnificent 0pals. glorious
stones, but there is no sale for them. Hardly
anybody will venture to buy an opal. People
have superstition that they are unucky. and
we scarcely sell one year. Still their nominal
value continues to be very high. This is the
most popular stone. the fashion. NAV say. of
to-day, the cat's-eye, a greensh-broWn stone
with line of light through it. There are diff
ferent kinds of them, but the best is the corlln-
dun, or base of the sapphire Here is ring
with cat's-eye thanked by a small diamond on
each side which is worth 5000 That cat eve
is only four carats weight. Here is another of
nine carats, which is worth unset. $1,000.
600 and y-nf hair
value is more matter of fancy than is that of
stones better known. such, as rubies and dia-
monds. Their worth depends upon the clear
ness and sharp defining of the line of light
through them. Here for instance, is one-a
quartz cats eye-almost as big as the first |
showed to you yet worth hardly quarter as
much because the light in it is diffused Here
is a turquoise ring worth 81 400. and here
another, not set around with diamonds. as the
first is, yet worth 81 300 Look at this intagliO.
Roman warriors head engraved in a sapphire
1t is pretty piece OF work, but only worth 1925:
and simply call your attention to it to remark
that both cameo and intagIiO rings have gone
out offashon We have peck or more of them,
antiques and modern, cut in many varieties of
stone, and some of them quite valuable, but
there is hardly any sale for them. The popular
taste now runs to the gypsy style Of ring-like
this, cat s-eye with ruby on each side en-
bedded in the solid yellow dead gold: or this
one, where the rubies are replaced with dia-
HoHuS Ally KilleS vi StoileS may De employed
in these rings. their distinctive feature being
simply the close setting OF the stone. which has
no Wis ibe class, and hardly rises above the sur
rounding surface.
''Of pearls it is worthy of remark that some
OF the purest and most beautiful. even excel
ling genuine Oriental pearls in their bril!iance,
are out of fresE-water mussels found in Ten
nessee Here is one of that kind, of exquisite
perfection OF form, being q perfect sphere, and
of absolute purity, which is worth. without its
setting. $3.50. Some of them have the most
delicate tintngs possible to imagine like this.
for instance, which has the shade of a blush
roses petals. None, however have such depth
Of color as this big oval pearl, of almost coral
rcd, which comes from a cOnch shell. and is
worth in itself 5000, or as it stands in the ring
by diamonds. $3.50.
'This is the most curious precious stone in al!
our collection. 1t is known as Alexandria. and
is found in very small quantities in Russia. and
more frequently in CeyiOn. BY day it is as YOU
see, dull olive green, with merely suggestion
OF crimson CLEAN giinting through it, but by
artificial light, at night, it glows with rich
ruby red, and not trace of the olive green is
visible. Costly? Only moderately SO. This
stone, for instance, is worth only
$500. 1t is just beginning to be appreciated,
and becoming fashionable.
Those are sapphire asterias or star stones so
called because of the fve-pOinted star Of light
they show, and here are a couple of ruby aste-
rias much more rare and valuable than the
others. All these are fashionable stones now,
but their wear is generally confined to gentle
men. Those green garnets come from Colorado.
They are real garnets. notwithstanding their
color. and cannot be confounded for a moment
with emeralds, even to an inexperienced eve.
Observe that among all these fifty or more en-
eralds, of all sizes and great variety Of tint.
there is not one apprOXimating in color to the
green garnet The emerald. by the way is as
much in fashionable favor as ever. Many peo-
pie deem it a lucky stone, superstition in
which they are as firmly grounded as others are
in their confidence in the fatefu! character ofthe
opal.
Serpent rings are disappearing, except in
some cheap forms where value depends entirely
upon workmanship, and the serpent scales af-
ford opportunity for some exquisite enameling.
But the old style serpents with jewelsin their
heads are out of date. Fashion approves now,
by preference. of the novel Japanese rings
which we introduced and which are quite curt
GUS. Here are some. formed in quaint SEN 4
barbaric style as you will observe, from two
metals. gold and a brOnZc-colorcd alloy. of
great hardness, called by the Japanese shakedo
The composition ofthat metal is secret. known
only to the Japanese. 1t does not change it's
color by time or any other agency which will not
affect gold. These are comparatively cheap.
only costing, with their handsome settings.
from $50 to $3.50 each. There has been quite a
f,p frs,,