The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-10-24
JEWELRY.
Precious Stones, Rings, Bracelets
Etc, of Ancient Times.
Various Countries as to the Value of
These rnahents-Amerlcan
Superiority in the Manu-
facture of Jewelry.

No one who examines collection of
ancient jewelry such as may be seen in
many of the museums ofEurope, but more
especially in that at Naples, which con-
tains the greater part of the exhumed
riches ofPompeii and Hercurlaneum, can
fail to remark the few improvements
made by the moderns on these old spe-
cimens of the ornamental art. All the
stones now considered precious were
known to the Romans, though they did
not, because the sources from which
they drew their supplies were limited,
estimate them at exactly the same rela-
tive value. The garnet was often treated
with nearly as much respect as the
sapphire and ruby, and the amethyst,
the topaz, the turquois, the carnelian,
with other stones with similar value, had
not yet fallen from their high esteem.
Rubies, emeralds and sapphires, instead
of being cut in facets, were cut and
mounted in rich gold settings en- ca
boshon, practice never followed now
because it destroys their beauty and
nearly annihilates their value. As to
the modern lapidary, he strives in vain
to equal the canoes and intaglios in sar
donyx. garnet, onyx, agate, chrysolite,
'carnelian, chalcedony, lapis-lazuli, jac-
NTH and even in emeralds and sapphires
that fill the glass cases of the Naples
museum. This excellence is, however,
but natural; for people whose works in
marble have never since been equaled,
could not be expected to be excelled in
the delicate cutting. and carving of
stone. The same collections reveal
equal if not superior skill in the designs
of rings, bracelets, cups and vases with
exquisite precision and taste of execu-
ton among the relics found not alone in
Roman villas, but among the remains
of Grecian domestic and sacred archi-
lecture. Work Of all these kinds is
more ancient than history knows
Rings, cups and vases are mentioned
frequently in the Old Testament. Judah
gave his signet to lamar and Pharaoh,
put his ring on the finger of Joseph to
delegate his authority. Rings were
used in ancient times as notes of intro
duction, to inspire confidence in the
bearer or to protect him from danger.
The device of concealing poison in a
ringis of far greater antiquity than the
medieval prisoners, having been en-
ployed as long ago as the times of Han
nibal to spare the wearer an expected
disgrace by furnishing the means for an
heroic suicide. a
Precious stones are not now equally
estimated in all countries. Wealthy and
fastidious Americans will only wear or
naments mounted with diamonds, rubies,
pearls, cat s-eyes and sapphires, and even
those of less means, if they are not able
to have costly stone of one of these
kinds, must have some tasteful article
of jewelry mounted with small ones.
Then everything else which he wears in
the way of ornament must be of fine
gold, his watch chain, his locket, his
pin, and his match safe. Silver is not
good enough for the citizen of repub
lie who is every mans equal. Canoes
and intagliOs are still worn, but theJ
present little beauty or novelty. They
may be good enough for Frenchmen and
Italians, but we in this great country
must have something better. The car
buncle, which is only garnet cut En-
cdbOchOn, though not an unhandsomc
ornament when clear and wellmounted
is now scarcely seen among us. Cora
long since became drug in the market
1t has now come to such pass that the
American, although he may be a dry
goods clerk with a salary of ten dollar:
a week, is looked upon as little better
than fraud if he wears ring or pir
set with onyx, agate, aquamarine, garnet
a carbuncle, carnelian. or any othel
stone Of similar value. They may b,
used for articles of rsrtu, but they ar,
not good enough to adorn the person
No fashionable jeweler, if he uses thes,
materials at all, pretends to make an!