National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-05
ROMANCE IN JEWELS.
SOME OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A FEW
POPULAR AND PRECIOUS STONES.
Some Kinds of Diamonds which Arc
No Longer in Demand-Fashions in
Penrls-Rubies and Their History.
Amethysts and Drunkenness.
tphllndelphia pross. |


For two or three months reports Of luc-
tuations In the prices of jewels have led TO
the belief that gems were rs uncertain in
value as stocks. From time immemorial
money invested in precious stones has been
held to be invested we'll. People forget
fashions IN Jewels change as much as fash
ions IN dress that cmeralds and crinoline
were once rs popular rs pearls aud PIN
backs are now.
Take diamonds, for example. Time was,
thirty years ago, when a love. gave an en-
gagement ring Of an inferior, hnlf-carat
diamond, ranging in price from $50 to $50,
and groand In spirit at his own extraya-
gance, while the lady strutted aud her girl
friends writhed In envy. But "nous avons
change tout cela.n There Is now very
light demand for low-grade diamonds, such
ms the Cape produces. Girls are connols-
seurs In gems, and know the texture OF
diamond as they know the texture OF silk.
In our day tire price OF the inferior gem
has dropped and that OF the pure, high
grade, brilliant gem has risen immensely.
II is extravaganza breaking out in new
place. Diamonds of from three to five
cnrats, from Golconda ana Brazil, command
fancy prices. Mr.. Wilson's wedding gift
to his bride, Miss Carrie Astor, Two winters
ago, was n diamond necklace which cost
$4,000. 1t was not particularly snowy,
but the stones were remarkably fine.
Fashion, like history, repeats itself.
During the decadence Of the Roman en-
pire, when Nero was feasting on nightin-
gales tongues by the lurid light of his "llve
torches,r and Caligula was shocking even
light.mannered Rome, pearls were the fash
ion, and like most fashions of those sump-
tuous days, II was carried to an extreme.
Nero and Caligula trimmed their royal bus
plg
studded with them. Pearls were the first
gems worn. Long before the diamonds day
they clasped the white throats of Capuan
beauties, and wreathed the dark heads Of
Solomon's GOO charmers. Some twenty
years ago they were out of favor. But
fashion suddenly changed, pearls again
became the rage and In ten years they rose
40 per cent. In price. They are now more
popular than any other jewel. Chains Of
Them worth $4,000 and $4,000 are fire.
quently sold. SO fashionable have they
become that ladies who can't afford the
genuine article wear Roman pearls, which
make fair skin look doubly white, and
can only he detected by connoisseurs.
Pearls are said to possess the property of
fading away. A story was current in Eng
land, some time since, that an enormous
pearl, family heirloom of great antiquity,
crumbled into dust on the neck Of young
girl who was dancing at ball. The hand
soonest pearls In this country are those OF
Mrs. August Belmont; the largest is fully
the size of good-sized marble.
Rubies, sapphires, topazes, and emeralds
come under the head of corundums. Alum
mum and silica form the base of all these
gems, and crystallization completes them.
When Pythagoras said that Nature was al
ways busy In her underground chambers
with geometrical problems, he referred to
this crystalli2ing process Of precious stones
Iron, which has been called the colorist Of
nature, penetrating these crystals dyes them
different colors-thus sapphire is really a
blue ruby, topaz yellow sapphire, and
an oriental emerald green topaz. Freaks
Of fashion regulate the relative price of the
Corundums. The emerald is at present
laid on the shelf. 1t is rarely worn, and,
consequently, an emerald that twenty years
ago was worth $500, would bring only half
that sum to-day.
In the middle ages emeralds were used
MS a preventive against diseases. An emer-
aid at the head of the bed was a safeguard
against nightmare, hypochondria, and
dreams. And sure cure for toothache or
sore throat was letting an emerald attached
to n string down ones throat. Through
absolute faith In the mystic healing powers
Of the gem cures were no doubt OCCASION
ally effected.
The price of rubics has risen of late more
than that of any other gem. ruby that
Zen or twelve years ago was worth a few
hundred is now worth as many thousands.
This is owing to the increased demand and
TO the diminished supply. Should no fresh
discoveries be made, rubles will become al
most priceless. Mrs. Langtry set the
fashion in this country. When she landed
at New York she said, with the artless can
dor Of her class, that her English admirers
gave her diamonds and she wanted her
American victims to follow their example
with rubies. The juenesse doree OF New
York, good, obliging little boys, immedi-
ntely trotted off after the rosy gem. Jay
Gould's son George, whose copiOus tears
ut "The Silver King' established his repu-
tation as q man Of feeling, spent fortune
on rubies.
Sapphires take middle stand in public
favor between the ruby and the emerald;
they are generally set with diamonds. The
topaz has gone out Of fashion simply be-
cause It cannot be bought. The oriental
topaz, which comes in exquisite shades Of
pink, blue, and canary, is almost as rare as
roc's egg. 1t ranks next to the diamond
in hardness. Still, 1t was said OF the Empe-
ror MaXiminius, the giant, who at one blow
Of his royal fist knocked all his horses 8 teeth
down his throat, and with one kick could
break the leg Of any beast, whether wife,
dog, or horse, that he could crush topaz
to powder by grinding 1t in hi Is hand.
The radiance insincere OF the opal is pro-
verbal. Sir Walter Scott damaged the gem
irreparably In Same of Gerolstcin." 1t
consists OF silica and water; the finest speci-
mems come from Hungary and Honduras,
though the fire opal of Mexico is not with
out beauty. The opal of Nonius has be-
come historical. It was the size Of filbert,
full Of fire and color; Anthony coveted IL,
and Nonius, rather than part with it, chose
dishonorable exile, with his treasure TO
bear him company. The love borne by
men for these ''stones of Affection is ex-
traordinary. Prince Potemkin took
sensual delight in the society Of his
diamonds, gloating over them for hours as
they corruscated and glowed in the lamp
light. Mr.. Hopes great blue diamond, a
king among gems, vas loved by its owner.
Napoleon had the Regent, the most mag
nificent diamond in the world, mounted In
the hilt Of his sword, where he could have
IL before him.
1t would be good thing II the amethyst
could become as favorte a companion Of
man, II there be any truth in It's name, which
is said to mean o "specilc against drunken
ness.n