The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-10-23
JEWELRY.
Precious Stones, Rings, Bracelets
ETC., o. Ancient Times.
The Different Estimates Now Prevalent In
Various Countries as to the Value Of
These Observation-Disclosures
Superiority in the Manu-
facturO of Jewelry.

superiority In the Manu-
facturs of Jewelry.
No one who examines a collection of
ancient jewelry such as may be seen in
many of the museums ofEurope, but more
especially in that at Naples, which con-
1ains the greater part of tie exhumed
riches cfPompeii 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
moi vet fallen from their high esteem.
Ruhies. emeralds and sapphires, instead
Of being cut in facets, were cut and
mounted in rich gold settings en- ca
Goshon, a practice never followed now
because it destroys their beauty and
nearly annihilates their value. As to
the modern lapidary, he strives in vain
30 equal the canoes and intaglios in sar-
-Gonl garnet, onyx, agate, chrysolite,
ca:relian, chalcedony, lapis-lazuli. jac-
jntl 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 q
ring is offar 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.
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 a 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 repu5-
lie who is every mans equal. Canoes
and intaglios are still worn, but they
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-
cabochon, though not an unhaudsome
ornament when clear and well mounted.
is now scarcely seen among us. Coral
long since became drug in the market.
1t has now come to such a pass that the
American. although he may be a dry.
goods clerk with salary of ten dollars
= week, Is looked upon as little better
than fraud if he wears q ring or pin
set with onyx, agate, aquamarine, garnet,
carbuncle, carnelian, or any other
stone of similar value. They may be
used for articles of rertu, but they are
not good enough to adorn the person.
No fashionable jeweler, if he uses these
materials at all, pretends to make any
display with the articles into which
they enter. Yet all these stones are still
ireated with respect in nearly all the
countries of Europe and are even worn
by rich and fashionable gentlemen.
The jade still maintains its reputation
in China on account of the superstition
attached TO it, though the wealthy man
Garins often wear diamonds of great val
ue- The ruby, emerald and sapphire are
not often seen in the shops of the Far
East. and The pearl. owing to the failure of
supply in Ceylen, has also almost entire
iy disappeared. In Siam, one of the
principal sources of supply Of the sap
phire. this gem is worn by the nobility
either in its rough state or rudy cut.
Nearly all the emeralds, rubies and sap
phires which supply the demand of the
world. come from Siam. Burmah andCey-
Ion, and anywhere in the immediate
nelghborhood of these regions any one
disposed to purchase can find q good bar
gain if he has the means and is con-
ncisseuer in the wares offered. The Eu-
ropean residents of the East adhere to
the old fashions, and show little taste in
personal ornament The Kings of Siam
and Burmah, following the example OF
Eastern monarchs, have stored up .
. large part of their personal wealth in
the three kinds of gems most easily &C
<>o~esh1o