St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-07
WEARERS OF DIAMONDS.
Vast Sums Wealthy Women Invest in
Jewels.
THE
: GEM OF ROYALTY.
New York Women Of Note and Their
Jewels That Have Become
Famous.

( At the recent costume fete in New
| York Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt wore
| diamonds valued at 100000 This sug-
| gests an inquiry as to the probable
| value of the diamonds worn by the
women of America and the particular
women who wear them. In hunting
/ this kind Of information one misses
I George Mcclure. the diamond expert
of this city, who died iii 1885. In his
| lifetime Mcclure handled more dia-
monds than any other man IN the
| United States, and his Judgment in re-
gard to precious stones was widely
sought. He was with Tiffanys for many
| years and made many trips to Europe
| and across the continent for this firm in
| the diamond traffic. Not lcng before
| his death Mcclure told me that he first
| became interested in diamonds by read
| ing, when boy, what is known in the
| history of France as the Diamond
/ Necklace Scandal" in which Marie
| Antolnette was involved. This neck
lace was valued at 100000 francs.
| Dealers estimate that there are now
| in the United States billion dollars
| worth Of diamonds, although when we
| look up the output of all the diamond
| fields the estimate seems large. There
| are two firms in New York who handle
| S6,0G0,000 worth of diamonds and pre-
cious stones each year,or at least for the
| past four years. Diamonds are worn
more and more each year. and Max
ORelFS observation in regard to their
universal popularity in America is not
| far wrong.
There is no collection of diamonds in
this country equal to those owned by
! Mrs. Leland Stanford, wife of the Cali
| fornia millionaire. Mrs. Stanford's
wonderful jewels are valued at $, O00,-
| 600. Her necklace, the finest in the
| United States, is worth $4,000. 1t con-
| slSts of large blue tint stones. Several
years ago she bought the collection of
| jewels of eX-Queen Isabella of Spain.
the total investment amounting to
$1,000,000. Many of her finest stones
were purchased through dealers in New
| York and Paris, and she has enough of
them to fill quart cup.
Mrs. Hicks-LoTd lfas a superb neck
| lace that is said to have cost 800, 1000.
| but from the standpoint of the experts
that of Mrs. Stamford, costing $74, 900,
is the more desirable, on account of the
rarer quality Of some of the gems. Mrs.
HlckS-LOrd Is credited with $3.50. 900
worth of diamonds, and on fancy dress
occasions has worn $4,000 worth at
one time.
T Mrs. Paran Stevens has many thou
sands of dollars invested in diamonds.
rap for a diamond. except for the cash
it represents, has over $15O,0O0 worth
locked up in safe deposits.
Mrs. >. b. Hagan, wife of the Cali
fornla millionaire. has ruby given by
Louis OF Bavaria to Lola MonteZ. val
ued at $4,000.
Conspicuous among the costly collec-
tons of jewels in New York are those of
Mrs. Christopher Myer. widow of the
late aged rubber manufacturer. Mrs.
Niger has large fortune invested in
diamonds, sapphires, pearls and tur-
quOiSeS.
Miss Isabella Singer. daughter of the
American sewing machine man, who
married Due de CaZeS, received many
thousand dollars worth of diamonds and
| pearls from the bridegroom and his
mother. The gift of the former was q
diamond tiara and pearl necklace, and
the latter q diamond necklace, all of
great value.
:. 1t is well known among dealers that
Minnie Palmer has been making large
Investments in diamonds, and she prob
ably has 1925, 900 worth of them The
sC1eveland stone" of which she is now
the owner. weighs 4211a carats, and cost
$4,000.
/ The most valuable jewels ever worn
by one American woman at one time
were worn Oh a fancy dress occasion by
the late Mrs. John Jacob Astor. They
were valued at $500, 0GO. Ten mounted
| policemen were employed that night to
guard Mrs. Ast0r to and from the ball.
Among her collection was pair of soil
taire earrings, pure white stones as
large as thumb nail, worth the value
of Broadway house and lot.
Mrs. A. J. Drexel, of PHILADELPHIA,
has fortune in precious gems, dia-
monds being her favorite.
Mrs. Thomas Ascot, of Philadelphia,
and Mrs. Clarence L. Harper, OF the
same city, have each a fortune in dia-
/ monds, including many gems of rare
/ value.
A unique and costly necklace owned
by Mrs. Robert Johnson, of San Fran
cisco, is among the curious things in
diamond jewelry. 1t is formed Of many
valuable Stones, and is the exact coun-
terpart of q snake. The solitaires are
set in laminated gold, the plates of
which, overlapping each other, render
the necklace perfectly flexible, and
snake is very striking.
/ Three American women, Mrs. Mackay,
/ Mrs. John Jacob Aston and Mrs. Stan
ford, either of whom is believed to-own
more fine diamonds than belong to any
of the royal families in Europe, with
the exception of Great Britain and Rus
STA.
Miss Belle Wilson, daughter of the
wealthy New York banker, who was
married in November to Michael Henry
Herbert, of the British legation, re-
ceived many costly diamonds as we'd
ding gifts. Lady Herbert, the groom's
mother. gave her valuable diamond
star. Her mother gave her diamond
tiara and necklace, besides which she
received a diamond and ruby pendant, a
diamond and sapphire bracelet, dia-
mond ring and diamond pin, all worth
fortune.
Miss Cora Forbes. st. Louis, has
rare and costly set of pink topaZes, the
only set in the United States.