The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-03-30
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ABOUT ElNGER.RlNGS.
An Article of Personal Adornmcnt with an
Interesting History.

sequently worn in rings as charms.
The jasper cured fevers and dropsies,
stopped hemorrhages, and baffled the
effects of witchcraft and promoted
parturition. Emerald jasper was pre-
eminent in these qualities, and, more
over, insured chastity and confluence
to the wearer. The turquoise or Turk
ish stone was supposed to have many
and various good qualities that make
it second only to the jasper in popular
estimation. Shylock's ring that he
would not have lost "for wilderness
OF monkeys" was a turquoise. This
stone was believed to strengthen the
sight and spirit Of the wearer, to take
away all enmity and reconcile man and
wife, and to move or change color
when any peril was about to fall upon
the wearer. The most wonderful vir-
tue of all was that it protected its
wearer from injury from falls, so that
however serious the danger the stone
only broke and the wearer escaped un-
hurt. The agate rendered athletes in
vincible. cured the sick, and enabled
its wearer TO gain the love of all
women. Amber was good against
poison; amethyst was an anti
dote against drunkenness. Bloodstone
checked bleeding; carbuncle emitted
native light; coral hindered the delu-
sions of the devil; crystal clouded il
evil was about to happen to the wearer:
Il lnt III
poisons; opal sharpened the eyes of its
possessor and clouded the eyes of those
who stood about him; ruby changed
color if any calamity were about to
happen; sapphire checked bleeding at
the nose; topaz cured and prevented
lunacy, increased riches, assuaged an
ger and sorrow, and prevented sudden
death.
Other things besides precious stones
were supposed to possess curative vir-
tue; thus a ring made from the hoof OF
an elk was held to protect the wearer
from epilepsy. Then there were "cramr
rings" which were hallowed with
much ceremony, the wearers of which
were saved. from the falling sickness,
while other rings were used for scienti-
lic purposes namely, meridian, solar
and astronomical rings.
1t is supposed that the fashion Of
having notices on rings was of Roman
origin at any rate the young Romans
gave rings to their lady loves with
notices cut on gems, such as "Remem-
ber, and Love Me-" In the year 1924
Il little book was published containing
Il collection of '.Posies for Rings"
Some of these fave become pretty well
hackneyed, such as when this you
see remember me-" which is at least
three hundred years old. In some cases
instead of words the stones were made
to tell the posy by means of acrostics,
fashion that has not yet gone out of
date. Thus to obtain Love" the fol-
lowing arrangement is made:
L apis lazuli.
Opal.
V erde antique.
l. merald.
For 'Love Me- malachite and another
emerald are added. For the words
dearest" and "Regard" the stones
are arranged as follows:
ID iamond.
L merald.
Amethyst.
r uby.
i mcrald
SapphirL-
II Opa2.
r uby.
i mcrald.
G arnet.
methyst.
Ruby.
ID iamond.
The French have precious stones for
all the alphabet with the exception of
f. q, y and z. They obtain ''Amitie" by
the following means:
A methiste.
Nj alachite.
| rs.
turquoise, or topaz.
ris
Il merande.
The fyancel, or wedding ring, is also
where it was usually given at the be-
trothal. The practice of the wife wear
ing the betrothal ring after marriage
and the husband wearing the wedding
ring has been a common one in Ger
many. Wedding rings used to be hal
lowed and put on the thumb, index and
middle finger. after the names of Trim
ity, leaving il on the fourth finger at
the word amen. In many parts of the
continent wedding rings are worn by
husbands as well as wives. The inter-
change of rings was II prominent fea-
ture of the ancient betrothing cere-
mony, one of the most peculiar of these
betrothal rings being the gimnul, jim
nal, gimbal, or gimon ring, Il twin, OF
double ring, taking its name from the
word gemelli. 1t was formed of two
or three pieces of gold wire, which
seperate and turn on II pivot. In be-
trothal the ring was opened, the lovers
placed finger through each hoop, and
then being closed it was worn us Il ring,
This article may well be concluded
with reference to the mourning ring.
The practice of Offering rings at funer-
ais is a very old one, some of them be-
ing as remarkable in design as they
were expensive in material. 1t is Il
fashion which at present seems honored
in the breach more than in its observ-
Francisco Chronicle.