The morning call., 1891-10-11
some ASTOR DIAMONDS.
Gems Worth a Kings Ransom That Private De-
tHCtiTeS Must Guard.

Those in position to know assert that the
collection of precious stones belonging to
Mrs William Astor is the greatest and most
valuable in America. No other person in
the country has diamonds or emeralds to
equal hers in quantity and quality. and
even to the greatest dealers in precious
stones the collection is a marvel. In the
collection is the famous bow knot OF dia-
monds presented, in 1915. to Cardinal Richie
lieu by Louis XIII, which Mrs. Astor pur-
chased at the sale of the French crown
Jewels She also has stomacher, made OF
thirteen rows of gems, that once belonged
to Marie Antoinette. She owns the finest
single sapphire in the country, and her
necklace of diamonds and emeralds is said
to be the costliest single piece in America.
Three American women-Mrs. Mackay,
Mrs. Astor and Mrs. Stanford, are believed
to own more fine diamonds than belong TO
any royal family in Europe, except England
and Russia.
According to a New York jeweer tile
most valuable jewels ever worn by an
American woman at one time were DIS
played by the late Mrs. John Jacob Astor
at a fancy dress ball. Ten mounted police
men were employed that night to guard Mrs.
Astor to and from the ball. From each ear
hung the value of Fifth avenue house Or
country home.
At a reception recently Mrs. Astor wore
a gown that was copy of one worn by
Marie de Medici, but vastly enhanced IN
value through its jewel ornaments. 1t was
of pure velvet, pearl wrought lace, and worn
with diamond-wOven diadem. The velvet
was silk aud no thicker than brOadclOth The
gown had a court train, and round it aud
down the cores on the right breast were
asters, natural size, worked in solid gold
bullion, with rim OF leaves and buds. The
bouquet of gold on the bodice was marvel
ously wrought in embroidery, and every
aster would make nature blush for her
handiwork. BuGches OF flowers, gold-em-
broidered by hand, were scattered over the
long train, that had foot wide border Of
gold edging
The train opened over white satin pet
ticoat, yelled with silk net, studded with
gold and pearl and gold spangles. Over the
bodice, cut square neck to the point OF the
basque, was worn the stOmacher L have
mentioned, mass of diamonds. The value
of the stomacher l do not know, and in this
field there is much pretense and good
many things mo Teller can tind out, but
the Jewellers Weekly once estimated 1t at
S225, 600.
Upon her white silk stockings was an in
serted medallion OF point lace, and her
white satin slippers were embroidered with
pearls and diamonds. In fact, from her
head to her heels she was so begemmed that
it appeared that in the establishment OF
this one rather ordinary-looking woman the
area for display only limited the amount OF
Jewels exhibited.
A spear-shaped coronet Of diamonds was
upon her hair, and in the diadem were splen-
did pearls and diamonds. Below the crown
were three diamond stars pinned in the hair
about the ears. The de Medici girdle was
covered with jewels, old-mine stones, tur-
quoises, rubie5 and sapphire5 and around
her throat were fine strings of rose-cut dia-
mOnds. The collarette was black velvet
with a splendid white solitaire button. The
Medici collar was of white net embroidered
with gold and pearls and large sun dla-
mond on the left side of the squale neck.
Mrs. Astor's tiara made great sensation
on that occasion, as it was the first outbreak
in the way of crowns and coronets, etc, III
this country.-Cincinnati Commercial.