Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-02-18
FINGER RINGS,
They Were Popular With the Ancients and
Are Still I'm Favor.

Are Still I'm Favor.
The finger ring is not alone wom-
ans possession, as any casual observer
must confess. The great, glazing set
tings of red, green and white, the re-
splendent clusters of diamonds which
form a striking feature of many mems
hands, render it certain that woman has
no exclusive right in the finger ring as
she has in the necklace, the bracelet
and the brooch and the earrings. And
why should she, when from time inn
mortal Kings and their male subjects
have sported the bauble. The art Law
ished on the construction of the orna-
ment by the artisans of to-day scarcely
equals that practiced by the jewelers. of
two hundred years ago. The designs
and mountings of rings in Queen Eliza
beth's time have not been excelled
in later days, owing, doubtless, to
the limited scope for invention offered
by the circular form and necessary light
body of the metal.
But few collections of rings exist in
this country. We are too busy forging
fortunes to devote much time and atten-
ton to gathering up relics. In Europe,
however, much interest centers in the
collections. A superb cabinet, known
as the Londesboro, is the best in Great
Britain. It contains numerous rings
Of early English and some few of Roman
times. Private hands, however, possess
most of the finger treasures of En-
lands great dead In France such
relics pass by a kind of gravitation into
the keeping of the Government; in En-
gland it is just the contrary Noble
houses preserve their own treasures,
and to this day some of the choicest of
old mementoes are possessed by humble
persons, descendants of those to whom
the treasures originally belonged. Sig
net rings were at an early day adopted
as evidence both of nobility and author
ity. Then they soon gained a CONNER
cial value and every leading tradesman
had his mark upon his hand, that it
might be used when required as his sig
nature
A ring possessing strong claim to
notice purports to be the seal ring of
William Shakespeare, and was found
March 16, 1910, by laborer's wife in
the mill close adjoining Stratford-on-
Avon churchyard. Rings were at
shakespeare time an almost necessary
part of an outfit of gentleman-they
indicated rank and character by their
style or devices. Hence the wills and
inventories of the era abound with no
tees of rings, many persons wearing
them in profusion, as may be seen in
portraits painted at this time. The Ger
mans particularly delighted in them, and
wore them upon many fingers and upon
different joints of the fingers, the fore
finger especially a whimsical custom
still kept by their descendants. The
ladies even wreathed them in the bands
of their headdresses. Rabelais speaks
of the rings Gargantua wore because
his father desired him to ''renew that
ancient mark of nobility. On the fore
finger of his left hand he had gold
ring set with large carbuncle, and on
the middle finger one of milled metal.
On the middle finger of the right hand
he had curious ring, made spirewise,
wherein was set perfect ruby, point
ed diamond and an emerald of inesti-
mable value"
Recurring to Eastern nations, in
whose eyes jewelry always has found
great favor, we find that the Indians
prefer rings with large foriated faces,
spreading over three fingers like a
shield.
At the commencement of the present
century harlequin rings were very
much in vogue. At the present time
simple gold band is favored, with im-
mense settings of diamond mixed with
rubies or turquoise. For ladies the rings
are shown in all sorts, colors and Sizes
Perfect masses of diamonds, made up to
represent petals of different flowers are
quite the style, but very costly.-N. Y.
Star