The morning call., 1891-11-29
THEY ARE WORTH
A KINGS RANSOM.
Costly Collection Of Jewels Owned bya
Some Women Of New York.
Nine Hundred Million Dollars In Gems-Mra.
Astor's World Renowned Necklace.
The Vanderbilt jewels.

.iouo oit tile lace OIL the earth own as many
Je"els as 90 the women of the United States.
q large dealer IN diamonds in Maiden lane
assures me That the number of precious
stones worn TINS DAY by our women, not to
count cheap stones, pierres d'imjtation-
Rhine stones, so called. etc., are not worth
less than 5000 OOO, 600. This is due to the great
wealth distributed everywhere, and to the
love OF precious stones shown by American
women. Almost every well-dressed woman
you see in any part OF the country has imita-
ton or real stones Set in her finger rings or
earrings. Diamonds are the most popular, be-
cause they show off better by their blazing,
writes correspondent from New York to
the Philadelphia Item.
Comparatively few women own a largo
number of the stones representing this
S9oO, 100000. Let me take few of them at
radon. The jewels, most of which are
diamonds, owned by the Astur women,
would far exceed S3,O0O,0OO. and the late
Mrs. Jacob Astor wore on all public occa-
slons and many private ones tiara which,
as has been well said, few crowned heads of
Europe or Indian princes could boast. The
stones so flashed when the wearer moved
that Ii seemed as if her head was encircled
in flame.
Mrs William Waldorf Astor has riviera
OF diamonds In three graduated rows, each
row tortane in itself, and she also pos
seses the world-renowned necklace of SIX
strings with the gold of the setting hid, only
the glltterlng stones being visible She is
constantly weeding out small and imper-
fectiy cut stones from the galaxy and add
Ing ones OF perfect workmanship.
Perhaps S3,0O0,000 would not represent
the value of the Vanderbilt jewels. Mrs.
William X. Vanderbilt has superb dia-
mond crescent two inches in diameter, a
pearl necklace owned by the Empress
Eugene and valued at 100000, this rope of
gems being about forty inches long. She
wears this by rOllingit
ROUND AND ROUND HER NECK
a nd then letting it fall in rows toward her
waist. Mrs Frederick w. Vanderbilt has
one OF the most valuable diamond necklaces
IN the world. Among other costly gems
owned by this family and worn in brooches.
necklace, hair-pins, bracelets and rings are
ruDieS. sapphirts, emeralds, topazes, gar
nets, etc.
The beautiful Mrs. Hicks-L Lord owns not
les than S550,001 worth of precious stones.
ana me lame OF her gorgeous necklace,
worth S25OOO0 all of perfectly cut and flaw
less diamonds, Is known in every European
court. Nor Is she sparing in the display Of
TINS regal circ!et. Moreover, she owns four
other necklaces and the most valuable pair
OF solitaire earrings in the United States.
On certain occasions she wears those superb
stones arranged in different ways. Some
times they flash al you in the form of soma
fastened TO the bodies.
large number of the women who own
extensive collections Of costly jewels lock
their treasures uD in bank or safe deposit
vaults, wearing duplicates in paste, Rhine
stones or other limitations. But Mrs. Hicks
Lord wears tie genuine. She detests the
limitations, and says they may DO all right
for French actresses" And what woman
who loves to inquire about these things mas
not heard of Mrs. Hicks-Lord's fau with
T. -,
monds, so often worn in her hair? This
ian has no peer i'll this country and is ex-
celled Nowhere in the world. The b uquet-
holder, with its mouth ablaze with beautiful
gems, has also put her friends in rapture,
as does also her white point d'Alencon fan.
worn en- chatelane from a chain Of dia-
mOnds and pearls.
The MarQuiSe LAMA has a large number Of
exquisite and costly jewels. among which
may De mentioned diamond pendant of
thlrty-two stones, ring with two fiawless
white diamonds, three carats each; severaIS
BEAUTIFUL GARNETs
Obtained by her father, Doctor Hammond,
during the Mexican War, and last, but not
least, the stone purchased at TiffAuy's. This
gem weighs five carats and CLOVIS pink at
night, changing TO warm, scintillating yell
low In daytime.
Mrs. Bradley Martin has an almost insati-
able fancy for jewels, and she has gathered
together stones enough 10 constitute good
slLSq loILuue' rIrqueHters Oh grand opera
in New Ork have often seen the flash Of
these lovely gems, for Mrs. Martin does not
believe in hiding the light of her Jewels
under a bushel. Her chief treasure is a
large tiara OF thirty-six points. The largest
stone is in the center and is fiawless, of the
purest water and beautifully cut. The
other stones are valuable, but they are OF
rather small size. The tiara, however Is
valued at $4,000. This lady Is also the
owner OF several other rare pieces of jew
q NfK,r Ir1a
naments for the hair, bonnet and other
parts of the dress. Several fnegarnets, ru-
bles, emeralds. pearls and sapphires are in
Guided IN this costly collection.
New York women have not been noted for
their pearls, but some of them have ac-
CURED number of exquisite and valuable
ones. Mrs. William Rockefeller has al
ways had penchant for pearls and has
made point Of getting possession Of the
best stones for sale. Her collection is said
to be worth nearly $4,000, but of course
her diamonds, rubits, sapphires and other
Jewels exceed IN the aggregate the value Of
her pearls.
Mrs. Marshall o. Roberts is also an en-
thuslast about pearls and prefers them to
diamonds Her collection ranks probably
next to that of Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt.
She has necklace which she wears in three
rows and these hang around her neck the
three loops hanging. one alb We the other.
Mrs. Henry Clews has also very costly
pearl necklace Of three circlets and one of
Mrs. W. d. Sloane's priced possessions in
Jewels is a similar treasure. Mrs. James
Harriman'S collection of jewels includes
pair of pear-shaped earrings and a neck
lace valued at $4,000.
MRS. ROBERT REMsEN
Has likewise a woman's admiration TO
precious stones She has for years been
buying every diamond that much attracted
her, and OF course she has given the prefer
ence to large stones. But the gold setting
rOnS them q h4V
otherwise have. She has a splendid neck
lace of diamonds, TO which are several pend
ants. One Of these is of great value, cons
sisting OF large emerald set in pearls and
Mrs, Frank Leslie-Wllde's jewels have a
repute in Europe. She has a pair of soIi-
taire diamond earrings which weigh thirty
earats each. They are of perfect color~
laces, one a riviere of single diamonds
finely. cut and graduating from oue
magnificent stone in the center. Tho
other necklace consists of nineteea stones
all exactly alike, each as large as dime
and every one of them of the purest water,
Mrs. Wilde has also Jewel which which
she prizes highly, it having been conferred
npon her as decoration by the Republic of
Venezuela. 1t is called eel Busto del
Liberia DOR" 1t is a golden medallion sur
rounded by brillants set in star rays and Is
attached by golden buckle to a ribbon of
the Venezuelan national color
She received this for her services Sin the
cause of humanity, progress and civiliza-
tion." She has likewise diamond and
emerald brooch designed by herself. 1t "a
In the form of cOiled serpent the head
belng cut out OF single emerald sur
rounded by small diamonds, and having two
little rubies for eyes. The white portion Of
the, serpents body has covering OF en-
eralds and diamonds so arranged that the
glow seems to be the living light proceeding
from the creatures body The emerald In
the head is nearly an inch long.
Mrs. William G. Whitney owns about $780,
600 worth of precious stones, in her collec-
ton being superb necklace. several beautt-
ful sOlitalres, brooches, pins and ornaments.
Mrs. Ogden Mills has q great liking for
sapphires, and has them wrought into
necklace. earrings, pins and brooches.