The morning call., 1891-08-09
Elizabeth, Queen Of Roumaata.

the earliest times. To this day the Emperor
wears in his cap three golden dragons en-
br0idered and crowned with pearls.
In Persia pearls were at one time more
highly priced than gold. All the early
queens OF Persia are represented as wear
ing earrings composed of three pearls of
graduated sizes, the largest of the three
being at the bottom of the ornament The
portraits of the Sassanian kings show
large pearl pendent from the right ear.
while the kings of the Modes and Persians
wore bracelets and necklaces of pearls. 70
this day it is customary in Persia to shower
pearls on the head of the monarch as a part
of the ceremony of his coronation.
The priests and dignitaries of Babylon.
the Jewish patriarchs and priests, the
Weather men and women of Byzantium.
Pompeii and Rome,, and the kings and
mobiles of ancient Europe all wore and
highly priced these gems of the sea, and in
modern times there is not queen in Eu-
tful pearl jewelry. Grecian men of
rank, like the Sassanian kings. wore
single pearl in the right ear.
The pearls which Cleopatra wore in her
ears were among the most beautiful the
world has ever known, and the dissoving
OF one of them IN vinegar at feast given
Marc Antony is matter OF history. Lolita
Paulina, wife of the Emperor Caligula of
Rome, is represented by Pliny as having
been "bedecked and set out with emeraids
tuu pcdIl 10 utStONeu III lows ana ranks all
over her dress. Nero literally distributed
pearls among his favorites, and at one time
the craze for these gems in Rome was so
great that sumptuary laws We're enacted to
restrain all except the privileged classes
from wasting their substance in the pur-
chase of gems out of all proportion to their
wealth. The last of these sumptuary laws
was passed during the reign of Emperor
Leo, 400 A. d. The crowns and diadems of
the Byzantine Emperors were profusely
ornamented with pearls, and the German
crOwR, which dates from the time of Charlie
magne, is ornamented with numerous pearls
strung on golden wire, and around it is
the inscription in pearls, "Ch0nradus Die
GratIa Romanorum 1mperator Angus us"
Sumptuary laws similar to those in Rome
were afterward enacted in Germany and
France.
When Henry VII met his bride, Anne of
Cleves. he wore collar of pearls, and the
buttons on his coat were large Oriental
pearls. Anne of Cleves wore wedding
gown embroidered with large flowers in
pearls. Queen Elizabeth was passlonately
fond OF Jewelry, and especially pearls. One
OF the most famous of her jsweis was
parure OF pearls purchased from the unior-
tunate Mary Queen of Scots at a much
lower price than its real value. 1t is said
that some of her more ambitious courtiers
absolutely impoverished themselves to curry
favor with their sovereign by presenting to
her fine jewelry.
Elizabeth, Queen of Roumania, is one of
the present sovereigns Of Europe who favor
pearl lewelry. She is a remarkably intel
lectual woman, the productions of whose
pen, over the name Carmen Sylvia, have a
place in modern literature. Her accomplish
ments and good taste, supplemented oy her
personal attractlveness, render her person.
age whose good opinion strengthens admra-
ton for whatever she approves. An en-
craving from recent photograph of
this amiable Queen shows her favor
lite necklace of pearls and head dress orna-
mented with the same gems. Her style of
beauty is peculiarly adapted to this sort OF
ornamentation, and her modest and refined
tastes are manifest in her dress as well as in
her jewels. While gems so long held in the
highest estimation by lovers of the rare and
beautiful need no Endorsement from modern
royalty, their good name is in nowiss i'm
paired by the approval OF n person of the
rank and influence of Roumania's Queen.
Something concerning the size and his
tory of few of the most famous pearls is
not out of place in this connection. There
is no definite information concerning the
size OF the pearls of Cleopatra. one of which
was dissolved for Antony. The other was
sawed in half by order of King Agrppa,
and was made into earrings for the statue
of the goddess Venus. Lolita PauIina's
pearls were worth S2,0000O0; the PlRy
pearl weighed 800 grains; the pearl which
was worn in the ear of each of the Sassa-
MAN kings was a large one, but its weight
is unknown. 1t was thrown into deep pit
by the last of the line when lured to mis-
death by the Huns and was never recovered
from its depths.