The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-11-13
PRECIOUS STONES.
value OF stones Owned by American Wo-
:nen.--NortuncS in Fine Gems.
Commercial Gazette.

Commercial Gazette
1t is doubtful if the women of any two
Nations on the face Of the earth own as
many Jewels ~ DO the women of the Uni
led States. 4 large dealer in dia-
nous in Maiden Lame assures me that
the precious stones worn this day by our
women. not to count cheap stones, pierres
dimlalion, Rhine stones, so-callcd, &C.,
are moi worth less than 5000, coo, 600, while
authorities on Chestnut street regard
this rs ar over estimate.
Comparatiye!y few women own large
number Of The stones representing this
$500 ,000, COO. Thcjcwcls, most Of which
are diamonds, owned by thc Astor women,
would far exceed f3,000,000, and the late
Mrs. Jacob Astor wore on all public oc-
casons, and on lnany private ones. Il tiara
which. rs has been well said, few
crowned heads of Europe or Indian Prin-
ccs could boast. These stones so flashed
when the wcarer moved that it seemed as
if her head was cncirced in flame. Mrs:
William Waldorf Astor has a riviere OF
diamonds in three graduate rows, each
row 4 fortune in itself. AID she also pos
scsscs The ld-renowned necklace OF
six strings with the gold OF fhe setting
hid, only ths giittcring stones being visi-
bic. She is constantly wedding out small
and imperfect stones from the galaxry
ard adding larger ones Of perfect work
nlanship.
Perhaps $3,0G00O0 would not represent
the value Of lhc Vanderbilt jewels. Mrs.
William X. Vanderbilt has superb cres-
cent two inches in diameter, a pearl neck :
lace owned ,y Tie Empress Eugene, and
valued u! $4,000, this rope Of gems being
about forty inches long. She wears This
BIZ rolling ii roumd and round her neck
and chen letting II fall in rows toward
her waist. Mrs. Friedrich ". Vanderbilt
has one Of Tie most valuable necklaces in
the world. Among other costly gems in
in this family and worn in brooches, neck
laces, ilai. pins, bracelets and rings are
ru5ies, sapphircs, cmeralds, topazes, gar
nets, &c.
The beautiful Mrs Hicks-Lord owns not
less than 500, 900 worth fprccious stones,
and the fame OF her gorgeous necklace
worth $25G,00O, all OF perfectly cut and
iiawless diamonds, is known In every Euro
pean court Nor is she sparing i'll her dis
play of this regal circlct. Moreover, she
owns f0ur other necklaces and the most
valuable pair Of solitaire earrings in the
United States On certain occasions she
wears those superb stones arranged III dit
terent WAYS Sometimes they flash at you
in the form Of some flower or some bcauti-
trl spray OF leaves, being fastened to the
bodice. 4 large number the women who
own extensive collections of costly jewels
lccli their treasures up in bank safe de-
posii vaults, wearing duplicates in paste,
or other limitations. But Mrs
Hicks Lord wears the genuine. She de-
tests limitations, and says they may do for
French Actresses"
suppose she had Bcrnllardt in mind
then And what woman who loves to i'll
quire about tliese things has not heard Of
Mrs Hicks Lords fan with its fifteen rails
ed folds, studded with diamonds, sg often
worn III Ter hair? This fan has no peer in
this country. and is cxcelled nowhere in
the world The boQuet holder, with its
mouth abaze with beautiful gains. has al
50 put her friends in rapture, as does also
her white point d'Alencon fan worn ell
clatel.linc from chain of diamonds and
pearls.
The Marqu;se lanai has Il large number
Of exquisite and costly jewels, among
which may be mentioned a damond pen
.ant OF thirty-two stones, a ring with two
lawless white diamonds, three carets each,
several beautiful garnets obtained by her
sntber, DR.. Hammond, during the Mexican
war, and last but not least, the stone pur-
chased at Tiffany's, rhisg gem weighs FIVE |
,arets and glows pink at night, changing
o q warm, scintiilating yellow in day time.
Mrs. @. 7. Huntington's pair ofruby ear |
.ings are valued at $4,000, each stone
Yeigling fifteen carrots aud being of perfect I
hadeand workmanship. There are said |
o be The finest rubics inthe United States. I
Among fhe otiier ladies who own1eantifull
nd yaslahiej jewels are Mrs. Lindley Chap
n, wiloiias adiamond neckiaee, which size
emetifnes wears as Il tiara, worth 81 900:
IRIS. John Bloodsood, who has a pair of
olitaIre diamond earrings aud altandsolne.
iameEd necklace; Mrs, Griswold Gray.
Tho lsas a large aud valuable collection
otahly ofemcralds and diamonds,and Mrs.
.nriilard Spencer's diamond arrow is the
MY of al who have seen it. Mrs. John
aeol, As tor,nee Willing, has fortune
lone IL diamonds alrd sappllires, gifts
soln he Ast6rs and others when married I