St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-13

is an example of the high-art workman
ship OF the sixteenth century, and rep
resents the marriage rings of the Ger
man Jews. Like the other, this is also
of gold, and the rich ornamentation in
hllgrees is very much similar to the
Etruscan work introduced in our mod
ern Jewelry. such as brooches and brace
let's. -Four small crowns or wreaths
are suspended from the bottom of
the ring. while the top or head is
crowned by house; the enameled
tiles on the roof open by means OF a
key. and the space within serves for
perfumes. gems or other souvenirs. An
interesting ring in this connection is an
exquisite bicephalic ring of the Byzan-
tine era, believed to have been used
either as signet or matrimonial ring.
Nothing definite is known of il, how
ever. 1t is presumed to have been
found in Egypt and preserved in the
Demetrio collection. The portraits
have been suggested to resemble the
heads of Leo l. and Verina "a. ID. 457-
74), but it is doubtful whether they are
at all imperial portraits.
OF the Roman keys and key rings as
sociated with ancient betrOthal and
wedding rings so much has been writ
ten in recent years that the subject
scarcely calls for further treatment
here. Coming down to the plain gold
rings of today. they have descended to
US in the course of traditionary practice
from the times of the SaxonS. without
any apparent impulse from authority
or rubric. The custom among Ger
mans of using two rings to seal the
matrimonial bond. one for the bride
and one for the groom. is still in
vogue. They are in other respects sim
liar to the English or American rings.
Tie French, however, have an alliance
ring, which is more generally used than
the plain one. The idea is doubtless a
modification of the oiden matrimonial
Gemmel or Gemmow ring. which are
made to link within each other. double,
triple or even more complicated. This
is one of the rings Herrick has perpet-
uated in verse. His pretty lines follow:
Thou sentst tome true love-knot. but
Return ring of jimmals to Imply
Thy love had one knot. mine triple tye.
'.Jimmal" is a North country ex-
preston, meaning either Jointed or
wing hinges.
TIffany's make beautiful alliance
ring, which they constantly carry in
stock. Its beauty lies. not in any elab-
crate embellishments on the SUR
face, but the skilled workmanship.
which makes it impossible to detect
that the ring is not one solid piece of
metal. They are in the same tray with
other wedding rings, and when
the clerk deftly inserts the point of
pin, and the ring falls apart before the
amazed customer, one can almost read
the surprised look, which seems to say:
What! Tiffany ring come apart like
that?" And then the clerk relieves all
apprehension Oy explaining how neatly
a motto or the inscription can be en-
grayed in these rings and never detected
after they are closed.
Speaking of the inscription. there are
many common errors constantly made
as to what this should consist of and
how it should read. dare say that right
here in New York there are any num-
Der of small jewelry shops which if the
question were put to one Of their clerks,
could not answer positively as to the
correct lettering to be inserted. l was
surprised some two or three years
ago when a young friend of mine
took me into bis confidence by show
ing me wedding ring he had pur-
chased. Knowing his name to have
been John Smith, we will say, and the
happy bride, Mary Green, L casually
looked at the inscription, and it read:
IN. S. to j. S." which would imply,
not that he married Mary Green, but
Mary Smith. And this ring, he in
formed me. was bought and engraved
III a jewelry shop which boasts of
having done business OH Fourteenth
street for nearly score of years. We
often see the BRIDES initials or given
name preceding that of the bridegroom,
as IN. g. to j. S." or Mary and
john" which is not only incorrect. but
very bad form. The brideeroom's ini-
tials should always be first and con-
nected with the brides initials by the
word ''and," followed by the date. thus: