The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-11
RUSSIAN JEWELRY.
Paris Greatly Influences the Trade OF
the czar's People.
r. P. MavsOa in Harper's Weekly.


X. P. MasesOa IN HaTpeT's Weekly.
Jewelry is as ancient as the existence of
the precious metals and the precious stones.
In no age Of barbarism or Of puritanical
simplicity has the jewel been entirely dis
carded. The ages Of barbarism were those
Of unsxampled splender and decoration.
ConQuering hosts rified the treasure chests
Of their victims, and carried home in tri
umph their jewels and jewelry. The ancient
Greeks, Persians. Egyptians and Romans
were adopts in decorating their persons and
their men were no less demonstrative than
their women. Masses Of gold chains spark
ling with jewels, earrings and 6n-
ger rings adorned the person of
the Roman dandy. while the war
rior studded his breastplate. helmet,
sword and shield with emeralds, rubies,
sapphires. pearls and 8dianonds. The
jewels Of the crown are great show pieces
In every kingdom in the world, while
family diamonds or pearls, as the case may
be, are Just as jealousy guarded and
handed down from generation to genera
ton, priceless heirlooms, souvenirs Of the
past. In the jewelers. art OF to-day two
different nations probably excel all others
in the originality Of their designs-France
and Russia. The former not only originates
designs Of her own, but calls upon her
varied art Imagination to adapt all the
fancies and crudities of the aucients, until
her jeWelry sets the patterns from which all
others save Russia copy. the kingdom
which Peter founded presents greater
contrasts Of art culture and Darbarism
than any other nation within the pale of
civilization u While ID the world rings
with the heart-rending cries of apeople per-
secuted for the love of their God, and mill
ions Of Russia's peasantry cry aloud for
bread and rot by the wayside. her musicians,
poets, authors and painters invade the won
derland OF culture, carrying all before them.
Quite recently the sale aud disposal of the
Verestchagiu collection pointed clearly 20
the estimation and value OF great mind;
last year Tschaikowsky revealed TO US how
rich In melody Russia's folk music il; and
yet another-Russian only. IL is true. by
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, lie now deligoting
the public by the fire and depth OF his musi-
cal art The centennial exhibition made
the American people first aware Of the value
OF Russian art in the treatment Of the
precious metals 1t savors almost entirely
Of the Byzantine period of the art world its
workmanship is excessively fine and forid,
delighting in overelaboration and detail;
especially strong, too, in the decoration of
church vestments, missals and regalia,
which, as the Greek church Is 30 closely
allied to the Catholic in the elaborateness of
its pomps and ceremonies, provide the
jeweler with many opportunities for the
display of his art workings.
For the ornamenta,ion of the person the
Russian does not, except among the peasant
class follow his native style In his iewelry,
but rather affects the Partisan elegance. In
Italy they are celebrated for their delicate
tilagree work, but in other parts of Conti-
mental Europe jewelry is tawdry aud badly
made Switzerland excels in watches. Eng
land is very strong in silver jewelry, manu-
featuring some gold, principally chains.
bracelets and brooches, oil Of which are
heavy, clumsy aud not at all refined art.
London is the headquarters Of the trade.
where the horrors of the Sweating system"
among her wretched jewelry workers were
the subject Of legislative inquiry.