Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-22
FAMOUS DIAMONDS.
Many Of Them Are Owned by Wealthy
New York Women.
MRS. hsToR'S "STOMACHER. "
Mrs. PaI,ner's Pearls-Mrs. Martins jew.
elied Crowns-Mrs. w. X. Nanderpirs
Violet Headpiece-Others OF Note'
fCorrespondence of the plspatch)

tCOrreSpOnuenCo VI thc
NEW YORK, April 2i.-The children OF
wealth are not more tenderiy carea io'
than are the Jewels of society people
There IA nothing hap-hazard about them
from the time they enter into the POSSES
sion Of their wealthy owners unti 'heS
are finally left as heirlooms TO the next
generation, and pass into the possess'on
OF others.
There are several very remarkapie
pIeces OF iewelry owned by American So
clety-ladies, and as these jewels appear
year after year in the boxes OF the Me-
tropolitan Opera-House. or a glimpse Is
had as their wearers pass from their car
riages to the ballroom. little by h''ie
the public comes to recognize tnefn' until
they are scarcely less known than the
crvwn- Jewels of the Queen or the famous
diamonds of other rulers.
In fact, the best known OF all the private
jewelled pieces in the world are owned
by American ladies, although there are
several very handsome ones ION the other
side" but as foreign ladies' do not often
purchase jewels, cOntenting themselves
with resetting heirlooms, IL remains for
our women to take the lead in the owner
ship of fine tewelry. a history OF the
gems owned in New York city alone
would be very interesting, for they have
been obtained by much search and often
from the collections of impoverished SOW
ereigns.
The most famous Jewel as 1t may be
called, In New York society," is the "sto-
macher," belonging to Mrs. John Jacob
Astor. This IL Il superb combination OF
gems, arranged In the form of u girdle,
or pointed front-piece. 10 be worn over
a lace dress-front, or for an ornament to
tho front OF a decollete corsage. 1t Is
very large, and is composed OF the finest
gems obtainabe in the world. IL was the
wedding-sift of Mr.. Astor TO his bride, and
was selected with more than ordinary
taste, or 1t could never have been worn
In public. But so well are the gems
blended and SO perfectly 90 they har-
nonize with n fall of white lace that
young Mrs. Astor looks perfectly sweet"
when she has 1t on, although her friends
say that she wore it for the first time with
many misgivings. for fear it would look
like grand display OF wealth. Its cost
was not far from 81 10000
VERY GRACEFUL.
Mrs Grover Clevelands rose-leaf spray
OF diamonds, while not the next finest
Jewel in the world. is well known be-
cause 1t is so very graceful-a quality
often lacked by big pieces of jewelry.
1t was the gift of Secretary Whitney on
the occasion Of her marriage. Mrs. Cleve-
land wears 1t in the front of her corsage,
and with IL she wears as her only other
ornament n strand of diamonds across
her hair. The spray IS OF very large dia>
e,1t
strand is also of large solitares. The
rose-leaf spray has been out Of its case
Just once this season, and that was at
the diplomatic dinner given by the Presi-
dent the first Of the year.
After these two pieces may come Mrs
Potter Palmer's famous string Of pearls.
No woman in the world has been pictured
oftener than has Mrs. Palmer in that
necklace. 1t was purchased by Mrs.
Palmer after a long period of diligent
search. and Is now perfectly matched,
so that 1t rivals the Rothschild pearls.
which are among the famous jewels Of
Europe. The Palmer necklace is a dog
foliar Of five strings of pearls. each pearl
~xeing as large as a marrowfat pea and
all as alike 'as peas in pod" Below the
dog collar hang six strings of the pearls
beautifully graduated in size. It's value Is
not accurately placed. but If Mr.. Palmer
were to lose the Palmer House and his
million-dollar residence on the boulevard.
each strand would be a sufficient income
for years living.
Mrs. Whitelaw Reid comes in as n close
third to the Palmer and Rothschild COLI
'lecti>ns of pearls. for she boasts enough
pearls TO stud a gown. and she always
has magnificent one for the opera sea-
son trimmed in this way. With these
hundreds Of costly pearls. she has a neck
lace OF many strands and a pearl and dla-
mOnd corOnet that travel always iu the
same set with the studded dress. These
pearls are not less elegant than the
others; but. being scattered, their beauty,
in the minds Of some. is lost because
only part can be seen at once.
EXCITES WONDER.
Mrs. Willie X Vanderbilts famous
string OF pierced diamonds always ex-
cites not only admiration but wonder
They are all magnificent solitaires. and
through the centre Of their superb cut
ting runs a gold wire which fastens them
together Thus a string or band of brill
liant light goes around the fair neck of
the beautiful wearer. Ii IS said that Mrs
Nanderbilt's idea In doing this was to
secure a glimpse Of diamonds ony-as If
they were unset-as she has Il great fond
ness for the stones and likes to hold them
I'm her hands and admire their colors in
their unset state. TO have three or four
dozens OF these wonderful stones, as II
unset. and yet so they can be worn, WAS
dream of hers when she was "A penui-
less southern beauty with only beauty,
goodness. and fine family to recommend
her TO the young milllonaire's fancy.
The "Will o the Wisp' coronet of Mrs.
Ogden Mills is justly the most famous
coronet in New York. ana IL always great
ly admired whenever its owner will con-
sent to wear II. In shape the "Wili o