Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-09

FACTS ABOUT RINGS.
Engagement Rings the Most
Interesting Bits of Jewelry.
OF QUAINT OLD HAIR RINGS
That Are Among the Heirloons In
Many Of the Old Families.
MARQUEE RING is NOW THE FAD.
There Was "a LAW Among the
Romans Against Wearing Gold
Rinss-Poison Carried In Rings.


third fingers OF many n fair hand;
though the wearing of such symbol
is too suggestive to necessitate 80
telling an inscription.
There is no margin in which to salts
fy the taste in wedding rings; the plain
band is all that is allowable. though
this badge OF wifehood may be broad
with squarely-cut edge, or 1t may
be round, but plain and heavy 1t must
be, The ring has always been associa-
ated with marriage from time immem-
orable. The bard sings OF his love
for his fair ladye." being as END
less as the ring" Alas for the divorce
courts II this were true, The engage
ment ring Is. perhaps. the most genu-
inely interesting bit OF jewelry n
woman can wear. and then there IL
always the strong possibility Of her
having a variety. though, AS an en-.
blem of marriage. was not introduced
by the Christian church. as many sup
pose.
Before the Introduction OF coinage.
the only circulation of Egyptian gold
was In the form of rings, and the
Egyptian. ut his marriage, plnced one
OF these rings OF gold ON his brides
finger. as a token OF entrustlng her
with all his property, In our mar
flage ceremony we but follow this
ancient custom, as when placing the
ring, IL repeated, with all my worldly
goods 1 thee endow.'
Here the widest range II given In the
choosing of this important circle. The
diamond is par excellence, now as al
ways.
The solitaire is the commonly popu-
lar style, though n beautiful, design ~
shown In u half hoop Of white dln-
monds, the gold setting being exquisite
ly filngrecd.
The Marquee" Is fad Of the pres
ent, very SNOWY and attractive, with
It's dinmond-shaped setting, filled with
small bril!iants.
Some OF the birthday rings are won
derfully unique, the various lucky
stones being set lightly on a tiny wire
OF gold. Friendship rings are less
popular than Of yorc, though OCCASION
nlly one sees them worn by loyal de-
votee TO the pretty, old custom, The
lovers knot IL the most common be-
Ing either In silver or gold and very
slender.
The Fede ring presents several fea-
lures OF Interest. being composed OF
two Nat hoops, accurately hitting, each
within the other and kept IN place by
corresponding projection on either
extreme edge, 30 that the two form. to
all appearance. one body.
y name Is engraved on each
or n line OF distioh in old
French. The Idea being. should
Ine Two friends separate. each
easily separated, ana thus De n means
OF recognition when again compared,
win Joints no uloso ns not IN be- perceived
Aet are they both zach others counterpart"
Glass day rings are ia endless varI-
ely me costlier jewels are seldom
used, however on some the year IL
pfettlly set In small turquoise or chip
diamonds Another has the legend,
Alma Mater" set In tiny pearls. run
ming oil around the hlagrcc hoop.
Ihe quaint old time hair rings are
no longer seen; their oddly was more
noteworthy than thclr beauty; they
are "herlo1ms' In every scfisc. II
would seem odd IN this prlvilcged age
TO be restricted In so small 4 thing as
the wearing OF gold rings, yet In nldon
lays there were various laws held by
me Romans US to the wearing Of these
leWeled baubl0s, Tlherius inade large
property qualification necessary 10
lneir wearing; the right was given to
old Roman soldiers by SeVprus The
only ornaments worn by the knlghta
under Augustus were ancient rings NJ
IRON which were later held as badge
OF servltude, an express decree Of the
state being necessary 10 rlghtfully
wear solid gold ring.
Ambassadors 10 foreign missions
were Invested with golden circles as a
mark OF great responsibility; those
VIE issued ny tho treasury with much
ceremony, not even the senator's hfing
allowed to wear them in private lfe
The earliest use OF rings and the
form which they most generally fool,
was OF the nature OF nignet; and was
used to give authenticity to documents
before the art OF writing was NuoNn Ia
any but professional scribes nut thov
soon became symbols of power and au.
thority, and we remember the Duke in
Twelfth Night sent his ring by Viola
10 his mistress, olivia, as token that
an power was delegated to the holder
OF the ring, The signet was used by
merchants as their own private mark
equivalent to our trade mark: and
moreover was the only form rings
took for very long period. A form OF
signet introduced In Egypt TO Inc
Etruscans. was a gold swivel ring
mounted with scarab.
curious form OF ring found In
creek tombs are for the dead, a pro.
vision never made In these days; they
are hollow and light, and set witt
round convex pastes; many of thee,
were so thin that It was necessary Il
MI them with martic varnlsh 10 pre-
serve their shape.
Poison was Inserted IN the hollow
ringE OF the Romans A story is re
ih''A ~ tnng 'Idt uttcf the colder
treasure had been stolen by Crnaseu,
from undor the stone OF the Canitoline
Jupiter the custodian. to escape Tor
ture, broke the gem OF his ring In nj,
mouth. expiring immediately from IN,
sheets OF the poison secreted In IL
Another remarkable case Is that o
Condorcct. who. prescribed bv IN
convention and arrested, swallowe,
the dose he carried In readiness 10
such an emergency enclosed within hi
ring. and waH found dead next morn
lng in his cell.
A concentrated mixture OF strnmo
mum and opium, prepared by Cabanis
was the poison put into these rings
and was successful in cauaing IN
death by apoplexy without spasm o
pain.
A curious ring OF Venetian workman
shir and one which could only hav
been worn on ceremonial occasions
Is tho Jewish wedding ring OF the iOt
and 18th centurlea. being AN elabornt
structure. Tho bezel bearing q con
ventional representation OF the ark,
temple, with inscriptions In Hebre,
characters on either side.
An highly elaborate form OF JEWS
wedding ring has projecting socket.
from which hang small rings; a yer
eumbtracme finger ornament.
1he cost OF these rings must hay