Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-13
S~HIPLOADS OF JEWELS.

Possessions of American Women
valued at $~3O,OOO,OOO.
eff the occasion ever arises for the new
American women to show true public spirit
from the sale of their jewels alone they could
build and equip twenty of the biggest battle
ships that ever destroyed commerce on the
high seas. You have heard how much a
battleship costs? Well, multiply that by
twenty and you will reach the nearest esti-
mate l can make OF the value Of the precious
stones owned in our %states.'
This from a member Of the most prominent
firm Of jewelers. in New York, and when the
reporter stared and gasped at the result of
the sum In multiplication he only laughed and
said he had drawn 1t very mild.
For Americans are the most lavish pur-
chasers Of diamonds and pearls alone of any
women in the world.
"The taste for diamonds grows with in
diligence. the more a woman has the more
she wants. until 1t becomes, as Is the case of
one of our customers, who will spend a morn
Ing over our counters shopping for %tiaras, as
coolly as II she was matching ribbon. She
has found. like pretty Mrs. Yerkes of Chi
cago. that the way to be famous for her
jewels is to buy only of a certain kind.
ut was Mrs. Yerkes who first bought yellow
diamonds, as Mrs. Astor had the best that
could be done in a collection Of white stones,
and the Chicago lady's casket is reckoned as
worth $500, 600.
Her necklace is long enough to be worn
as a band to outline the top of a decollete
evening bodice, cut over the shoulder court
fashion, and sometimes she does away en-
tirely with the right sleeve of an evening waist.
substituting an epaulette, made all of dia-
monds, with strings Of the gems hanging
down to her elbow.
MRS. William Astor has really never cared
for other Jewels than diamonds, and only
wears portions Of her corbeille ON very
stately occasions, even her hands at other
times showing but her wedding ring and a
little %circlet, of not at all valuable pearls,
given her long ago by her oldest son.
He has added from time to time to his
mothers collection. that some day will go to
his lovely wife. 1t now consists OF twenty
two pieces made up OF nearly 10, 1000 almost
fawless white diamonds set variously in gold
silver and platinum, appraised at al round
81 ZOO, 900.
There are three diadems and a perfect
crown, modelled from a circlet Josephine wore.
The five necklaces are all copies from an
tiques, one from a royal Russian ornament,
showing twenty OF its big stones pierced
through the center. the most difficult feat for
a lapidary to successfully accomplish. At
great balls in her earlier days Mrs. Astor
often wore her dancing dress looped with
sprays of these gems and covered. as with a
cuirass, from throat to waist, so huge were
her two stomachers, but as hostess she wears
only a few rings and decorative brooches.
THE daughter-in-law Of Mrs. Astor, sr.,
clasps her white neck with a thoatlet of ru-
bies, and wears a wonderful little hair orna-
ment of a single huge ruby in a circlet of
diamonds, the big red stone said to be the
largest and finest ever taken from the Bur-
nah mines.
THE jeweler. who at intervals polishes its
setting, would, he says, at any time give SIS,
900 for one half its size. Ii Is cut en- cabo-
chon, but Mrs. Jack Astor spends a great
deal more money and enthusiasm on antique
gold ornaments, collecting them for their
own beauty.
MRS. Twomby has a sincere American
love for turquoise, her set rivaling that of
Mrs. Arthur M. Dodge, whose watch. with
all Its complete works. is set into the mol
low Of a huge true blue, egg-shaped stone,
surrounded by pearls.
Mrs. Langtry, years ago, made turquoise
fashionable. when a certain royal person
gave her a single necklace of them valued at
100000. She afterward broke up the orna-
ment and sold 1t. to defray her first venture
on the stage, and Mrs. Twomby bought all
but four of the stones from a Bond street
jeweler, paying nearly the original price.
Her American jeweler then bought, at the
sale OF the royal French casket, a pair of
bracelets, dating from the reign Of Francis I,
took out the diamonds and topaz, with which
1t was spangled. and set Of six great tur-
quoises. costing from 5000 to $500 each.
Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt has the best col
lection Of pink pearls in the states, in rings
and necklaces.
They are as big as billiard balls quoted
one admiring young man, who saw Mrs. Van
derbilt In her great pearl necklace: the long
strings Topped up In a fringe about the from
Of her bodice, and her fine shoulders carry
Ing. at the lowest estimate. $50 900 worth Of
these products Of the oyster.
"Her largest pearls, contrary to the fashion
she wears as ear screws; they are circled
with a cord and true lovers knot of liza
monds, each pearl alone worth 1000 round
American dollars.
at is Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt who wears
rings. as her hands are exceptionally pretty
and her necklaces are all big dog collars. One
In alternating strings Of pearls. diamond,
and opals. six rows in all. each worth the
Income OF three ordinarily prosperous bust
ness men. Mrs. Vanderbilt, wherever she
goes, buys opals In the rough or polished
and has them set In her fans. paper weights
smelling bottles. her purse and card cases
until nearly a hatful have been disposed Of
Star sapphlres are Mrs. Potter Palmer
favorite gems, along with some OF The largest
blue sapphires known 20 dealers. One tina
she wears as q pendant. oval shaped ant
swinging In . diamond c~lrclst. 10 the seeent