Milford chronicle., 1895-01-25
JEWeLRY IN CHINA.
Pearls and Jades Are the Most Popular
Ornaments with the Women.

Pearls and Jades Are the Most Popular
Ornaments with the Women.
Chinese women started the fashion of
, wearing jewelry, and the Cinnamon have
kept the ball rolling ever since until even
the Americans considered it a fashion
According to Chinese history, their women
wore rings and anklets ever since there
was a Chinese woman, and that's before
Mr., Noah was born. Seriously speaking,
the first Chinese jewelry store was started
in the city of Chang On about B. 600 years
ago, when Empress Wo Chi Tien-the
only female tyrant China ever had-deco-
rated horselfandher court with its precious
pearls and iados and in turn decorated the
enterprising jeweler with the yellow
Jacket"
Jewelry was first worn by the women
npon their ankles, later about their waists
around their necks and finally at the top
of their heads, but the men beat the wom
en- one point by wearing jewelry upon the
top of their hats so that now mans
wealth in China is frequently measured
by the amount of the cost Of the button ON
top of his official hat, which is always Of
coral. Some of these buttons cost as high
as $1,000 so l was told
No Chinese woman is considered com
plete in her toilet unless at least she wears
her earrings No matter how poor she
may be, she is expected to possess at least
this much ornament They are just as
necessary as the conventional American
girls hairpins I don't mean curly or
short haired girls.
Girls as soon as they can toddle about,
must have their little pink ear lobes
pierced to receive their allotted amount Of
iewelry, without which they will be
laughed at by their little playmates. The
fashion of wearing clumsy anklets is still
in vogue in some of the southern provinces,
notably the province of Kwangtung,
where most Of the American Chinese hail
from. Some Of these leg ornaments ore
very costly being made of pure gold stud
ded with expensive gems. More commonly
they are only of twisted silver or jade
These are large enough to go over the foot
easily When worm they give their owners
much trouble in locomotion. This peoul
lar custom has long ago been abolished in
northern China where rings are only
worn upon the fingers and bracelets upon
the wrists. The latter are as widely worn
by men as by women, but they differ in
size and material, those of women being
more delicate and being Of silver or gold,
while the bracelets of the men are invari-
,
This jewelry is worn more because of a
national superstition than as ornaments,
either as a talisman of good luck or as a
cure for rheumatism
Diamonds as iewelry are not yet as fash
ionable among the Chinese as jade, pearls,
ruby, coral, silver and gold. Pearls and
iades are the most popular. When de
scribing ones wealth, the Chinese do not
say he is covered with diamonds, but with
jades and pearls"
The most exalted artisans of China are
the jewellers and carpenters, one Of the
most formidable organizations of the
trades union in the world being that of
The Jewellers Brotherhood of China, which
claims a membership of several millions !
Every member must be an expert metal
worker of some sort. All Chinese jewellers
ire selected from childhood for their neat
less in appearance as well as their natural / I
idaptation for the skill of mechanic
Then they serve a seven years apprentice
hip. The first three years they must pay
o their masters for the privilege of giving
heir services to him.
The most expensive jewelry is worn =
lpon the head of the Chinese ladies, in =
tead of neck and hands, as is the custom =
f Europeans. As the Chinese thoroughly
elieve the hair is woman's glory, all
ndeavors are exercised to beautify it, The II
tyle Of hairdressing Of the women of the n
middle provinces has long been conceded Vi
ven by American tourists to be the most Il
eautiful and artistic in the world, and p,
be amount of small bat expensive jewelry A
hey manage to put into their jet black Il
air makes even an old maid attractive. &c
he fashionable and fastidious girl has no
'ss than 72 pieces Of iewelry in her hair
lone, and every piece has its distinct
anne and place Their positions upon the
cad are so exact that lady Of fashion Bi
ould instantly detect when one of the ~ a
ieces is stuck in the wrong portion of the ssSf
air. III
Rings of all oolors and styles are worn tip
? ladies of the upper classes only. Poor no,
nd humble females are laughed at as sis
lin when they make any such attempt ho
S arule, men never wear rings upon their NJ
lnds except they be Chinese dudes Then
ey get a ring big enough to 90 upon
eir thumb This is the only way they