Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-12
THE VAULTS OF RICHES
Where Society Women Hide
 Their Jewels and VaIuabIeS.
AST0R'S ELECTRICAL SAFE
In Some of the Houses Clever Burglar Might Get Away With Si,50J,000 Worth
 of Gems.

New I Ork, Jan lU.--A nervous SnlNef passed through the frames of the men and women of the smart set when they heard of the recent robbery, by which one of their number, Mrs l. Townsend Burden, lost $65,OOO worth of diamonds. Apropos of this theft, it is a matter of interest to know how these fashionable women guard the treasures, which they love to display nightly. during the win ter.
 One genius. satisfactorily inclined, made an estimate not long ago that at the opera on Calve night there were more than $9,000,000 worth of diamonds and other jewels In the house. This seems a terrific sum, and at first glance may ap- pear to be an awful exaggeration, but it was probably not very far wrong. Some idea of the riches which the fashionable woman of today ties up in jewels can be gathered from the fact that Mrs. w. K. Vanderbilt, at the marriage of her daughter, Consuelo. to the young Duke Of Marlborough. gave the bride a neck lace of pearls which cost more than $1, 000,00O Some estimates placed it's value at $1, 300, O00.
 This necklace was over three yards long, and it took Mrs Vanderbilt many years to accumulate the pearls compos- ing it. Some of the pearls cost $10 900 apiece, while the very small ones cost not more than $100. When strung around the neck 1t almost covered the bodice from , just below the neck to the waist line. It was probably the finest ornament in the country, but it must have occasioned it's owner a world of trouble caring for 1t.
 Mrs. Burden, the victim of the robbery, was never conspicuous for the quantity or the richness of her jewels. yet she went to the opera almost covered with dla- mOndS and still left enough at home to be robbed of $65, 900 worth. Prior to the theft her jewels probably represented $100,O00, and there are scores upon scores of other society women who have as much, if not gG;c, -aiid they never at -sr2o. 3ny attention. This, in a measure, goes to show how many millions there are tied up in jewels of which the outside world knows nothing.
 A Clever Ruse.
 It is not generally known that many of the society women have during the past six or seven years. practiced a ruse for the very purpose of defeating any effort which might be made to rob them of their gems. It Is simply this: Whenever they have a particularly fine piece of 5ewelry made they also order duplicate of it, but in the latter the gems are spurious The making of spurious gems is now science, and so clever Is the de- ceit that 1t requires the knowledge of an expert to distinguish the good from the bad. Diamonds, pearls. rubes, emeralds and sapphires are made by using care fully selected glass and adrotly cover ing it with shavings of the genuine stones This work is confined almost ex- clusively to Paris. but no effort Is ever made by the Parisian jeweer to impose the bogus gems upon an innocent cus- toner. as the governmental punishment for such an offenSe is most severe Bogus Gems Wear Well.
 The settings for the valueless gems are always the same as those used for the real ones. The spurious gems wear for years and are as pleasing to the eye as the genuine ones. The woman whose so- cial position is secure can wear these bogus ornaments throughout the season, While her genuine jewelry is kept secure Yn some safe deposit vault. No one would Yhink of doubting the genuineness of the gems worn by the wife or daughter of come famous millionaire. but a woman of moderate wealth could never afford to f"n the risk of being detected in the im- position Of course, on very particular occasions. like ball in her own home, the real jewels are taken out of the safe Heposit vault and worn that night, but the next day they are returned to the pace of safe keeping But. for the ordi- nary round of gayeties, the bogus jewels do very well, and no one is much the wiser for the deception.
 Troublesome Riches.
 For these reasons the care of the jewels nn not burden the mind so much as other articles of value in the house. For in ttance, Mrs. William Astor has gold dinner service which cost $60000 This service Is only used on state occasions when she gives one of/her famous din- al ,rs But 1t is always kept in the house Turing the winter-scason, and 1t Is a diff ricult article, of furniture to watch. The care of 1t devolvcS upon Thomas, the manager of Mrs Astor's home affairs and the last thing he does at night and the first duty of the morning is to see that 1t is safe.
 When a dinner is given and the gold service is in use Thomas is full of mis- cry, for then a miscellaneous lot of ser wants have the handling of it. On the proceeds of one gold plate the average servant could enjoy luxurious life of ease for year, and knowing this Thom- as does his best to keep tab on the service on its journeyings to and from the dining apartment.
 Resides this service Mrs. Astor has a silver service which cost S20,000, and a miscellaneous lot of silver and gold dishes and table ornaments worth $20,000 more. This makes a total of S100,000 for silver and gold tableware. Her jewels are probably worth between $700.O00 and SSO0000 Her diamonds are reputed to be the finest in town, and she also has the finest pair of pearl earrings The pearls in these are pear-shaped and they are al- most as large as very small pear. She rarely wears them, as they are better suited for curios than ornaments. These are said to have cost $40,000.
 Pie for a Burglar.
 If burglar could run loose in the AS tor home for few hours he would cer- tainly have the finest time of his life picking up odds and ends. but 1t Is doubt full If he could get away with any of the greater valuab bles. Mrs William Astor lives on the north side Of the big white palace on Fifth avenue and SiXty-fifth street, and her son. John Jacob, with his family, lives on the south side. Young Mrs Astor has jewels almost as valuable as her mother-in law. and the ornamen- tations of her home are quite as costly. In short, there are Sl 300, 900 worth of profitable goods in the big house. which few expert cracksmen might be able to get away with
 But John Jacob Astor has been careful to guard against such a calamity. Ever since the tramp John Garvey. gained access to the old home at Thirty-fourth street and Fifth avenue and calmly walked upstairs where he entered n fine bedroom. disrohed aud peacefully slept.