Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
UNIQUE JEWELRY.
Odd and Curious Things Used for Per-
sOnai AdOrn

| sonai Adornment
From Tit Bits
In play recently performed at a West
| End theater ring, with poisonous weap-
| on concealed therein, had an important
| part to play in the denouement In DAYS of
| yore such things were more common than
| was absolutely desirable, and one of these
| an antique pearl and topaz ring, which at
| one time contained a poisonous knife. re-
/ leased by a spring, was recently on sale
| in London. The ring was purchased from a
| Spanish prisoner at Key West, Fla Its
| present owner can congratulate himself
| upon possessing very interesting relic.
The same can be said of divers ornaments
| belonging to miss Lucy Lee Hill, the daugh-
ter OF one OF the southern leaders in the
| civil war that ravaged the United States
| in the sixties. The ornaments in question
consist of a necklace, bracelets. earrings
breastpn. cuff buttons and comb, each of
Which was made of buttons cut from the
garments of distinguished confederate Off
| GERS. and all of them having history.
After the battle fought in 1876 at Powder
river, Wyo., collar of buckskin incrusted
with beads, ana having five medicine
rows of Clipped flint and eight dried fingers
| the middle fingers of the left hands of
| eight enemies who had further use for
them-hanging therefrom, was discovered
on the field.
This novel form of establishment recalls
the watch chain which is one of the proud
est possessions of farmer living near
New York city, of the name Thornton.
Eight links, each trffe more than an
inch long and connected by metal rings
form the chain. The chain we learn glist-
ems like ivory, having been highly polished
by years of wear. The links, however, do
not consist of ivory but of bones taken
from amputated legs and hands.
We must not omit from this list Of strange
1ewelry yet another necklace possessing
decidedly human interest The necklace in
question was eXh- bited at the Chicago eX-
hbition, and is, We believe, the property of
a Chicago merchants wife 1t consists of
three rows of human eyes in a perfect state
of preservation-they were contributed by a
number of Peruvian mummies-polished
and mounted in gold. They made a very
striking but somewhat CHASTITY ornament
and one that doubtless enjoyed much popu-
larity in the era of the early Britons
Not very long ago an extraordinary set of
ornaments was seen by an English traveller
al a bride show" in Russia. The mother of
the bride, being of an ingenious turn of
mind, presented her daughter with a girdle
consisting of seventy-two silver-gilt table
spoons, necklace of like number of ordi-
nary spoons-let us hope, in view of the
weight, that they were teaspoons-while fas-
tened al the back, in the form of a cross
were couple of silver ladies.
The ordinary umbrella of the domestic
hatstand can hardly be regarded as an ar
ttcle of jewelry but the parasol or umbrella
lit is difficult to decide which it is-that
forms a prominent feature of the Sultan of
Turkeys treasure room is fully qualified to
be described as such. 1t is of white silk, bu<
ii varies from the ordinary umbrella by be-
ing embroidered with gold threads wrought
at intervals with precious stones-the wealth
erbound visitor who requested the loan of
il would probably be looked upon with sus-
picion. The staff, it is averred, has not its
equal in the world, which in itself justifies
the epithet unique" consisting as it does
of one long, straight piece of coral.
A short time ago live tOrtOiSeS of a dwarf
variety, their backs incrusted with Jewels
and tethered by a light gold chain, were
very popular as necklaces among those Pa
risian ladies of fashion who could afford
average price of ZIG each for them.
Another fashion that speedily became pop
uyar was the wearing by engaged couples
of a little piece of convex ivory, mounted
in gold and set with precious stones. Upon
the ivory miniature painter reproduced
exactly one of the eyes of the donor at
least three sfttiugs being required in order
to get the right expression and shade of the
eye. In British New Guinea the fashiona-
BILE wear as regards native jewelry consists
of earrings made of lizards tails, and cigar
ette-holders carried in the lobe of the ear
1t is a moot point who possesses the most
expensive necklace. Twenty-Five thousand
pounds is said to have been the value of the
recklace worn by Miss Tylney-Long. of
Draycot, Willis, when she married Mr.. Will
liam Pole Wellesley; while Mrs. William
Vanderbilt's pearl necklace has been valued
at eight times that amount, or nine times
the value of the necklace worn by the Prin-
cess Royal-now the Empress Frederick
upon her wedding day.
The Countess Henckel possesses a neck
lace of pearls which is composed of three
historic necklaces. to-wit: The necklace
of the Virgin of Atokha," bought for
$4,000 from Spanish gentleman; the sec
ond string was once owned by the ex-queen
of Naples. and the third formed the EN-
press Eugenie's famous state necklace, and
is worth 100000. The necklace is now
valued at $4,000.
1x,, re III ,atr
the world is the property of Miss Celia WAL
lace, who, IL we remember rightly, once
possessed a gown valued at 10000. The
necklace is composed of fourteen pendants
hung on a fine platinum chain. Each pend
ant has black diamond center. set round
by five white diamonds from South Africa.
The whole is valued ct $4,000.