The age-herald., 1900-07-19
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The Women of Manila and
 Their Skill in Gem Setting

tuSh OSuh OSes'"S
 The lapidaries of our new Oriental pos sessions are the dark-skinned women of the Tagal tribe, who have acquired their skill and ingenuity in gem-setting from the arti- cers of Spain and Morocco, says writer in the Scientific American. Much has been written about the coral jewelry of Manila (pink coral neck laces, white coral pendants and red coral rosaries like drops of blood), but the impression should not be formed that the lapidary art of the Manila women jewellers is confined to coral products. Pretty and characteristic as these objects of adornment are, they do not compare In value and beauty with the chains of woven gold, filigrees of silver and pendants Of pearls and garnets made by these women. Diamonds, amethysts and similar stones are not so often met with in the native jew elry of Manila; but their rarity is not known, even though they are almost entire ly lacking in the trinkets of the natives and foreigners in Manila.
 Only native gems and minerals, such as garnets, black, yellow and white pearls,
 coral, mother-o pearl and gold and silver
 are utilized by the women jewellers. All
 of these island gems are found in the small SnOpS OI the ndllNe JeWeieTS, anu lie hidi- ner in which they are worked up into orna- ments of striking beauty and value at tracts the attention of an American. A re- cent importation of these most popular Manila ornaments gives promise of their wide introduction into the United States. The specimens brought to this country, all
 the work of women artificers, show that
 the native lapidaries combine the ability
 of the Moorish gem worker with the pa
 tience of the Chinese and Japanese crafts man. Among these specimens are beauti- ful and exquisite earrings, necklaces brace let's, chains, buttons, pins and bracelets or every conceivable design The chains are made of the most delicate strands of almost
 pure native gold, braided and woven like piece of Manila hemp rope, with even the tiny threads initiated to perfection. 50 delicate and dainty is such chain that i one can hardly believe it possible that the women lapidaries beat out the rough gold
 and draw the gold wire without any of the
 modern implements used by western gold
 beaters. Hat pins of pure gold are made in the form of miniature Malay crosses,
 with water-lily leaves for handles. Breast
 pins and stickpins often thickly studded with stones. Silver and gold filigree work, lace-like in appearance, is made with rare skill; other products of the women jewellers i are necklaces and pendants of dainty gold | ferns, flexible and yet strong, with every stem and vine veined exactly as in the | original plant. Pocketbooks are cut 1 out of mother of pearl and thickly studded with green and red gar nets. Black and white pearls are set in gold buttons and earrings. Like most of the Oriental craftsmen, the Manila lapi- daries expert in enameling, an art which they combine with their other work with excellent taste. The necklace may be
 of gold, enameled blue and set with gray
 pearls, or with black enamel studded with
 red and green garnets.
 Few of these jewels are limitations, near ly every woman lapidary strives to give an individuality to her work, and her products are proof of her success. The treasures of one shop can rarely be duplicated in those be little crude and lacking in taste; but where there is one such example there will be dozen that are perfect in every partic- ular. The harmonizing of color and com bining of stones and metals show an in- stinctive taste among these illiterate Ma nila lapdares which is difficult to explain. From the standpoint of the American jew eler there is much in the way of originality and perfection of design and execution that can be learned from these women of the Orient. In all the art they display some- thing of the dark, sinister Moorish is al- ways suggested, something that is felt in the abundance of Malay creeses, green and golden aligators, dragons and knives of every design and color