The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-04

HISTORY OF JEWELRY.
Necklaces, bracelets and Rings OF
the Ancicnts.
From the London Telegraph.

From the London Telegraph.
Mr.. Cyril Davenport is an authority
on 1ewelry ancient and modern, and
women are turning with interest to a
series of lectures which he is deliver
ing, under the auspices Of the Society
OF Arts on personal Jewelry from Pre-
historic Times" Necklaces are prob
ably the earliest form of decoration.
Primitive man. dwelling by preference
near the seashore, may easily have
found material for necklaces ready to
his hand, Shells such as limpets'. ore
continually found with their crests
worn Off al once becoming ring-l like
beads. This gave the idea of piercing
soft objects which were strung upon
animal sinew or vegetable fiber
The transmission is natural from
simple, easily pierced berries, seeds, or
eggs to harder nuts, teeth, or claws,
to the ambitious shaping and working
of materials and stones, TO the adoption
of amber, bone ivory, wood and final
ly. glass and precious stones. and. as
knowledge of metal working grew to
gold silver, copper and bronze. Tongues,
twisted, as their name implies. We're a
form OF necklace, a very important and
beautiful one. in favor with both ASH
attic and North European races.
There was such endless variety the
lecturer confessed in the arrangement
of necklaces, from the simple ludlsn
row of pearls and emeralds to the loop
ed and tasseed Queens Necklace"
that any attempt at classification would
be futile. Egyptian necklaces of beads
of glass and glazed and nodded clay
were distinguished by most skilifullv-
worked patterns. The Egyptians also
made beautiful plated chains Of gold
In the pattern known as TrichinopoIy.
but it is probable that the Greek and
Etruscan gold work of the third and
eighth centuries b. c.. is the most
beautiful ever made. The use Of Jew
els in such ornaments is soaring, but
the gold work Is remarkable for the
beauty of its design and the consma-
mate skill Of the workmanship and sol
dering
Something gruesome attaches to the
earlier forms of bracelets. Few savage
tribes but appear to have worn, in one
form or another, these primitive or
naments. In many cases they were
in reality weapons of war, or were
worn as talismans. In New Guinea
and the neighboring islands they were
composed of human jaWbones Those
made of teeth or claws were supposed
to bring luck in the chase. Some saw
ages of the Congo carry on their arms
heavy iron bracelets, which they use
as. projectiles, and thus Mr. Davenport
traces the wearing of bands around
the wrists from the rough primitive
form to the magnificent workmanship
OF the Greeks, Romans Egyptians and
OF the present day. Metal appears to
have been used from the first: the set
ting of precious stones in metal work
apparently belonging to the Romans,
as does also the engraving of gems.
The diadem or cirelet for the head
was always accorded a wider signiff-
canoe than the wearing of bracelets
or necklaces. From very early times
1t has been largely reserved as a mark
of dignity, and to-day we have the
modern form with intensified signffi-
canoe In the crowns of sovereignty
This latter use, however, originated
In the East, and was adopted in the
form of a soft flllet or band by Alex
ander the Great.
To the increased interest of his lee
ture Mr. Davenport described ancient
diadems discovered at Troy and at
Mycenae, flllets worn by Roman en-
perors, Etruscan wreaths of gold, By
zantine circlets and crowns, and, last
ly, crowns of Britain. He claims for
the Scottish crown. now in Edinburgh
castle, that it is the most beautiful
diadem belonging to the English re-
SaHd. IL 10 pIODpdle tHdl tHe pdtteFn
is that of Bruce's crown. Speaking
of the imperial crown to be worn by
King Edward on the occasion OF his
coronation, the lecturer mentioned
many interesting facts regarding it
not generally known. 1t was made for
Queen Victoria in 1888 by Rundel q
Bridge. Besides four rubies, eleven
emeralds, sixteen sapphires, 27T pearls
and 2,TS3 diamonds. it contains the
famous ruby given to Edward the
Black Prince by Don Pedro. King or
CASTLE, a sapphire from the ring OF
Edward the Confessor, and another,
also of great size. given to George III
by Cardinal York, from the crown OF
Charles II.
-Immortal-"Why do you refer to
Shakespeare as the immortal bard ?'
Asked the friend .sE9eca,,so. ., q ,,s,.-l,,.