The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-07-05
GEMS AT THE CORONATION.
ity Will he Worn nj the Crown
ing Of King Edward.

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prodigious train of almost Is karats
spun gold at his heels, and his queer
will perambulate the famous abbey
under a gilt canopy carried by foul
duchesses, it is the jewels, royal and
individual, that viii make far the
greatest splendor at the forthcoming
coronation.
Queen Alexandra frankly adores pre-
cious stones, and King Edward has a
very pretty knowledge of good gems;
between them they will display on
coronation day some magnificent an
tique and modern specimens, and the
peeresses will wear their tiaras-
The result will undoubtedly be daz-
cling, for during the past three cen
turtles rich English families. taking
advantage of the troubles of their con-
tinental neighbors, have bought fine
jewelry, and now own the most abun-
dant treasures of this sort of any
of the nobility of Europe, says Lon
don exchange.
The queen of England loves pearls
best of all gems, and her robes of state
are to be looped and fastened with
ropes Of pearls. These.are her chief
pride and pleasure, because some of
them are said to have belonged to
Mary, queen Of Scotland. They were
given her by her husband, King Fran
cis,. who had them from his mother,
Catherine de Medici.
Beside the pearls, Queen Alexandra
will wear the Kohinoor set in her
crown, and the emerald given to-Queen
Victoria by the car of Russia; and
amid the priceless lace that is to form
the front of her frock will appear all
the Hanoverian diamonds set in one
dazzling stomacher.
The finest of the jewels collected by
the four Georges and William Nv. have
been put into her crown, which is to
be made only of these stones, with the
Kohinoor in the center. The remain
der are sufficiently abundant to serve
as spangles for her whole costume.
Queen Victoria left to her all Queen
Anne's lace, and that OF King William
H.. for the latter loved lace like a
woman and spent as much as $4,000
year on the laces Of Italy and Bel
gilIm.
King Edwards best jewel is the big
gest ruby on record. 1t was given to
Edward. the Black Prince, by King
Pedro of CASTLE. In the crown, also.
is the famous pear-shaped diamond
which Anne Boleyn received from
Francis /. of France. In Anne's day
II was worth $4,000 crowns, and to-day
1t is priceless.
Many of the nobility Of England,
however. have collections of precious
stones that equal, If not surpass, the
crown jewels. and at the coronation
the best in their casllets win come
forth.
The duchess of Bedford owns the
biggest bronze diamond in the world;
this is being set in tiara. The duke
of Hamilton, who can't afford to keep
the acres Of his paternal rooftree in
repair. owns diamonds of such size
and such numbers that the wife whom
he has lately married could actually
afford to have an entire high-neck and
waist covered with them.
His mother, in shabby black gown.
used to attend the opera with four
inch wide belt of diamonds about her
ample waist. and every diamond in the
belt was fit to set as solitaire.
The duchess of Sutherland's most
treasured opal was originally the prop
erty of Empress Josephine, and was
known, because Of its gorgeous FIRE,
rs the Burning Of Troy" Nobody
knows just how Napoleon got this
jewel, but the story runs that he gave
It to his wife. who dated all his and
her misfortunes from the hour il came
into her hands.
All the emcralds of the collection he
gave his wife, in the form Of a great
collar, which falls like bertha around
her shoulders, in a coronet, bracelets,
a girdle and throat band.
The marchioness of Butte will lead
all the rest who wear rubies. The late
marquis Of Butte was rich and was ono
Of the most generous buyers known
to the European dealers in gems. His
collection Of rubies includes the
noblest stone taken from the Burmah
mines. 1t is called the Heart Of Doug
lass, because of its size and pure. rudy |
coior.
The finest diamond necklace will be |
displayed by Baroness Rothschild. It |