The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-20
HISTORY AND TRAGEDY
CONNECTED WITH OLD JEWELS
Could Old HeirIooms Talk They Would
Tell STRANGE and Wonderful Stories.

Art jewelers. are paying enormous
prices for antique ornaments, especial
Iy those whose beauty consists chiefly
in remarkable workmanship rather
than the weight Of the gems with
which they are set. The woman who
relies chiefly upon the creations OF
some other woman of ideas and orig
inality is, if she had not the wealthy
ancestors to bequeath them to her,
seeking old-fashioned ornaments in
second hand stores and pawnshops.
The most exclusive and high-priced
jewelers. in the large cities are sending
out agents to procure for them the for
mer treasures of bankrupt aristocrats.
1t is said that several New York firms
have sent such agents to~NeW Orleans,
which promises rich harvest Of old
gems.
This innovation has also brought
forward the reproduction Of prehistoic
ornaments. A few old Egyptians
pieces, too, are being copied. In one
shop is a duplicate of a famous old
Egyptian bracelet Ali this work is
done by hand and is of hammered gold
It is linked with jewels, and the me-
dallions are in a relief of the sphinx,
the snake and woman's head The
work is so fine that, placed beneath a
microscope and enlarged ten times, it
is still perfect. The price of this
trinket is $500. Another Egyptian cir
clet Is a band of emeralds and dia-
monds half an inch wide. This is in
tended to be worn high up on the arm,
and is meant to fit snugly. The heavy
band Of the Greek slave is another fad
of the moment. 1t is massive, and is
made either Of FURNISHED gold or black
onyx. Mrs. George Cornwallis-W West
has ordered Greek slave bracelet to
be made of blackened ivory studded
with diamonds, which, it is said, will
cost $1,000
One Of the beautiful creations made
recently for a woman who is havin.,
her heirlooms1 "reconstructed' is a
necklace, of which the wearer is proud
err than she would be of dog collar
of Egyptian pearls or a string Of dia-
lace was an old chain formerly owned
by one of the ladies in waiting to En-
press Josephine. The links were square
surfaced hollow ovals, alternated with
tiny limitations of coiled serpents made
of a greenish gold. The clasp repre-
scented a superb piece Of workmanship
two snakes coiled on a bed Of roses,
the flowers being exquisitely cut from
coral.
Pendant from this were slender goI-
den branches made exceedingly fexi-
BILE, and dropping from the end of each
was coral rosebud. In the same
wealth of jewels was an ancient coral
set-earings and breastpin, also Of the
rose design, although they came from
a fashion of nearly half a century later.
There were three roses in each ring
and six in the pin. These the girl with
sentiment and ideas had made into
twelve pendants, which were suspend
ed from the oval links. From an old
fashioned snuffbox fourteen diamonds
were taken, and these were set at the
drop of each pendant-thus making
one Of the most historic as well as
most beautiful necklaces worn in
Washington last winter.
The pin which confined the stray
curls at the nape of the neck was also
a historic treasure. A medal of honor
conferred upon one of the first gov
errors of Massachusetts, made of two
shades Of gold, shield shape, and cross
ed with a pen and sword, served the
purpose which the Duchess Of MARI
borough first ir1augurated by "confin-
ing her angry locks" with a diamond
brooch, the point OF which had pre-
viously been broken.
A tenderrlitt1e story is told of a cur
ious old ring owned by woman Of
society and sentiment. 1t is a large,
heart-shaped opal, deep set and with
ruby sunk into the larger stone. 1t
was the engagement ring of the great
grandauntso of it's present possessor. The
original owner was the sister of one of
our colonial governors. She became
affianced to an officer in the kings
army. Being religiously inclined, she
declared that she would shatter all be-
lief in superstition by wearing an opal
in her engagement ring. That was at
the beginning of the Revolution. The
soldier obeyed his duty-but once,
when trying to obtain a glimpse of his
lady love, he was captured and shot as
spy. Thus has the ring and it's pitt
full little story been handed down for
five generations. Small, indeed, must
have been the hand of the first woman
who wore it, for, although it's present
formed, the opal heart is tight upon
her little nger."-Brooklyn Eagle.