The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-10-22
JeWeIer Says the Plain
Gold Band is Being
Displaced
The Very Latest Thing Is the
Ever Catchy Diamond,
and the Bigger the
Better
New York SUM-

sands of weddings rings are sold in
New York alone every year, it is some
what surprising that nine-tenths or
more of them are almost exactly
alike-a plain band made of 1S or %.
carat gold, which costs anywhere
from IS to $15 or $1S-and that the
poorest, as we'll as the richest, man
buys practically the same sort of ring
for his bride.
Despite the fickleness of fashion in
most things, the plain gold wedding
ring has been in vogue for more years
than even the historians are sure
about. In America very few wedding
rings. other than those of the plainest
style have ever been worn. How
much longer the fashion will continue
is an interesting question. There are
now many more exceptions TO the rule
than formerly From time to time
of late New York women Of fashion
have been married with other than a
plain gold ring.
A Fifth avenue jeweler had two or
ders last winter for a wedding ring,
each of which was a complete hoop
of small diamonds, set very fiat and
so close together that not a particle
of the setting was in evidence.
you are quite sure the ring was
not intended for an engagement ring?"
the jeweler was asked by the report.
er to whom he related this vagary of
fashion.
Certainly l am" was his reply
'The engagement ring was ordered
from us, too.
1T is not often. though. that we are
asked for anything but plain gold
wedding rings, he went on, "and l
fancy no other style will become pop
ular very soon. You see there is re-
ally no stone except a diamond suit
able for that purpose, unless 1t is a
ruby, which is almost too costly TO be
wasted on a very fiat ring, and none
but a fiat ring for a marriage ring
seems 10 be wanted. | have never
made a wedding ring with jewels in
a high setting"
Evidently the diamond hoop is gain
ing in favor of a wedding ring. Il
has been ordered OF more than one
OF the well known jewellers during the
last year.
And several times" admitted the
dealer, I'VE have made a wedding ring
In which were sunk three diamonds
placed a trifle more than one-eighth
of an inch apart The surface of the
diamonds was even with the surface
OF the gold. We also made a wedding
ring for a bride last winter which had
one very beautiful ruby sunk into the
gold in the center. In conversation
with the lady II came out that she had
read somewhere that the wedding
ring given by James, duke OF York.
to Mary of Modena was decorated
with ruby, and the idea caught her
fancy
I'm the old days a royal bride near
~ always wore a jeweled wedding
ring, whatever they may do now, al.
though Biographies of Queen Mary, |
who married Philip OF Spain in 1854,
say that after a long discussion as to |
what Jewels should adorn her wedding !
ring. she chose TO be married with a |
plain gold band, like a maiden OF the |
people, as she said. In the jeweled |
wedding rings OF those days, though, !
the stones were set high and elabor I
ately, whereas the few that Ameri. |
cans are using are placed very incon. |
spicuously. The old-time Jewish we'd. |
ding ring was quite a ponderous az |
fair OF fligree gold. enameled in col |
ors A dome or tomple in miniature
which rose from the middle OF the |
hoop, was favorite device. Some. 1
times the hoop was about three-quar
tiers OF an inch wide and had raised |
edges
"one ring Of this kind is described /
by an authority as having nve eleva-
lions on the upper part-the center /
a heXagonal tower. with penthouse
roof sloping down TO the hoop, the
gables and sides pierced with four
teen holes, or windows. and the roof
scored 10 initiate tiles. On either
side OF this was smaller tower with
out windows. No other ring could
hnd room on woman's finger beside
this. don't think there is the slight.