The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-08-25
ORIENTAL JEWELRY.
PERSONAL ORNAMENTS MIXED WITH
ODD SUGGESTIONS.

| PERSONAL ORNAMENTS MIXED WITH
ODD SUGGESTIONS.
Necklaces That Avert the Evil Eye
| and Beads That Are Potent Charms
| For FeIicity-LcEend of the Kaaba
Stonc-The Sacred SiGnet Ring.
| The orientars love of luxury, splen-
dor of attire and personal adornment
acts as strong incentive to the eastern
| jGwelCr in the production of those eX-
| quisitely carved and multicolored crea-
| tons over which the modern world
| raves and marvelS. Nor are such deco
rationS mere ornaments without other
| use or meaning.
The oriental jeweler, seated upon the
| floor of his little shop, inhaling the fra
grant odors of his pipe and coffee, con-
ccivcS his design and jealousy envel-
| ops it with mysticism, adding to it the
| quaint charm of symbol and supersti-
| ton. The bracelet, the earrings, the
necklace, the clasp, the buckle and the
| button grow step by step into special
ornament according to the rank,
means, tastes and wants of the wearer,
an evidence of class and dignity.
Bracelets are by Orientals worn In
pairs. Each hand is provided with one,
as otherwise jealousy will spring up
between the manual members and evil
| deeds will follow. Earrings are popu-
| lar among both sexes in certain parts
of the orient The ears are pierced at
| birth. The perforationS are made IN
| necessarily large so as not to permit a
residue of gossip. Then ornaments are
offered the ears as consolation. Neck
laces are worn most conspicuously to
avert the evil eye and to denote dig
nifty and distinction. Festoon neck
laceS seem to have been in vogue from
time immemorial and not infrequently
do they adorn the whole chest Of the
wearer. In India the men often Dor
row their wives necklaces to decorate
themselves with. Masculine vanity OF
certain sects of the Persians far ex-
ceedS that of women, and, aside from
wearing earrings and necklaces, they
almost monopolize the tiny seed pearls
by strnging them in their boards, each
hair being literally covered with a lus-
trous pearl.
Beads are among the earliest forms
of ornaments and are considered po-
tent charms for felicity, as these are
often cut and sold by priests or sheiks,
who maintain themselves solely by this
means. The pear shaped drop so much
in vogue in Europe and America Is OF
decidedly oriental origin and has at
tached to it n quaint myth. The kaa-
ba stone i'll Mecca has this peculiar
shape, and, according to the theory Of
the Mohammedans, this stone was the
actual guardian angel who was sent to
watch over Adam in Eden and was
present ut his fall. AS Il punishment
for not having more vigilantly exc
cuted his trust the angel was changed
into a stone and hurled from paradise.
Most Mohammedans wear pearl shaped
pendants made of wood or some pre-
cious stone as 4 reminder of Allahs
| wrath, and these are held among them
in the same esteem as is the cross
among the Christians.
Armlets are regarded as caste marks
and are worn only by women. Anklets
have a healing power and SO are worn
not as ornaments only. Little tinklinS
bells are often attached to these, which
| lend Il pleasing sound to an approach
| ing step and serve to denote the SUI
periority and rank of the wearer and
| thus in passing render due homage.
An Arabian poet describes these as
1.-The awakeners of dormant senses"
Rings are worn in great profusion
and are made of all sorts of metals.
However, they invariably have eX-
| Quisitely carved or openwork shanks.
Even the stones have their symbols
and are worn accordingly. In the
orient no prejudice exists against
| opals.
Signet rings were of great Importance
among the earlier orientals, and even
to the present day letters are rarely
otherwise signed by those who send
them Thus the authenticity of all
orders and communications, even
merchants bills, depends wholly upon
| an impression of Il signet ring. The
occupation of the seal cutter is regard
ed as one of great trust and danger.
Such person is obliged to keep reg
| lister of every ring seal he makes, ana
if one be lost or stolen from the party
for whom it was cut his life would
answer for making another just like it.
| The loss of signet ring is regarded as
| a disastrous calamity, and the alarm
which an oriental exhibits at the loss
Of the signet can only be understood
By a reference to these circumstances,
| as the seal cutter is always obliged to
alter the real date at which the seal
was cut The only resource of per-
son who has lost his seal is to have
another made with new date and to
write to his correspondents to inform
them that all accounts. contracts and
communications to which his former
signet is affixed are null from the day
on which it was lost.-Jewelers' Circu-
| lar Weekly