The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-30
WOMEN WHO OWN SOME NOTED GEMS
  Americans Coming to the Front
 With Collections MRS. MACkAYS PEARLS The Duchess of Marlboroush's coIIec- tIon-oueen Alexandra's Three Favorlte Jewels-eems Show
 cred on Patti.
MRS. MACKAYS PEARLS
From the Grand Magazine.

by Prince Albert when she was yet a child. and his betrothal ring, snake set with the finest emeralds.
 These three rings were never removed from her hand. and were buried with her. Much treasured, too, was the bracelet she always wore. composed of a numerous ar ray of small golden hearts, each with a minute miniature of one of her grandchil- | Ilren or great grandchildren.
 Queen Alexandra, in addition to a safe- full of diamonds and pearls owns some wonderful eolored gems-rubies, sapphires and emeralds-which, however, she rarely wears The only colored stones she really likes are amethysts. and these she has given, at Christmas and on their feto days, to her friends and relatives in such numbers, set in scarf pins, bangles, chains and sunshade tops. that she has quite popularzed the stone, hitherto little val | ned in England. With dresses of her fa- 1 yorite color. mauve, the queen always wears amethysts
 The jewels she values above all are her engagement ring, set with a beryl, emer- ald. ruby, topaz iacinth, emerald-the first letters of which spell out ele name by which she has always called her hus- band 'Rertie;" the beautiful diamond cross given to her by the women of Dem mark on her marriage, and the crown of brilliants. set in silver. bestowed by the women of England on her silver wedding day.
 Queen Alexandra's Pearls.
 The most splendid jewels Queen A1exan- dra possesses are undoubtedly her pearls. She has ropes and ropes of them; high dog collars and pearls set in trimmings for the corsages of her ball dresses. These have been collected and given to her by the czar and her sister, the dowa- ger empress of Russia, as well as by mem bers of the English. Danish and German royal families. many being old herlooms
 The queens pearls are surpassed only by the young Duchess of Marlborough's historic collection. This includes some of the most interesting pearls that belonged to the il-fated Marie Antoinette, which were bought by MT. Vanderbilt for his daughter as n marriage gift. Each pearl fin the young duchess necklace-it is an immensely long one-ls valued at $5,00O and she sometimes wears the ropes wound twice around her neck and twice around her waist
 I hope I am dlvuglng no state secret. says a writer in the Grand Magazine. If I state that before Queen Alexandra went last season to dine with the Duchess at Sutherland House, the beautiful home of the Marlboroughs In Curzon street she asked her youthful grace to "put on all her pearls" lust for once. "for then I will wear mine" laughed the queen. "Af- ter dinner we will count which has the largest number" And they did like two Schoolgirls The duchess was the winner by two
 Among the finest black pearls known are those worn by Lady Ilchester of Hol- land House, which it took Napoleon TIT. ten years to collect in all parts of the world for the Empress Eugenie.
 Countess Henckels Pearls.
 What is said to be the most valuable single necklace of pearls is owned by Countess Henckel of Paris She has also a triple necklace of pearls of especial in- terest.
 The first string was the so-called Neck lace of the Virgin of Ato<ha' the second was once the property of the ex-queen of Naples; the third was worn by the Elm press Eugenie on state occasions.
 This last string contains the great pearl found in Paterson forty-eight years ago. This pearl if il had not been somewhat injured by the mollusk being boiled be- fore the shell was opened. would be the finest and largest gem of modern times
 Mrs. Mackay is said to have the largest number of pearls of any living woman There are almost 4,OO0 of them. One pearl rope belonging to her measures feet in length. each pearl being the size of a pea and perfectly matched.
 Of turquoises Princess Henry of Pless and the Duchess of Roxburghe formerly Miss May Goeln have the finest collec- tions with the exception of one or two Russian grand duchesses Mrs. Willard HansaSer. wife of the American million aire, wears the largest specimen ever seen in n rins.
 Some YiI5ies. perfect In color and of enormous value, formerly the property of the late Doweger Duchess of Coburg, are f,, sfa nA AIo duke: those of Lady wimborne. including the famous Hope ruby, are only little less splendid. Mir. Haggin of San Fran cisco possessed some years ago a wonder full ruby, which had been sold by Lola Montez for a comparatively trihing sum, but which is now worth some $l5,0OO
 Sapphires. said to feel the effects of att mospheric changes and to shrink perceptl- bly in cold weather. are supposed to be the coldest stones in existence, and to have the power, consequently. of quench- ing the fires of unlawful love. The czar and the kaiser both wear sapphire rings given them by their wives as talsmans.
 Of sapphire sets none Is so precious ei- fher in Europe or America, ttat be- Longing to the Grand Duchess Serglus of Russia; no single stone Is so rich in the memories that circle around it as the dark sapphire sacred to the Hohenzol- ferns. which has been in their family since the time of the Crusaders.
 Emerald Popularlzed.
 Several ladles-among others the Dowa- ger Countess of Dudley, the Duchess of Devonshire and Princess Dhuleep Singh have helped to popularize the emerald, so well does the stone become them. Lady Chesterfield wears some magnificent stones set in a grdle. while Lady West moreand and the beautiful Lady Helen Vincent have the best of theirs set as muff chains. Stones unequalled for colo. and size, at any rate in Europe, are worn by the 1nfanta Eulale of Spain.
 Many footlght favorites. Sarah Bern hardt. Duse, Melba. Christine Nilsson, Ju- die and others, are owners of fine jewels: hut Patti possesses the finest diamonds, furqnoises and rrbies of them all The gems she carried away as a girl from Russia constituted one small fortune, and those the Rothschilds have given her an- other. Queen Isabella of Spain, good singer herself. bestowed sapphres and an amethyst brooch surrounded with pearls; comb set with SS brilliants was the gift of the Empress Eugenie: the emperors of Germany. Austria and Russia all loaded her with diamonds; even Queen Victoria sent a ruby and diamond bangle-a very small one. 1t Is true. but still Victorian, so Patti prizes it.
 The treasures in her safe are innumer- shie-fans heavy with jewels: a golden canary set with yellow diamonds. and little bracelet the gift of the subscribers at the St. Petersburg opera house: stave of music In gold and on 1t, ndi- cated in large rubies and diamonds. the notes Ia, do re. 'rAdoree." which indeed she was of those passionate lovers of mu- sic.
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