The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
"PNKIE" RINGS FOR WOMEN
MADE nv NEW YORK BY WORN
MEN FROM THE EAST.
No Jeweiry More Popular at Present -IIapis
Lazuli . FaVortte stOne-set In Hand
Carved silvcr-Necklaces Made I'm Odd
Designs OF Old Pieces. No Two alike.

~" SUVNtby NhuTC EuputWT ~
Lazuii . FaVorttc stOne-set In Hand
Carved s~llvcr-Necklaces Msdc I'm d
Designs OF Old Pieces. Ma Two alike.
I'VE are making what you call 'pinkie'
rings. That means small. doesn't it? We
cannot turn them out fast enough for the
American women" said the foreign pro-
prietor OF a quaint little Fifth avenue shop
where all sorts Of the most wonderful
pieces Of Oriental jewelry are to be found.
The shop itself is like q bit Of Persia trans
lated to the New York thoroughfare. Be-
hind the screens and embroidered hangings
sit several native g~oldbeaters carving out
rings and fancy jewelled ornaments after
their own fashion Of wSfkmanship and their
" Eastern designs. : There is nothing
American in this little shop except the pur-
chasers. and they are Of the class who can
afford to- buy expensive trifies.
Pinkie rings are the popular article at
the Persian store. Not that these Persian
jewellers nave any special desire to make
ornaments for the tiny finger of woman.
but the pinkie in the thing the women
themselves want.
I'VE have to make the ring part small, "
explained the foreign shopkeeper, but
the stones and settings are very large.
Most of these rings are set in silver. The
American women have q fancy for heavy
carved silver bands with large oval stones
sunk in them. The lapis lazuli Is at present
the most popular stone, and we have set
some exquisite shades Of this ultramarins
blue notified stone polished until IL looks
like a bit Of the sparkling sea.
There are two kinds of lapis lazuli gem
..al, .nlA nnatu ~ -aaI 4. -. &c., D.....
which can be cut in canoes and is used for
signet rings. The other is not iapis at all.
though It is called so. As a matter Of fact
the Swiss lapis is a manufactured stone.
simply an ordinary quartz artiicially
colored with blue This il lighter in shade
than the Russian. Persian or Chinese. and
10 very cheap.
The settings used for pinkie rings, when
they are made OF silver. are han carved
and rather heavy. The same style is often
made up in pure yellow gold and then the
The size o~ftenest sold for the little finger
of a womsn's han 10 about an inch long
and as wide as the finger will and II
there is any engraving on the stone, then
the surface Is fiat. otherwise 1t FUNDS up
quite high and Ii about a quarter of an
inch thick through the centre.
But lapis lazuli is by no means the only
stone worn on the pinkie. IL Ia liked by
blue eyed women on account of It's beautiful
coloring. Like the sapphire it is not an
black under artificial light. For this reason
matrix stones are set in pinkie rings. The
opal matrix is a favorite at present and il
is Of enough value to warrant our selling
IL by weight Just as we do the precious
stones.
"The superstition attached to the opal
does not hold with the matrix. Evidently
the brown stone in which the rainbow
colored pieces are Embedded counteracts
the bad effect OF the opal. and so il Ia con-
1t goes particularly well with the brown
summer dresses that are 30 fashionable
here.
we do not make two pieces Of jewelry
Each American wants to lave the
only ring or the only necklace Of a kind.
That Is why we keep so many jewellers
employed getting up Oriental designs to
please our patrons and working UP orna-
ments from their own suggestions.
$50 many women bring in odd pieces Of
some Of them having no relation
whatever to each other. and then we are
asked to put them together in a single
Necklaces are fashioned this
way, and frequently we get up unique and
designs. A silver earring from
the Orient will serve as a pendant. then We
use a bracelet that was made perhaps In
India, a brooch from Europe. a bangle from
China, and with this jewelry patchwork we
remodel and reconstruct until we have an
absolutely original that would be
impossible to duplicate.
Our workmen understand the Oriental
art Of manufacturing jewelry so they can
missing parts and make Jennings
without spelling the design.
There never was a time when necklaces
were so much in demand as they are now.
Even in my " country. where women
do not consider themselves dressed without
some neck ornament Of jewels, the neck
lace is not moro popular. II Is worn with
every costume, and for daytime odd effects
are liked. Our Oriental designs showing
filigree discs and colored stones seem TO
have taken the place of beads, though
lapis lazuli beads are beginning to be quite
a fad. These are small, about the size OF a
pea, n they are not graduated.
when silver Is used for jewelry il is of a
hard to obtain. for even though the !
ornament is new II must have an antique
appearance