The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-14
JEWELRY MAKING BY WOMEN
MORN WELL SUITED TO DEFT
FEMININE FINGERS.
4 Demand for Better Designs In Jeweiry
Than the shops Can suppiy-Field for
Dome VIM Possess Good Taste-Miss
Edltli Iau Tells About Two Rinks.

MISS rfJtn VAIL, JeWeDy maker by Gazing,
tHSks that jeweiry making is especially
adapted to women and that it offersa re-
munerative field in the larger cities to
women with good taste n deft fingers
My choice OF making jeweiry was from
reference entirely" said Miss Vail when
asked by a reporter to talk about her work.
Il have always been a great admirer OF
iems. | may as well tell you 1t the begin
ming that all | have accomplished is due to
the encouragement and assistance given
me by my father.
Il was an only daughter with three broth
ers, but my father always had it distinctly
Understood that my icing a girl should
rot stand IN the way Of my efforts to express
my individuality. My mother had old
"a shioned ideas about what a girl might
rnd might not do. Had she had her way
' would have been brought up to sew, keep
house and make myself beautiful.
Following my fathers instructions |
vas at liberty to go into the fields and rake
hay. climb trees. ride bareback and do
riany things that shocked my mothers
tense Of propriety. II IL to those years OF
my life. spent in the woods and fields Of
Illinois gathering stones, observing the
ipWfI dtIu uldhitiH iTlctuS Wllh ~ pTNb
md the insects, that l owe my success to-
LAY. My jewelry is a reproduction Of the
,olors and n Of nature.
Il never polish either stones or their
settings to the extent now fashionable among
The makers Of jewelry for the shops. Silver
is too beautiful a metal to be made to loo
like tin by being excessively polished.
Among the stones the opal is about the
greatest sufferer from the craze for ex-
cessive polish. 1t is polished so highly that
the most beautiful colors are obscured by
the glitter Of the window lights.
Il never make diamond birds or pigs OF
horses for the simple reason that they are
too unnatural to be beautiful.
The use of II carat gold is another thing
that offends the refined taste in jewelry.
u is hat red coppery looking gold that
you see 80 much Of in the shop windows.
| use 70 carat gold. See how much softer
and more beautiful the effect.
MY experience teaches me that the
public does want better designs in jewelry
than the shops supply. Indeed, that is just
what gives me my trade. IL people were
content with what is to be had in the shops
they would never come to me.
Aside from my nature and art studies
/ think I can say that the only instruction
/ have had for my work was the course
which I took at the Pratt Institute. Brook
Ign. There / learned to work In several
metals. to make copper mugs and things
OF hat sort. / make no pretence to being
one OF the arts and crafts workers of whom
we hear % much Just nov. l am a jewelry
maker and 1 wish to be known az such.
In spite OF the fact that l never advertise
and only take orders from persons l know
about, I have had several experiences with
persons who were not all they represented
who called here and introduced himself
az the head Of a hourishing school.
He explained that some Of his friends
had told him OF my work and he had come
to see II ! would not a a class in jewelry
making in his school. The terms he offered
persuasive that I was completely hood
winked and showed him what few pieces
Of jewelry I had on hand and a number Of
my designs.
Il afterward found out that he was con-
nected with a firm Of manufacturing jewell
he was able, but reproduced them 80
poorly that they met with no sale and were
lead loss to the firm.
This apartment Is my home n here l
work out my own ideas. That is the great
pleasure that comes to me from my work.
' a 10 biiO = v ahoaO
ia a limit to my time and strength and IL ]
accepted more orders that / have had during
he last " years I would be compelled to
employ some one 10 help ne Ali them.
The only assistance l get is having some
stones cut downtown. I have them cut
here because 1 have not the power here in
apartment. You don't know what
trouble I sometimes have in getting these
stones cut to suit me.
"A short time ago I had ar order for a
diamond ring and the person who gave
he order left IL TO my taste entirely, both
he selection Of the stone and the setting.
selected a beautiful stone and wished to
have Il cut in a design Of my own.
You should have heard the lapidary's
objection. Because il never had been doLs
any n would have thought that
vas asking him to break a sacred law.
is my experience at every turn; be-
,ause a design is out OF the ordinary they
to argue with me that it is wrong.
Looking at IL from one way l cannot
wholly blame them, Even the best Of us
his is a photograph was made for the Shah
4 Persia. It is by no means either the most
or the most expensive ring that
have made, yet / have seen myself rise
.,erceptibly higher in the estimation Of
Of my best patrons when they CHANGED
o learn hat 1 had made a ring for the
shah.
1T came about in a very everyday sort
4 way A Persian official returning home
cished to take the Shah a ring Of American
make and thinking that having the ring
by a woman might give IL an adj
interest, he came to see me and
ave me the order.
1T was a handsome toraz set in twenty
We karat gold. At the bottom Of the stone
carved the characters which mean Sod
3 all glorious These could only be seen
Vhen looking down into the stone. Then
hey stood out clear and distinct. In the
Of the setting ! used two other
'ersian symbols, the rose and the night
ngale. The settings on the two sides were
iferent.
That is one thing that I will not do. ]
will not make two articles alike. To me
piece of jewelry should be as individual as
gown or a hat. Then. too. it wears on my
erves to make duplioates-it takes away the
leasure OF creating.
Not long ago I made a ring that inter-
sted me and at the same time afforded me
lot OF amusement. A girl came here with
ne Of my regular patrons and became so
over my work that IL was really
EMBARRASSING. She must have something
finally settled on a ring.
What sort OF ring? She could not de-
ide and finally I was called on to help her.
ow l knew nothing about the girl exert
hat l had seen and heard while she was