The sun., 1910-01-09
Again tho conventions

finger. l suppose. Again tho conventions
as rule when a young man and his
fancee come together TO buy Q costly
ring we know they are not New Workers..
In their OVID town or city. where they are
known. probably they would not be seer
together on such an errand, but coming
to a city and a store where they are not
known gives them coura &c to. hy in the
face Of enga gement ring etiquette.
@Often q young man will ask TO look
at the rings in a private room or at the
back OF the store and sometimes we eug-
gest that he do this IL he looks particu-
larry bashful. .. So 80. -.
when a young man appears and asks
in sort Of a low voice to look at ladies'
rings we refrain carefully from asking
leading questions. To do this at ffrst
might be fatal TO a sale. We take extra
pains though To point out best designs In
different styles, Including engagement
rings, and before long. With proper en-
couragement. the customer VIII get
confidential and tell something about
the girl. her tastes, &c. and ask advice
concerning the ring.
we can tell a man who is after an
enga cement ring from a man who wants
to buy a ring for his wife or other I' re1a-
diamond from a piece OF glass.
Good taste demands that tho young
woman shall not come first TO prospect
for a ring whatever she may 90 after-
ward. 1t is the man who takes the
Initiative"
Although individual taste and ideas
find expression in engagement rings 40
in other things, nevertheless the solitaire
diamond is at the top OF the list OF de-
signs most popular With Aat part o. the
community which pays anywhere from
$3.50 to several thousand dollars for an
engagement ring. with the average price
lowering around $500.
There Is a reason for this, as proprietor
OF this store pointed out. By common
consent the diamond is the most beau
tiflI OF precious stones and 1t 10 the most
lasting mineral in the world.
Then as to the design. The solitaire.
one stone meaning unit typical oL Q
happily married pair Is eminently ntting.
stones Of equal sire in an engagement
ring is for the time being frowned on.
One stone only should be prominent,
whether ruby. pearl. diamond or other
jem. $1,000
with a circle OF small diamonds was
among the most popular designs onereo
for engagement rings and there are
persons who prefer this design pow
| II was superseded by solitaire set hlgn
above a very narrow hoop and without
any small diamonds. The design is
Newer than this and considered smart
est Of all for the time being 10 q solitaire
set high the shank Of the ring on either
with a lot OF very small diamonds set
Years ago. at the time the then Prince
Of wales married the Princess Alexandra.
a boom was given TO the en9Sxemcn:
which b, nSS CS%Sassa sSssa e stvsrs ere s' rs'
name, for the reason that q bctrothal
ring given by the Prince included
beryl. emerald, ruby. turquoise. iao-
| inth and emerald, IN obiong settmg
the first letters Of the stones sPsnms
Rich girls and poor girls. those VINO
wore real, first water gems and thoee wnc
had to be content with imitations, for
aeveral years We'd with one anotnef
in having an S.S sn.gage%sns Ens TO- 2, tSs tSis
country. The vogue did not last very
long, however, and although rings o.
! this style are still made over here and
| bv some OF the most fashionable jew
ellers they are almost never cnoscn
In found IN the case Of q young woman
whose fiance. known a. Ed among M:
| intinateS, insisted that an emerald and
! a diamond be combined In her engage
ment ring. At the advice OF the 5eweileI
| Ed selected q solitaire eEner ala circieo
| near the base with small diam onde.
Although jewellers say there 70 very
little prospect Of return to the more OF
less ornate wedding rings OF Few cen,
| turies back, there have been tndiy1dua
cases in the last few years In which ths
wedding ring was far removed from ths
plain gold band now prescribed y Gus
| tom, One Fifth avenue jsweller. Tor ex
ample, has made several wedding rtngi
! consisting OF a row OF small diamond
set close together and sunk into the marrow
| gold band which unadorned ID the GUS
tonary wedding ring, and he has made a.
many more rings whoge gold band hai
from four 70 AT small diamonds sunh
into Il. with these exceptions, he said
/ the wedding rings he 10 furnishing nov
are rounded bands, very narrow, about
one-fourth the sire OF tho bands mosi
| popular twenty OF twenty Ave years ago
some OF which were nearly half an mol
4 wide,
sThe modern wedding ring Of fashion.
said he. lis designed TO bo inoonsptcuoul
| rather than oonspicuous, and'-wtth
aI,ixxical exprosseion n not necessary
10 put such lasting qualities into It. :.
'As matter OF fact these narrov we'd