The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1911-07-29
a. HE old Tower of London holds
the regalia of England. You
may see there the stones which
have given cause for endless


intrigues and strife set in new
gowns. So the fame and glory of older
civilizations, old before ours began.
are renewed to lend luster to our en-
pire of today. These gents and
grandeur are all symbols of the ever
shifting aspect of all human power
gone today, to be found tomorrow, and
again to fade and appear over and
over again in everaltered form.
The men of western countries leave
the wearing of jewels to women, but
1t Is not so In the east, where, espe-
cially in India, the princes vie with
one another In the magnificence of the
jewels worn in turban. necklace. belt
and sword hilt and sword scabbard.
says writer In the Youths Compan-
Ion. Their fingers are often covered
with beautiful rings and great gems
fash from their state dress.
No one knows how ancient may have
been the fondness for gems in Asia
and India, but the prehistoric man can
have had but little use for them. for
he could not appreciate their beauty
where richness of color could only be
got by cutting with instruments Of
which he was ignorant There must
always have been some stones which
without artificial preparation showed
fine coloring. OF these the chief seem
to have been the turquoise, the car
nelian and pals lazuii
In the most ancient of the Egyptian
sepulchers we find the mummies Of
the dead kings and queens and of the
great ones of the nation wearing these
simple stones with the gold beads,
plates, chains and rings, which have
their value today as Of old. One would
imagine that with people so full Of
learning and of such wcndrous civili-
cation other colored crystals to be
found not far from the Nile would
have had their place But beyond the
occasional discovery Of an emerald, the
evidence tends to show that the beau
ties of Pharaoh's court had little but
gems which In our eyes have compare
lively small value
Jewelry In the Bronze Age
Our ancestors In Europe had, In
the bronze age. at least, to be content
with enamels. The knowledge of the
use OF glass probably came to them
from lighting fires on sands and rocks
that could be melted with heat. Then
the red colors always visible where
iron exists must have given the first
hint how to mix this red tint with the
vitreous glaze. From the employment
of red from iron ores and springs they
advanced to use the green of copper
in the same way and boxes and plaques
OF enamel Of these colors took their
place on shield and casque. breastplate
and brooch. Then both for bronze and
tin and gold and for colored glass
used In beads and for amber the traffic
grew with the east.
have seen the mixed colored glass
beads Of Carthage dug up on highland
moors. These were often regarded as
charms by the peasantry and kept as
possessing properties that might cure
disease, for none knew whence they
came and they were superstitiously
regarded, as were also any balls Of
white or red agate from old regalia
OF church worship.
Pearls are so short lived that we
cannot know when they were firs,
used. That they we're much admired
by our European and Asiatic forefath
ers Is certain from the ancient scrip
lures. which show them in use. They
with amber and with crystal, are prob
ably the oldest ornaments worn.
The emeralds of China and India are
SIaeralds In color, but have more Of