The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-06-26
BY KATmERYN pMYER

Bl hAIIElkhN DNfE
have never felt that I was par
ueularly unlueky because hap.
pensd 10 DO born In October In
fact. have always been rather fond
% that month. possibly because
honorod Il by having Il for a birth
month. and 1 have always been glad
that ! escaped November. so fond
am | Of October tina, I set out, the
other day. 10 collect an opal. even
tho n Il an unlucky stone. while
I hunted the opal I learned a lot
about Jowelry In general. which may
be OF interest 20 you.
didn't find tho opal. I tried In
every shop In town, but / couldn't
find ono Of tho right shape and col.
or until I wandered into little
shop squeezed between two tall
buildings From the safe the pro-
prietor brought on little tray OF
opals. among which was tho perfect
gem. II was black Hungarian
opal. and IL burned with flames and
blues and greens. and some eolors
which can't bo described. The price
makes mo gasp yet. whenever
think Of II. but I couldn't have had
Il II I Ind been millionaire. be.
cause tho owner wouldn't sell u.
In an exclusive and fascinating
upstairs shop l saw The most IN.
towstinR Of Chinese jade II was
mndo up into beads. earrings. pend.
ants and rings II was the green
jade. but Il was tho coolest green
have ever s-sn. except in the
ocean. The Chinese use white jade
In their carvings a great deal and
ia these carvings they arr past
masters. Some OF their carved jade
screens arc exquisite. Almost all
tho jade I have seen in Seattle II
green. but Il II found In various
other eolors.
Earrings seem 10 be enjoying n
particular flair this year They aro
made In all tho fashions ingenuity
can osyise There wis a time when
IL was considered had form for n
lady 10 wear earrings. but not 80
many years ago all tho girls had
their ears pierced no that they could
wear them. Now they are made 20
that they can 10 screwed on and
they seem 20 add finishing touch
TO an afternoon or evening costume
and Bra even worn on the street.
Tho clumsy. heavy earrings that the
early Greeks md Romans wore con.
traBt strangely with the delicate
things that women wcnr now.
saw any number o. tho drop
earrings in crystal. in jade. amber
or composition. Then there are ear
rings made OF n couple OF crystal
eirclc,s which ellnk against each
other with n cold musical sound
Then again they were made Of per.
feet showers of little beads which
must ratio horribly whenever tho
head Is moved I have gen some
made Of discs Of jade which the Chi.
neso once used as a symbol OF
heaven.
There seems 20 be n tendency
among the jewellers OF the country.
beginning with Tiffanys. 10 use tio
sem. precious stones In Jcwelry this
year. Especially IL this noticeable
In necklaces and beads. for jadca.
lRpis iaEull. aFatcn, corals. set, chnl.
csdony and hardonyx are used al.
most exclusively. There ara, OF
course. numerous IMPOSITION
which are a. beautiful. ~ cot more
10. than soma OF tho natural stones
And then there IL always tho indis.
psnsablo pearl necklace. which varios
from hollow coated bead TO an ex.
pensive counterfeit. which win al.
mos; fool experts. Most OF these
beads arc strung so that tho larEes,
beads viii como in the from, and
TIE smallest in the back. When
beads OF similar slze are strung
they generally have fiat crystal
bead in between zach ono. Some.
times they arc strung on siiken
ioord with knot alternating with
the beads.
Some OF tho most beautiful bead,
saw were OF crystal. carved in nu
merous tiny facets or cut squar,
or octagonal Amber. too. is being
used considerably bu; the reali,
clear. fine strings arc quite ex
penslvc In one shop found a
rose colored stone which Is minct
right here In our own state.
Even rings seem 10 DO in
flucnced by the recent Egyptian
explorations. In an art shop l Jaw
searnb rings advertised which were
supposed TO have come from Egypt
A scarab is a kind OF beetle which
tho Egyptians held sacred beeaus,
II typlfed resurrection. II leads
itself admirably TO carving for rngs
Gold Is hardly used ut all in rings
silver and platinum have taken IL,
place, Many girls now are wearing
silver rings with their monogram'
in raised letters on them. These
rings have 20 be made to order
but they certainly are unique when
they are done.
Platinum il quite In demand now