PART THREE
The Etiquette
of Wearing Jewels
CHAPTER 11
The Etiquette of Wearing Jewels
The emphasis on “casual living,” in our day, does not destroy the need for more formal occasions. On the contrary, indeed, the woman who has been informal in various types of summer apparel may feel even more thrilled at the opportunity to put on an evening gown, with the appropriate jewelry. And what jewelry, she may well ask, should be worn in more relaxed and casual hours?
Misery, they say—or at least Shakespeare said—acquaints a man with strange bedfellows; and democracy acquaints a woman with strange costumes. The variety of “casual clothes” is limited only by the panorama of color and the ingenuity of the designer. Yet, whatever garments a woman may have chosen to put on, the probability is that she will wish to add to their harmony the grace notes of a jewel.
Informal clothes are usually worn for informal hours, which naturally call for a touch of ornament. Festive occasions even more strongly suggest the glamour of jewels. Yet in no field are women more at a loss than in the etiquette of jewelry. Few need to inquire about the proper combinations of outfits and accessories. It is unnecessary to caution the young girl, putting on her first evening gown, that she must not wear her sport shoes. No more need her mother be told not to serve canapés wearing the kitchen apron she put on while preparing them. But when it comes to jewelry, to selecting the jewels that are appropriate to the occasion, most women have only the haziest idea. Yet if they discover that they are not adorned in keeping with the function, their day is clouded.
En Route
In traveling, by plane or even by train for a weekend in the country, only tailored jewelry should be worn. Large diamond pieces are definitely out of bounds, even in the subdued hum of a dining car. I repeat that the one exception, now and forever, is the combination of the engagement ring and the wedding ring. This is always as appropriate as pleasant.
Country Weekend
If the journey takes a woman to be a guest for the weekend, it is wise for her to ascertain her hostess’s plans. While there may be in store a restful time of relaxation, when one may make oneself at home and do as one wishes, it may also be that the hostess has made certain plans. She may have invited friends for a cocktail party, or a garden party, to meet the visitor. There may even be a formal dinner party in prospect, in honor of the guest—who must, of course, be prepared with clothes and with jewelry to match the occasion, and do her hostess justice.
The Garden Party
Given in the summer, usually out of the city, a garden party is a lighthearted affair. Short dinner gowns, colorful cocktail dresses or separates are best enhanced by jewels of light texture. Jewelry of twisted gold wire conveys this effect; or the gold wire used as setting for diamond or pearls. Like the flowers in colorful profusion around, jewels with stones of different colors are in good taste, providing of course that the colors are in harmony. An all-white costume will not do justice to diamonds; if a woman looks attractive in white, she should wear with it colored stones or pearls. Sapphires, however, may be combined with diamonds, most pleasantly with a fair complexion; on a dark beauty there should be rubies and diamonds set in gold.
A sense of lightness, even of airy delicacy, should be maintained in the adornment. One’s richest array of jewels should not be worn.
At the Beach
If the weekend is at a resort, or includes a trip to the water, another sort of jewelry comes to mind.
Sunbacks, sports dresses, slacks, accord better with tailored gold than with diamonds. Massive gold bracelets with charms may be attractive; but they should be balanced by simpler earclips of the same metal. Hoop earrings may be worn, if not too large. Large hoop earrings should dangle only from the ears of an exotic dancer.
On the beach precious stones will seem pretentious. Besides, jewels should not be subjected to the multiplex dangers of surf and sand. A bathing suit leaves the body largely to be its own ornament, but may be charmingly enhanced by such accessories as straw flowers, plastic ornaments, ivory seahorses and colored seashells.
On the Golf Course
On the golf course, whatever a woman’s score for the eighteen holes, she wants her jewelry to be at par. Diamonds, of course, are not even for duffers. A golfer may well be wearing a tailored sports ensemble, which means that gold jewelry is in good taste. It should preferably be small, however, especially in a mixed foursome, so as to keep the adornment secondary to the game. It should be smart while seemingly functional. There may be a neat gold monogram pin on the blouse, tailored gold earclips, even a fairly heavy gold pinkie ring. No bracelet, to interfere with or jingle during the swing. Crossed golf clubs might make a gold brooch. Gold pins may be designed to hold the tees. A gold pin usually sheds its glow upon the complexion; and it adds highlights to the sports costume.
A simple gold wrist watch on a leather strap is serviceable, unobtrusive, and in quiet good taste.
At the Races
A visit to the race track becomes a special event when it includes the Kentucky Derby, the French Grand Prix or Ascot. Hats and gowns are often bought especially for these events; they should be accompanied by accordant jewelry. Here a woman may display her most colorful jewels. Rubies and sapphires will be resplendent, but colored stones of all sorts will brighten the scene. A pearl necklace may be becomingly worn. Long earrings, however, and diamond necklaces should be reserved for the party that will follow the race. Particularly if the wearer’s horse has won.
If a horse of one’s own is entered in the race, this may be made a part of the design of the jewels. An imposing pin may be set with precious stones in the colors of the stable. Or the horse itself may be designed in diamonds; such a jewel can be worn proudly even away from the turf.
I once designed a beautiful set of jewelry for the Duchess of S——, whose stable colors were yellow, blue, and white. Whenever one of her horses ran, she wore this parure, brooch, bracelet and earclips of canary diamonds, white diamonds, and sapphires from Kashmir. She told me that invariably her horses won. “Once,” she said, “I forgot to put on the jewelry, and my horse finished out of the money.”
Whether she has a horse, or wins her bets, or not, every woman that wears beautiful and appropriate jewelry has good luck.
Business Luncheons
There are occasions when a business woman must pay special attention to her jewels. She must seek to convey the impression of dignity and good sense and avoid the frivolous.
At a business luncheon, whether it consists of two persons or a small group, the business to be transacted is of less immediate significance than the friendly spirit of good will the occasion should engender. A woman—with her sex still not wholly accepted as on a par with men in the business world, especially in what are referred to as the upper echelons—must feel at ease, and create a good impression. This is made easier by her knowledge that she is pleasant to look upon, impeccably dressed and adorned. Simple jewelry is best, with gold plainly visible though not oversize. A simple necklace of pearls is highly appropriate, with not more than one precious stone upon the hands.
The Charity Luncheon
At least once in every year the woman who does not work—along with many who do—may be called upon to attend a charity luncheon. The woman attending such a luncheon may be grouped at table with her close friends, but she will meet or at least be seen by many others. The occasion, therefore, calls for a degree of elegance. The jewels should be well matched; pearls are to be preferred.
If a woman possesses a distinctive jewel, one that might be considered a conversation piece, this is the occasion for wearing it. Especially is this true if the entire table is not taken by close friends. There should be no such display of diamonds as to make distinctions invidious; but a well-designed jewel or an attractive parure offers a pleasant opening for conversation, and mutual interest in conversation makes for friendly ease among strangers at the table.
Opening Night
Opening nights at the theatre are always gala occasions. A premiere of a great ballet company is perhaps even more festive. Most elegant of all is the first night at the horse show, or the opening of the season at the opera. For such events, one appears in one’s most elaborate jewels.
The more festive the occasion, unfortunately, the greater the opportunity for faux pas. Cartoons of the “Keeping Up With the Joneses” variety often show a woman who does not distinguish between wearing the best jewelry and wearing the most. An observant eye at the openings will note that such caricatures have their counterparts in real life.
Every woman of taste—regardless of wealth or social status—is a collector of jewelry. Whether the pieces she has gathered be costume jewels or precious ones, each woman who knows the importance of appearance has her treasure chest. And those who can afford individual workmanship, and jewels constructed in personal design, select their jeweler at least as carefully as their decorator or their milliner.
Matching the Gown
Among the treasures of her jewel chest, the woman will select with a discerning eye. If she is to wear a new gown made for the opening, it is well to try the jewels on, with the gown, in advance. If she finds that a necklace with a pendant, or pendant parts, graces the décolletage, even the most beautiful pendant earclips should not tempt her to wear them. Such earclips are probably adjustable so that the pendants can be removed, and the upper motifs worn to grace the ear lobes. On the other hand, if a tiara is in the cherished jewel collection, it may now be taken forth and worn. Then a brilliant clip may be set directly on the shoulder, above the décolletage. This skinpin admirably breaks the long line from tiara to décolleté gown. If the evening gown is embroidered, however, the clip should be left in the box. The various possible combinations should be tried, and examined carefully in the mirror, before the outfit is complete.
Matching the Man
An opening night is one of the few occasions, in our increasingly informal times, when the gentleman will embrace the opportunity to blossom forth in evening clothes, with white tie. The opera opening recalls the olden grandeur; the diamond horseshoe of boxes still deserves the name, for accompanying the gentleman in his most formal attire comes the lady in her most glamorous jewels. These are unquestionably diamonds.
Some Basic Rules
If no tiara is worn, diamonds may be used as ornaments in the hair, as earclips, as necklaces, as bracelets. While the diamond is the basic gem in the jewelry, other precious stones may accompany it, such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. They may be set around a large central diamond; or they may be the center stones, with smaller diamonds of different shapes set around—so that the brilliance of the one and the deep color of the other will interact in a fireplay of beauty. Of course, the stones must be of a color that will harmonize with the gown—in all likelihood, the gown was ordered to harmonize with the chosen gems.
It must be repeated that elaborate jewelry does not mean a quantity of jewels. One brooch, which may be a large rose, will suffice; she may have other beautiful bracelets, but the discriminating woman will wear just one, which has been carefully made or chosen for the shape and size of her arm, to stay precisely where its beauty will most enhance her lines.
The diamond bracelet should not be worn over gloves, unless these are not removed for the entire evening. A two-piece evening glove is available, the hand of which may be doffed, so that the remainder becomes a long sleeve over which the bracelet is worn. Women whose arms taper sharply to the wrist may find that such a glove helps to maintain the bracelet at the proper place on the arm.
A diamond clip should not be worn on a fur coat, jacket, or stole. For then either it is put aside, hanging over the back of the chair at a restaurant or in a closet at a private home, or when the coat is taken off the clip must be removed and reattached to the gown. One seems ostentatious disregard; the other, ostentatious concern.
A proper decision as to what to wear and what to leave at home helps make the occasion of an opening a source of memorable satisfaction.
The Dinner Party
Such a gathering usually brings together a significant part of one’s personal world. Well chosen jewelry will confirm a woman’s standing in that community, and it will be a source of gratification to her husband and to her hosts if she is tastefully adorned. Wearing one’s best jewelry and finest gown is a gracious way of paying tribute to one’s hostess, as well as doing one’s duty as a guest, to help make the party a success.
At the dinner party a parure, a matching ensemble, is quite attractive. At the opera the more elaborate jewels can be enjoyed from farther away; by most, any one person’s jewels are seen but for a glance or at a distance. But here, there is opportunity to observe the matching of stones or of the balanced jewels in a parure. While one jewel may contain stones of various colors, there should not be such variety from jewel to jewel; to be avoided, for example, are such combinations as a sapphire bracelet with a ruby brooch or an emerald necklace with a turquoise bracelet. And the colors of the jewels, as always, must harmonize with one’s gown and one’s complexion.
The Watch
No woman should wear a leather strap for a wrist watch with an evening gown. It would completely break the spell of elegance. If no watch with matched strap of bejewelled metal is in the treasure chest, the watch should be kept at home or—for sheer utility—in the purse. The watch for evening wear has its functional aspects concealed. Its face is almost hidden in precious stones, or may be so encased that the jewel must be opened. It is worn less as a timepiece than as a bracelet, or perhaps a brooch.
The Cigarette Case
One intrusion on the elegance of a formal dinner is the too frequent practice by men of offering a lady in evening gown a cigarette from a crumpled paper package. One might as well offer candy from a subway stand in its paper container. The hostess has not proffered her food from the grocery bag. It is expected that the food will be attractively served; when a dish is a delight to the eye, it is more delectable upon the palate. Similarly a cigarette should be taken from a case that has aesthetic qualities.
The Hostess
The hostess at a formal dinner has of course greater responsibility than her guests. She should make quite clear the degree of formality intended, to prevent the bother and the embarrassment of calls to learn what sort of clothes one should wear. Beyond that, the hostess should be aware, in at least a general way, of what jewelry her guests can afford and are likely to wear, and adorn herself within that range. Above all, she must be sure not to wear more elaborate jewelry than her most important guest. The considerate hostess will be in good taste, inconspicuous, content to have her guests admired. The successful party is that at which the hostess is most unobtrusive, until everyone realizes what a good time she has made it possible for them to have.
The one exception to this is an occasion at which the party is really given by the host, to mark an event important in the hostess’s life, such as a birthday or an anniversary or other time when her husband may wish to present her with a jeweled token. Then, for the special part of the evening, she may properly be the focus of attention, the sparkling cynosure of friendly eyes. But after “For she’s a jolly good fellow!” has been duly sung, the hostess should gracefully and unobtrusively become once more the catalyst of the evening, the aid in producing the desired reaction among the various elements. In recognition of her husband’s love and thoughtfulness, she should of course have him put upon her the newly given jewel.
At the White House
There are various occasions on which one may be privileged to be invited to the White House. For all of them, a woman must remember, in selecting her dress and jewels, that she is a living symbol of her own or her husband’s significance. Again, her jewels must be unostentatious, but befitting dignity and position.
For a White House luncheon, the neckline will not be low, hence no elaborate necklace will be worn. Gold should be seen on the jewels, accented with a few diamonds. Pearls with diamonds are also effectively in place. Always there is distinction, as I have said, in one earclip with a black pearl, one earclip with a white, while a black and a white pearl are set together in a finger ring.
For a White House cocktail party, jewelry with diamonds and multicolored stones may be worn. Still more appropriate, with the simple cocktail dress, is a parure. An especially effective set is a pearl necklace with a diamond clasp on each side, and matching earclips, bracelet, and ring.
The President’s Dinner
For a formal dinner at the White House, marked by the presence of the President, diamond jewelry is the only kind to wear. The guest’s prominence and influence may be emphasized to the fullest degree in the elaborateness of the jewelry chosen. And this is one of the rare occasions when a woman need not be worried lest she outshine the boss’s wife. The President, after all, is the servant of the people.
The glamour and the resplendent brilliance of such a dinner must come mainly from the guests. The President and the First Lady will affect a more modest attitude, so as to give the guests full opportunity for display. She is an unusual woman who will not take that opportunity!
The most elaborate of all White House occasions is the Inauguration Dinner. For this, and for various international balls, to which the heads of the nations’ embassies are invited, there is an established set of rules of protocol. One must have these in mind, as well as one’s own position, before determining what sort of jewels to wear.
The Captain’s Dinner
On an ocean voyage, one encounters a ruler as absolute as any throned monarch. The captain is usually most genial, but he is the man upon whose shoulders rests total responsibility for the vessel, the passengers, and the crew. He is an accessible ruler, however, and invites many in his shipbound world to dine with him.
Cocktails in the Captain’s private suite may precede the dinner. There will be no time for a change of clothes between, so one must go to the cocktail party prepared for dinner. And it will be a feast for the eyes as well, with many parts of the world represented. Each woman will be adorned in accordance with the customs of her land. And each must keep in mind that she is, in some measure, an ambassador. Most persons abroad have no way of judging America save through prejudiced newspaper stories and flashy Hollywood films. Among the films Hollywood sends abroad are the grim gangster melodramas and teenage delinquency films and the gaudy sentimental dream-stories with happy, wealthy endings. Our paintings and our literature give a truer picture of real Americans and for the direct, most meaningful impressions on the largest number of people, there are only our soldiers and our tourists. In spite of spread stories of military misbehavior (good news is no news) and cartoons of uncouth tourists, Americans abroad are in the main as good-natured and as decent as they are at home. The Captain’s dinner is a good place to make the pleasing first impression.
Women make a spectacle of splendor there. The Maharanees are attired in delicate draped saris, six yards or more long, with Indian jewels exquisitely and finely set in bright yellow gold. The Chinese ladies wear elaborately embroidered mandarin robes, tight-fitting and slit at the sides, with smooth green jade jewelry worn more smooth by loving generations. The English ladies will wear many sapphires, that jewel deservedly popular with them, for it is most becoming to light hair and fair complexions. The American woman must equally represent the charm and beauty of her land. A wide range of jewels is appropriate here, within the limits of moderation and good taste.
Embassy Parties
In the capitals of the world, next to the formal functions of the government itself, come the parties at the embassies. Just as the embassies in Washington and the Ambassadors at the United Nations in New York hold festive parties on their national holidays, so in other lands important American holidays are celebrated by the United States Embassy. Perhaps the most famous of these is the annual party for that special American holiday, Thanksgiving.
An embassy party, however, is festive rather than official. The key is color. Diamonds will naturally flash and sparkle, elegance will prevail; but amid the brilliants there is opportunity for the display of other precious stones. As always, the central factor from which other considerations radiate is the wearer’s complexion. This has already determined the choice of emerald, ruby, or sapphire as the gem around which to build a parure. The choice of the parure leads to the color of the evening gown, which, even if mainly white, may well be touched with the chosen color. A matched necklace of the chosen precious stone interspersed with diamonds is admirable. Pearls are in place, but carefully chosen, so that their tint has part in the total harmony.
An American woman may, of course always within the bounds of good taste, wear somewhat more elaborate jewelry if the party is at a foreign embassy. If it is at the United States Embassy, she will do better, as an American citizen, to wear a more modest set of jewels, graciously giving consideration to the guests from other lands. In a sense, every American woman at a United States Embassy party is hostess. She has in part probably been invited for this reason; keeping it in mind will help her select the right jewels.
Meeting Royalty
There has been a spread of royal houses across the continents, in the tumultuous years marked by two World Wars. It may well be that, in homes in the United States or abroad, a woman will be invited to a gathering at which a member of the nobility or of a royal family will be present. Whether the person is in actual power or dethroned by the vicissitudes of revolution, there is no need to wear more elaborate jewels than the occasion in itself calls for. A woman should always be herself, at her best; there is no need to seek better than that best for any nobleman. The effort would be undemocratic; the result would be overdone. Good taste, and the requirements of the particular party, formal or informal, should reign.
Good taste does suggest one specific warning: under the circumstances, in deference to the noble guest, a woman should refrain from wearing a tiara, or any head jewel resembling a coronet.
Coronation
A coronation, or a royal wedding—which usually includes the coronation of the one marrying into the reigning house—is a special function, growing less frequent in our strangely mixed times. The accession of Grace Kelly, however, to become Princess of Monaco, shows that these occasions may still spread their glamour wide.
At such events, the type of diadem or coronet each person may wear is strictly defined in regulations that for centuries have been built up around the aristocracy in various lands. Manuals describe the ceremonial and the regalia in detail. An untitled woman privileged to be present will wear nothing but diamonds and precious and semiprecious stones; imitation jewelry is out of place. If she has a large diamond necklace, with pendants, there will be diamond earclips; if the necklace is a choker, the earclip may have pear-shaped diamond pendant or emerald or pearl drops. A beautiful diamond bracelet and ring will complete the regal costume.
A Queen’s Crown
The monarch’s crown, and often his consort’s or his queen’s, has of course been handed down from the heads of those that ruled before. Occasionally there is a deviation from the tradition, as at the bridal coronation of Queen Geraldine of Albania. Geraldine was a Roman Catholic countess betrothed to a Mohammedan king. A royal crown usually bears a symbol of the monarch’s faith incorporated into its design; there are religious motifs in the ornamentation. In this case, naturally, such motifs and symbolism were not to be involved.
The honor of designing Queen Geraldine’s crown was entrusted to me. My problem was to establish a royal but not a religious motif. I found it in the crest of the kings of Albania. This bears the stylized head of a rare mountain ram, which roams the snowy peaks of the beautiful Albanian mountains. A sculptured head of the ram I had encrusted with diamonds and set in the centre of the tiara; this tapered down to a border of white roses made of diamonds, the leaves fashioned of diamond baguettes—a decorative and distinctive diamond crown for the decorative and distinguished Queen Geraldine.
When Every Woman is Queen
There is one day on which every woman is queen: her bridal day—the day when all others yield place and do her deference. And she must remember that a queen comports herself with dignity, yet is always gracious.
While to the guests a wedding is mainly a social gathering, it is also a religious occasion, and to the bridal pair a sacred service. The bride therefore, especially at the formal evening wedding, will wear only jewelry in white, diamonds or pearls. As the symbolism of the marriage will be spread with the long veil and bound into the wedding ring, jewels should be modest and few.
Earclips should be small, and carefully chosen, of diamonds in simple design. If a bracelet is worn, it should be on the right arm. The left arm and hand should be bare of ornament, the engagement ring being transferred, before the service, to stay on the right hand until the groom has slipped the wedding band on his bride’s finger. No wrist watch should be worn; on this night the groom is guardian of the hours.
A small pin in appropriate design, with diamonds and pearls, may gleam on the bosom. A four-leaf clover pattern, flowerets, lilies of the valley, a small circle of diamonds symbolizing endless love, two hearts of diamonds: any of these may be wrought, in diamonds or pearls or various combinations of the two, for an added touch of appropriate beauty.
The corsage or flower arrangement of the bride should be planned with thought of the jewels she will be wearing.
A morning wedding is less formal than the evening wedding, and one in the afternoon more informal still. With the informal dress for a morning marriage, a gold clip and gold jewelry are in place. In the afternoon, or in the morning if it is planned to depart at once on the honeymoon, a hat or a cap-like covering may be worn. Precious stones other than diamonds are suitable with such a garb, but should preferably be of one color, selected to blend with the wedding ensemble. With a light suit or long-sleeve dress, no bracelet is desired. An evening marriage is more formal, more elaborate, but never more festive; at any practical hour there is joy at a wedding, and there should be jeweled beauty for the bride.
The Bridesmaids
The bridesmaids should recognize that they are present to provide a beautiful frame for a beautiful picture. When the bouquet and the garter have been tossed and the toasted couple has gone, the bridesmaids may have moments of their own; but at the wedding they are charming accessories. As such, they should blend into the pattern set by the bride. The bride-to-be, in fact, has selected the color scheme that the bridesmaids will carefully follow. If they do not all have gowns of the same design, these should be planned carefully so that no one outshines the others, or draws attention from the bride.
This balance should be maintained also, in the bridesmaids’ choice of jewels. It may be that a simple pin or pair of earclips will be a gift to each bridesmaid; such a jewel should of course be worn. If any necklace is worn, it should be small. Pearl or gold earclips, without pendants, should be chosen to blend with the person and the costume, not to stand out. A small gold clip, with perhaps one precious stone or a small pattern, will not be too conspicuous. There may be one gold bracelet, not wide. Such jewels will preserve the individual grace of the bridesmaid while softening her into the harmony of the whole, as a background of youth and loveliness for the bride.
The Mother of the Bride
As every mother knows, her proudest moment is not that of her own wedding, but that when she watches her daughter being wed. This is the altar of her dreams. The mother of the bride symbolizes the continuance of tradition, the unity of the family, the onward flow of the race. She will dominate the hour before the ceremony, and she will continue to receive congratulations and good wishes as she presides over the festivity long after the bride and groom have slipped away.
The mother of the bride may therefore wear more elaborate and more colorful jewelry than the bride herself. The bride is adorned for the occasion, her mother is adorned for the guests. The mother may wear, then, important and imposing items: earclips, necklace, ring (not too many rings!), bracelet, and brooch. Equally she may choose among her jewels those that together show to best advantage, diamonds combined with rubies, sapphires, or what she will. Good taste will be her criterion; her desire, to make her daughter as proud as she is happy. There may perhaps also be the suggestion in her costume that, mother though she is, she still possesses freshness, vitality, and youth.
Even at the most formal wedding, however, the mother should not wear a tiara unless it is a treasured heirloom and thus a matter of family tradition.
What has been said of the mother of the bride holds as well—with a touch more of simplicity—for the mother of the groom.
The Wedding Guests
A late afternoon wedding in a church may be followed by a dinner in a hotel or hall or home, nearby; or the formal ceremony at night might be performed in the special room of the hotel at which the dinner is to take place. Usually the movement is directly from the ceremony to the celebration.
In Europe, when days were bright and frontiers uncurtained, there was frequently time allowed after the ceremony for dresses to be changed before the party. More decorative or elaborate gowns were put on, not infrequently picturesque local or national costumes—and livelier jewels. Sometimes this practice is allowed in the United States, especially when an afternoon wedding in June is held outdoors, on the lawn or in the garden.
Then the change should be into brighter colors. Each bridesmaid can again blossom in her own individuality. Gold gleams at the ears, around the neck. Heirlooms and other special pieces may add to one’s adornment. There is open field, now, in anticipation of the next wedding. There is no need to fear outshining the bride; she is already far away, in body and mind, with the man to whom she is giving her richest jewel.
The Newborn
A newborn child should not be presented with an important piece of jewelry, unless this has been specifically left for that occasion by the will of a wealthy grandfather or maiden great-aunt.
The babe will smile just as pleasantly at the more appropriate charm adorned with its birthstone, or a lucky locket, or an amulet to protect it against evil. The month in which, the day on which, and the star under which a child is born, all have their special stones. These may be incorporated separately, according as the donor evaluates their power—or all together, if the donor wishes to take no chances—in a little jewel. More specifically religious symbols, or tokens of a saint or a guardian angel, are of course appropriate. A peaceful animal, such as a lamb, in enamel outlined in gold, or itself golden, makes a fitting gift for the newborn child.
Thus the rules of jewelry etiquette begin at the beginning of life.
The Anniversary
Naturally, as the anniversaries roll around, adding on new year after year, a woman wants to continue looking and feeling young. For the effect of youth, flower motifs in the jewelry ensemble are the most flattering.
When these are made out of diamonds and colored stones, a little imagination can combine them beautifully in a flower cluster or corsage. Thus another piece of flower jewelry is always welcome; it may not only be worn, but most appropriately be given, at an anniversary.
Table of Anniversary Gifts
For those who wish to observe wedding anniversaries with an appropriate gift, they are here listed.
For those who prefer to observe the older, less commercialized—at least, unmodernized—associations, here is the traditional list:
| Fifth | Wooden |
| Tenth | Tin |
| Fifteenth | Crystal |
| Twentieth | China |
| Twenty-fifth | Silver |
| Fiftieth | Golden |
| Sixtieth | Diamond |
While these associations may help suggest a gift, they should not be felt as in any way binding. The desire of the woman, the taste of the man, the discovery of a superb jewel in a shop, or a talk with a designer, may any of them shape the decision and the gift. A flower design, as I have said, is always attractive. And if one comes upon a fine one, why wait for an anniversary? Alice looked up in Wonderland to remark that she preferred unbirthday presents to birthday presents, because there could be so many more of them. An unexpected gift can be a bright surprise, and make any day a rich occasion.
The More Solemn Time
A wedding and a christening form occasions when happiness and piety are intertwined. On other religious occasions, the gaiety gives way to solemnity, or is overcome by sadness. At these graver times, there is a concordant change in the selection of jewels.
Audience with the Pope
A telephone call and a friendly word may admit one to a group audience with the Pope. This may be a happy, but it is also an awesome occasion, for the Pope is the avowed divinely appointed supreme authority of the longest-lasting institution in human history, the Roman Catholic Church.
The procedure surrounding such an audience is set down and long established. A woman who enters the audience chamber does not come to be noticed, much less admired; she is there to participate in a service. The solemnity and significance of the occasion make all adornment out of place, with the exception of very simple jewelry of black jet.
In Mourning
At funerals and for visits of condolence, dark clothing should be accompanied by very few if any jewels. It is a gesture of sympathy to the bereaved to come to them unadorned.
In many countries it is the custom for the bereaved to put away all their bright gems and colored jewelry, for the entire period of mourning. Special jewelry is made for the mourning months. This may include a memorial ring in gold, with some token of the beloved dead. Otherwise, the jewelry for this period will be limited to pieces made of black enamel and jet. During the period of semi-mourning, which extends for the second six months, the more unobtrusive colors may be chosen from the jewel chest, and begin to reappear. But a full year will pass, save for most exceptional circumstances, before the bright constellation of jewels again takes the ascendant.
Other Observations
A few more general observations may be made, in the field of the etiquette of jewelry.
The time of day has a share in the determination of the jewelry. Just as a gourmet never smokes before the coffee, so a woman of taste never wears diamonds before lunch. In the evening, conversely, save on the most informal occasions such as a surprise party or an outing, she will not wear a tailored piece of leather, silver, or wood.
Color Combinations
Gems of various colors may be combined on a single piece, but it is inharmonious to wear two jewels of differently colored stones. Thus a tiara of rubies will clash with a necklace of emeralds; a sapphire bracelet will war against a pair of ruby earclips. The colors may not be at odds, but the jewels instead of blending will vie with one another; the effect will be of discord instead of harmony. Sets of matching jewels enhance one another, and ameliorate the wearer’s measure of beauty.
Restraint
Jewels in too many places create a confused rather than a blending effect. If earclips, necklace and a dress clip are worn, a jeweled comb or hair-clasp will add an excessive touch, unless the jeweled part is visible only from the back. An exception to this is the tiara, which adds regal height and dignity, but of course a tiara is worn only with a décolleté gown on a most formal occasion. If a tiara is worn, the other jewels should match it in period design, antique, classical, romantic, or modernistic.
Eyeglasses
I have already mentioned eyeglasses. The simpler these are, the better. Certainly they should not gleam with gold nor glitter with rhinestones when one is wearing earclips. The meretricious sparkle of the eyeglass rims draws attention from the earclips—which is the reverse of the proper procedure, for well designed clips can lure attention away from the glasses.
The Lorgnette
A woman who wears eyeglasses will be pleasantly surprised if, for more formal occasions, she tries the effects of the lorgnon or lorgnette. Whereas eyeglasses, fixed upon the face, tend to fight with the features or with other accessories, the lifted lorgnette becomes not only an adornment but a weapon. As much as the once universal fan, it can play a part in the charms of coquetry, and add to the eloquence of the various gestures of gay conversation or romance. In itself, the lorgnette can be a beautiful jewel, in gold or platinum and precious stones. In the hands of a graceful woman, it can considerably embellish her beauty, and is an adjunct to an evening’s enjoyment that should be more widely employed.
The Corsage
There are many festive occasions on which a corsage is a fit and flattering decoration. It will, however, weaken the effect of a pin or a clip nearby. Variations in position, of either the clip or the corsage, may preserve the full values of each.
A corsage need not always adorn a dress at the shoulder. It may be fastened at the waist, or on the evening bag, or even, if properly sized, on the back of the wrist. If it does seem especially becoming at the shoulder, or if the woman wishes to thank the donor by wearing it thus prominently, then the clip may be the ornament that is transferred. It may find a suitable place on the bag, the belt, the veil, the hair. A band of velvet around the wrist, of the same color as the dress, may have the clip caught into its bowknot. If the clip is of diamonds, it may be attached to a pearl necklace or bracelet. In any of these ways, and more, the clip and the corsage may be made not to clash but to combine for beauty.
Embroidery
On an embroidered blouse it is best not to wear jewelry. Certainly no brooch. Perhaps a skinpin, judiciously placed above the blouse, can add to the harmony. This, and earclips, ring, or bracelet must be carefully chosen, so that their colors and the embroidery do not clash. Plain gold is best, especially for the bracelet.
More About Bracelets
Flexible link bracelets and stiff charm or bangle bracelets should not be worn together. They battle for predominance.
Many women prize bracelets, and have a large collection of different sorts. They can be found in innumerable designs, of beautiful antique and challenging modern, also in many materials and various colors of metals, and set with a wide range of color in stones. It is a delight to form and to build such a collection. But in deciding which bracelet to use, discrimination must be summoned. One or two that harmonize with each other and the dress, and fit the degree of formality of the occasion, should be chosen and will catch the admiring eye.
Among current favorites is the charm bracelet. This can be most attractive, although only a teenage subdebutante will breeze into a room with a tinkling of several bracelets laden with charms. One such bracelet can have pleasantly and decoratively dangling mementos of special events and occasions. I know a well-traveled young woman who adds a golden token of each new country and important city she visits: among her dangles of wrought gold and stones are a Mexican peon, a Balinese dancer, a gondola, the Eiffel Tower, the volcano Fujiyama, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There is also a heart, to indicate another region of her travels.
Queen Elizabeth I had so many dangles that she used not a bracelet but a girdle, which held keys, a pair of scissors, and even the fork—a new luxury in her days!—she used at the table. Beside these around the royal waist, there hung “a round clock fullie garnished with dyamondes,” and a prayer book two and a half inches long, bound in gold and set with a cameo.
A pendant birthstone, the three monkeys that see, hear, and speak no evil, and various lucky charms are also fit for dangles. Such items, gathered through fortunate finds, add a personal and distinctive touch, and convert an otherwise common ornament into an interesting jewel.
More About Rings
Never should rings be worn on different fingers of the same hand. In other words, counting the engagement and marriage rings as one, one should wear one ring on one hand at one time. Have many rings, if you wish, but wear them in succession.
If the left hand is bound by the wedding pair, the middle finger of the right hand might be the place for a fine touch of color, in a plain band, or one ringed with small diamonds, with a large central colored stone.
The only ones by general consent allowed to wear many rings on many fingers are the dowagers who can (and do) recall their youth in Queen Victoria’s days.
Gold Jewels
Gold jewelry, without colored stones, may be termed neutral; that is, any such piece will harmonize with other jewels. A plain gold bracelet or watch, for example, may be worn with a gold and pearl ensemble. Similarly, a plain gold piece can be worn with a multicolored jewel—if the gold in the two pieces is of the same shade. Gold jewels, however, should not be worn with other metals, such as diamonds set in platinum. Silver, gold, platinum, or palladium: the same metal should characterize the ensemble.
In the Spotlight
There will be occasions, in many women’s lives, when they will officially be the center of attention. The various observations just made apply all the more strongly then.
One may be summoned for an appearance on television, or as the speaker at a gathering or meeting. Or one may, indeed, be in a profession that calls for frequent public performance, as on the concert stage. I do not speak of acting, or of singing in opera, for in such situations the part naturally determines the costume.
A violinist, obviously, should wear no earclips or ring or shoulder piece. A hair jewel is appropriate, and perhaps a touch of jewelry at the waist. A pianist likewise should wear no adornment on hand or arm—a bracelet, moving and gleaming as the fingers flit along the keys, would be most distracting. In this case a diamond earclip would be appropriate, or perhaps a jeweled pin in the hair on the side toward the audience. The essential, for such performers, is to avoid distracting jewels.
For a speaker at a meeting, or on television with the world watching, the general principle of suiting the adornment to the personality holds. Neither a singer nor a speaker, of course, should use pendants, which by movement with the motion of the head would attract undue attention.
With a low-cut gown, the necklace should not be a choker (which might seem to move as one speaks) but a loose band, following the line of the dress. It might be safer, indeed, to avoid the necklace. Instead, with a V-neck dress, one large clip or pin will sufficiently hold the eye. With a square-neck dress, a pair of smaller clips, one at each corner, will be unobtrusively attractive.
The cornerstone in the etiquette of jewels, whether one is the center of all eyes or one of a party, remains erect on three values: good taste, harmony, and beauty.
CHAPTER 12
Jewels as Gifts
It is indeed a gift, not shared by all, to be able to select a truly appropriate present, one that fits the occasion, the recipient and the donor. Without this threefold accord, something will seem lacking in even the most expensive bestowal.
Give Yourself
Americans have long recognized the complex ties of sentiment that should come together in the neat bowknot of a gift. Emerson devoted an essay to the subject, making the point that the best gift is one that includes a part of oneself. Lowell, in his great poem The Vision of Sir Launfal, compresses the same idea into a trenchant line: “The gift without the giver is bare.” We are not all—like grandmother, each of whose six grandchildren received a linen table set embroidered by her own hands—able to create our presents; but we can all choose thoughtfully, so that to the gift clings some savor of our personality.
Nothing is more disappointing—even to those who expected nothing—than to receive a box of candy evidently picked up at the corner store, or a bottle of quick-bought wine or whisky. If the wine is of a rare vintage, the gift shows taste in the donor and respect for the recipient; but other considerations should be weighed too.
Gifts of Lasting Value
Obviously, a gift quickly consumed and soon forgotten is less prized than one that provides a lengthy or a permanent memento of the occasion. A good wrist watch, appropriately engraved, may cost no more than a case of whisky; instead of the bottle of perfume there might be a memorable charm. Such gifts are evidence of thoughtfulness and warm affection; they are not transitory; they abide.
Most occasions for bestowing presents are heart-entangled; a gift is a sign of a sentimental attachment. Some such occasions are touched upon in other parts of this book; here the emphasis is more practical, indicating the lines along which proper choice should be made. But whatever sort of gift is suggested for any particular occasion, it is still the donor’s concern to show that this is not just a routine purchase, but one that has been made with affectionate care.
Gifts to the Baby
As I have already pointed out, the etiquette of jewelry begins with the newborn babe. The little charms may be heart-shaped, or a tiny hand of coral. There may be a small string of turquoises as a bracelet, long believed sure to keep the infant from falling. One of the gifts a child will come to prize more and more as the years go by is a little necklace of pearls—to which at each birthday another choice pearl or two are added, until the budding young woman has a beautiful string.
To the Mother Too
Among European aristocratic families it is the pleasant practice to present a gift to the mother, as well as to the newborn child. The husband can express his joy no more satisfactorily than by a precious jewel. This might be of pearls or diamonds, to be added to on subsequent birthdays.
In royal houses, especially on the birth of the first male, elaborate gifts were showered on the mother not only by the family, but by the people, the state, and other royal houses. Outstandingly luxurious are some of the jewels created by Fabergé for the lavish Czars of Russia to present at the time of a noble birth.
As the Child Grows
Birthdays for the growing girl or boy are likely, in the earlier years, to include many books and toys; but, for the girl, earclips, lockets, charms, and brooches may be given, including if possible the appropriate birthstone.
Graduation from high school may be fitly marked by a gold pin or a watch; often the school has its seal available on a gold ring or pin. And in the fall, if the young lady goes on to college, a small pin or clip with her initials in gold is an appropriate and traditional gift.
St. Valentine’s Day
Perhaps the casual or humorous Valentine is to be replaced by more serious sentiments, and more memorable gifts. Dress clips, earclips, money clips, and tie clips are all appropriate in the shape of a heart.
A heart-shaped locket may open, to set a picture inside. Gems are cut heart-shape: the topaz, the amethyst, the diamond. These gems may be set in a ring, or the ring itself may bear a heart of precious metal. But remember the warning in the chapter on rings: the ring is a jewel of binding symbol, and should be given or exchanged only when the tie is truly close.
College Days
Certain occasions in college dictate not only their own jewels but the manner of their presentation. A sorority or fraternity pin may be designed with different varieties or qualities of gem, but in all likelihood there will be one type, and one formal occasion on which it is conferred upon the happy initiate. Similarly, the Phi Beta Kappa key and the insignia of other honorary societies are prescribed by tradition and won by merit.
When a young man and a young woman exchange such pins, however, time is approaching for the lasting ties. Gift-giving is one of the pleasures of courtship. On many a night a corsage or a box of bonbons is quite in place; but more significant, and a richer testimony to one’s love, are the twin friendship rings, or the farther-progressed lovers’ knots which can be found in earclips, rings, and brooches.
The Wedding Day
The engagement ring marks the promise, the wedding ring marks the fulfilment. But the wedding ring is a symbol upon which the ages have set their approving stamp; it is not a gift. Some special token of the groom’s appreciation and love should warm the heart of the bride. Tradition suggests a necklace, which in its way is also a binding symbol. What it is made of depends wholly on the groom. It may be a plain gold band, or a golden series of little leaves, or of orange blossoms. It may be of pearls with a diamond clasp; it may be all of diamonds.
Whatever the material of the necklace, it should be of a fashion appropriate for a maid; nothing heavy, nothing with an air of sophistication; something of almost fragile grace, suggesting youth and simple feminine charm.
For the Bridesmaids
The matron of honor and the bridesmaids should receive their gifts from the bride at a luncheon or other occasion, such as the rehearsal, as close as possible to the ceremony. She will by that time know what they are wearing and fit her gifts to their gowns. Among appropriate gifts are gold charm bracelets, disks, cigarette boxes, powder compacts, lipstick holders, and the like. These should be engraved with the date of the wedding, the name of the happy couple, and a memorable phrase. If the jewels are such as have no proper space for engraving, the box that contains the jewel should be embossed with the initials or name of the couple, and the appropriate words.
For the Ushers
The groom in similar fashion, and with the same engraving, makes his gifts to the best man and the ushers. In gold, he may choose tie pins and clips, cuff links, money clips, key chains, toothpicks. Pencils and fountain pens are appropriate, or silver letter-openers, with the box or the article bearing the signs of the occasion.
Other Gifts to the Bride
In addition to any more substantial contribution to the hopes and happiness of the newlyweds, the parents of the groom should give their daughter-in-law-elect a gift that she will wear on her wedding day. This will usually take the form of a brooch or clip. A flower design is always appropriate; more playfully accordant is a clip of a four-leaf clover or of bells, in diamonds.
Perhaps the most touching among the wedding gifts is that which comes to the bride from the grandmother. In many cases, it will be a jewel that grandmother wore on her own wedding day; it is thus not only a precious but a tender link that helps bind the family through the generations.
Parents’ Days
When time comes around for Mother’s Day, then Father’s Day, we realize that all through the year our parents’ love reaches out to us and deserves our grateful thoughts. Every day is a day to honor one’s parents. They have shown us that love is the one gift one need not earn. “Home,” says the poet, “is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”
But on the special day set aside for Mother, children may combine to give her a bracelet on which charms commemorate happy family times, or list the names of children, grandchildren, and—if the years are generous—great-grandchildren. A tree of life, a family tree, or various brooches, make excellent gifts.
Gifts for Father are likely to be simpler. Gold cuff links suggest themselves, shaped in his initials. A gold pencil or pen, a key ring, or—if it does not seem too much like a hint!—a money clip, may all be appropriately inscribed, as a tribute to the person commonly called the head of the family.
For Later Birthdays
Birthday presents become more complicated, and longer cherished, after childhood. The older one grows—in spite of the jesting about beginning to count backwards—the more one should have absorbed of the wisdom of life, and the more endeared one should be to friends and family.
For one’s wife, one may add a tender touch to a bracelet or other jewel, by a secret message others will not guess. Thus the first letters of four stones set in this order—diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby—spell Dear. One can form an alphabet of stones from which many hidden messages can be conveyed to the loved one alone.
For a man, a beautiful birthday gift is a ring with a star ruby, a star sapphire, or a cat’s-eye, set in simple heavy metal, gold, platinum or palladium. A plain gold signet ring is in good taste, or one with initials sculptured of the metal.
Remember, in buying a ring for a man, that it should be solid; for a big man, quite a heavy band. A man pays little attention to his jewelry, once he has put it on, and gives it the hardest wear. He keeps on his ring, for example, while driving his car, swinging through a round of golf, even performing a quick repair job in the house or working through some “do it yourself” mechanics.
Gifts For the Man
Whatever a man needs, he probably has. Most gifts to men, therefore, such as cuff links, provide them with another jewel of a kind they already possess. This should be no deterrent, however, for what a man prizes is less the gift itself than the feeling that inspired it.
I will venture the suggestion that man is the sentimental sex. If there is evidence of thoughtfulness behind the gift, he will doubly cherish it. Those cuff links, for example, can be chosen in a pattern that suggests one of his special interests or brings memories of some incident shared only by his wife.
The Wife’s Role
Every business and professional man is aware of the importance of proper appearance. Many, however, do not have the time a woman has to shop and weigh and consider. Some, indeed, would not think it becoming in a man to spend much time seeking items for his personal embellishment. Yet he likes to be well dressed and is naturally pleased when his good taste in accessories is admired.
It is thus often the wife’s role to see that her husband is fitly equipped. No well groomed man overlooks the place of jewelry in his dress, but his choice is likely to be quick, almost slap-bang. It is a further sign of her love that the wife takes it upon herself to make meticulous choices for him. It is as important for a man to wear the right jewelry as it is to wear a clean, well-fitting shirt.
The Right Accessories
However elegant a man’s wristwatch, there is, for formal occasions, greater distinction in a thin pocket watch. With a fraternity key, a pocket watch and chain are also appropriate, or else a key ring and chain.
Tie clips and money clips may be secured in many varieties.
A superb and truly masculine pair of cuff links can be fashioned of twenty-four carat gold nuggets. Although not shiny, they have an unmistakably precious look; and, as a gift, they capture the genuineness of the feeling in the purest of gold.
The Personal Touch
A wise and thoughtful—not to say loving—woman will add a personal touch that marks the gift as something intimately shared. A few words engraved on the gift, a date significant in the two lives—it may be the anniversary of their first meeting—add a special significance that makes the gift a treasure.
Just as there may be secrets caught into a gift to a woman, as when the jewels spell out a sentiment, so a gift to a man may have its values multiplied by a hidden message. That bar on the key chain, for example: who but the two concerned know that it can open and reveal a tiny picture of the beloved? Inside the ring may be their linked initials. In many ways which will suggest themselves, according to the events in the particular couple’s life, a secret shared in the gift keeps the love twinkling.
Special Gifts
On various business and professional occasions, certain gifts have become established by long practice. A twenty-fifth or other such anniversary in business relations is appropriately marked by the gift of a gold watch. Executives leaving their company may be given gold cigarette boxes or cases.
To mark special appreciation of an employee, gold cuff links bearing the seal of the company are a frequent testimonial. A gold watch may mark his long and faithful service.
Various professions have their honors, as when a doctor is received into the association of his specialty; in such cases there are usually insignia that can be wrought into the gift.
Historic Gifts
Among givers of gifts, perhaps the nobles and the Czars of Russia have been most lavish. The painted Easter eggs of the Russians are widely known, and many amusing and artistic designs have been painted on actual eggs. But the Easter egg jewels made by Fabergé are gem-studded works of the lapidary’s art.
Czars and Emperors—Nicholas, Franz Josef—have bestowed upon persons, who caught their favor, watches initialed in diamonds. Sometimes, however, the Czar merely ordered the bestowal of the gift, leaving the details to an officer of the court. This happened after the first command performance of Chaliapin who scornfully refused the proffered watch, saying that the Czar had never sent him that! Shortly after, Chaliapin received another watch, this one with the Imperial coat-of-arms in diamonds.
For King Zog of Albania, our firm developed a jewel that has grown in popularity: a watch so thin that it is fitted inside of a hollowed coin. Those coins bore a relief of King Zog on one side, his coat-of-arms on the other; the watches were presented to high officers for supremacy in horsemanship and other contests.
The Presentation of a Gift
In the United States, where the packaging industry has achieved consummate skills, the way in which a gift is presented is particularly important. The care taken in selecting the jewel must be reflected in the container. The first thing the recipient sees is the wrapping; this must quicken the anticipation of the surprise and delight inside.
Naturally, the gift comes wrapped by the jeweler. It should be left that way. A precious jewel will be encased in a fine leather or velvet box. To this, the jeweler has given considerable thought, selecting shape, size, color, and material that will display the particular jewel to best advantage. Often, when I design a piece of jewelry, I am asked to suggest how to package it for presentation. The box, then, is a carefully chosen background for the jewel.
For an especially significant gift, it can be arranged to have the box embossed in gold with the initials or name of the person receiving it, and the date of the special occasion.
Without taking the jewel out of its wrapping and box, there are many ways in which an added personal arrangement may grace the giving. The jewelry box, for instance, may be adorned with a single rose, or a few of the lady’s favorite flowers, or flowers associated with a mutual memory. Or the florist may be asked to place the jewelry box inside the cellophane box that holds a corsage or an orchid. The flower brings its own pleasure, then multiplied by the surprise of the jewel.
The sweet tingle of surprise may also be increased by enclosing the jewelry box in a larger one, which disguises the typical shape of the gift box. If the gift is a bracelet, it might well be tucked into a glove box, along with a pair of gloves. Or the jewel may be innocently placed in a drawer of a little antique jewelry case; on opening the attractive case, behold! the attractive jewel.
At Christmas time, the box can be set upon the tree. Still more appealing would be a separate tree, such as those little artificial ones, the sole ornament of which is the box with the proffered jewel.
In the Middle Ages, when jewels were thought to have special powers to preserve health, to ward off evil, they were thus effective only when received as a gift. The gift of jewels still has a special power, beyond the intrinsic value of the gems carrying the weight of love, establishing a memento and sustaining the sentiments that build into happy lives.
48. PORTRAIT OF H. H. INDIRA DEVI. The Maharani of Cooch Behar holds a famous necklace of rare ruby beads with two large clasps made of diamonds.
49. SPRAY PIN DESIGN. Round, marquise and baguette diamonds create this handsome clip which can also be worn in the hair or separated for earclips.
50. DESIGN FOR A DIAMOND CLIP. Round and pearshape diamonds form a pendant of grape-like design which can be detached from the baguette ribbons and worn as a striking addition to a pearl or diamond necklace.
51. DESIGN FOR A DOUBLE CLIP. Distinctive effects are produced when this clip of round and baguette diamonds is separated into its two harmonizing but unequal parts.
52. DESIGN FOR A GOLD AND DIAMOND PIN. Round diamonds individually set in 18 karat gold create this handsome jewel.
53. PORTRAIT OF FLIPPY. The author’s poodle is sculptured in 22 karat gold. The eye is represented by a yellow diamond, and the collar is made of baguettes.
54. FLORIAN. This replica of Emperor Franz Josef I’s snow-white show horse, immortalized in Felix Salten’s book, is wrought in platinum with 246 diamonds. The bridle and hoofs are made of pure fine-gold.
55. SET OF EARCLIPS AND BROOCH. The same motif is repeated in both the pin and the earclips without making them identical. Movement is suggested by the sculptured effect of the leaves. The delicacy of this design makes it ideal for the petite woman.
56. GOLD AND DIAMOND WATCH. Gubelin of Switzerland designed this gold watch bracelet with a diamond motif which gracefully conceals the face of the watch. The wide band is well-suited to a heavy wrist.
57. PEARL NECKLACE WITH TWO DIAMOND MOTIFS. To stress a delicate neckline, three strands of perfectly matched pearls are tapered down to two strands in back. The two abstract ornaments of platinum and round and baguette diamonds are both decorative and functional—one of the motifs contains the clasp.
58. TABLE OF STONES. The four most desired shapes of diamonds (from top to bottom):
The round brilliant-cut diamond
The emerald-cut diamond
The marquise-cut diamond
The pearshape diamond
59. MODELS OF THE KOHINOOR DIAMOND. The model in the hand shows the famous stone as it appeared to Queen Victoria when presented to her in 1850 by the East India Company. At that time it weighed 186 carats but, because the Indian form of cutting was thought to smother some of the natural fire, the Queen decided to have it re-cut. After 38 days of work, the re-cut stone, shown in the replica on the cushion, weighs only 109 carats. The Kohinoor is now in Queen Elizabeth’s crown.
60. GOLD CIGAR BOX. Presented to the late King Carol II of Roumania, this unique box is engraved with a map of his country depicting the agriculture and industry. The natural resources are highlighted by precious stones—a different stone is used for each product of raw material. The clasp, representing the royal coat of arms, is made of diamonds and platinum.