by Marianne OSTIER JEWELS and the WOMAN The Romance, Magic and Art of Feminine Adornment HORIZON PRESS New York Note : For centuries it has been the custom for jewelers to identify their designs by stamping their hallmark on jewels. The reproduction on page 20 is of Marianne Ostier’s hallmark. Unless otherwise noted in the captions, jewels here reproduced have been designed by Marianne Ostier. All jewels are illustrated in actual size, with the exception of the portraits and Illustration 17. Cre

“Diamonds,” the song goes, “are a girl’s best friend.” Take special note of the sex; it is significant. For only among humans has the female increasingly become the adorned sex. The mane of the lion or of the stallion gives the male a magnificence beyond the competence of the lioness or the mare. It is the peacock that spreads the studded glory of its tail—not the peahen. As among the birds and beasts, so primitive man was the resplendent sex, while his mate went about her task, in more subdued

There are as many guesses about the origin of adornment as about the origin of language. The most popular theories might be called the functional, the magical, and the aesthetic. When man first felt cold, says the functional theory—or when he first felt shame and hid his shame with the fig leaf—he had to find some way of fastening his garments. The leaves, the furs, the hides, would slip off unless adequately held together, especially when the man was running in swift hunt, or the woman bending

On the basis of beauty, stones cannot be divided into precious and semiprecious for, from stone to stone, there is continuous range of color and glow. Nor indeed can price be the one criterion, for here many elements produce variety. Although the term “gem of the first water” is reserved for the flawless blue-white diamond, as the carats of the single stone increase the flawless ruby and the emerald become even more costly; and varieties and special specimens of other stones, such as the fire op

Precious stones have from earliest times been associated with special powers. Not only were they guardians against demons, but each by its particular virtue warded off certain diseases or other misfortunes. In their astrological aspects, they could help to arrange, if not wholly to secure, a happy future. From this connection with things to come, the gems came to be linked with various times: each season, each month, even each day of the week, had its special stone. The season of spring, with th

From head to foot milady is concerned with jewels. Her crowning glory, her hair, is today, however, left largely to display its own lustrous beauty in coiffures carefully designed for the individual taste and figure. Hat ornaments of elaborate jewels have long ceased to be popular. By the beginning of this century even the essential hatpin had been reduced to utilitarian simplicity, a round piece of jet or colored stone atop a long rod of steel which, with its sharp point, not only held the hat

Among the various articles of adornment that a woman can acquire, the one that can make the most startling changes in her appearance is the earclip. Properly chosen, earclips can do more to bring out a woman’s best features than any other jewel, and one can play more tricks with a pair of earclips than with one’s make-up. A few generations back, the ears were beneath consideration; that is, they were beneath the hairdo. Daguerreotypes of our grandmothers show coiffures that completely cover the

The necklace is the most conspicuous of adornments. The earclip is more subtle, because it performs a double function: it is to be noticed for its own beauty; at the same time, quietly and without advertising this aspect of its role, it helps to shape the contour of the head and to bring out a radiant glow in the countenance. In the necklace, the importance of these functions is reversed. The jewel worn around the neck can play a part in moulding the personality and enhancing its highlights—it m

While the necklace is the most conspicuous jewel in a woman’s parure, and the earclip does more than any other to make subtle alterations in her appearance, the finger ring is beyond compare the most popular of all jewels. There seems little to be said about the purchase of a ring except that one should select a beautiful jewel, and yet there are many ways in which the ring can not only contribute to the overall effect of the personality but actually beautify the hand. In the first place, the ma

The bracelet (from bras , the French for arm) or armlet was in early times worn at various places along the arm. Placed high on the forearm and above the biceps, a tight band gave added strength to the warrior for speedy manipulation of his shield. A woman was more likely to wear her bracelets closer to the wrist. In some parts of the Orient, however, bracelets of coins were worn by the women as evidence of their husbands’ wealth; these might, band after band, encircle the entire arm, making it,

To broach a cask of ale is to set the liquor flowing, to open the gates of good will; but the broach (and it’s still pronounced that way even when we spell it brooch ) had as its purpose the closing and the holding together of the dress. In its simplest form it was an awl or a bodkin, used as a clasp or a fastener. Then came the pin with a hinge or spring at one end and a catch or loop at the other. Such safety-pin brooches, or fibulae , were common in ancient times; they were in use at least as

The watch was an article of utility that became an article of fashion, hence was woven into a jewel. Queen Elizabeth I of England owned more than two dozen watches, some dangling from her girdle, one at her wrist. Four of them were gifts from one courtier, the Earl of Leicester. All were elaborately designed in various shapes, with cameos or many jewels. They were changed according to the costume. The Queen had a special page whose duty it was to wind them. Even more watches were in the possessi

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 wi

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. 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 p

I have been using the terminology of the field of gems and jewelry, taking it for granted that the meanings would be understood. Perhaps it is time to make these terms more precise. A jewel, or a piece of jewelry, is a costly ornament, especially of gold, platinum, or precious stones; or of stones set in one of these metals. A precious stone is one highly prized for human adornment. Its value is measured mainly by its beauty, its rarity, and its durability. The precious stones are, by general un

There are many misconceptions as to the care and the cleaning of jewels. And there is but one sound rule. When jewelry needs to be cleaned, take it to the jeweler. A woman who takes her jewels to a jeweler, to have him clean them, is showing that she regards him as her regular dealer; as such, he will be happy to clean them without charge. At the same time, he will check the settings, the clasps, the safety catches. While home cleaning might damage a stone, or loosen it in its setting, professio

There are several important matters to be considered in the preservation of jewelry. Although all stones may grow temporarily dull from the accretion of dirt and grime, or even from a soapy film added by the attempt to clean them, most stones endure indefinitely. Most jewelry, however, does not, simply because it becomes old-fashioned. If jewels are old-fashioned for a long enough time, they may become antique. Antique jewelry has historical or traditional value and may be worn with great effect

Of all the jewels of history, most widespread in time and space, and upon the human body is the ring. From the crown of the head to the tip of the toes, the circular band has been an adornment and a symbol. In the ears, around the neck, tight about the biceps, loose about the wrist, across the chest, around the waist, in iron fetters at the ankle in days of old to indicate the slave or in the self-imposed “slave anklet” of thin gold today: men and women have worn rings of grass, of wood, of bone

History and fiction throughout the ages find mystery, glamour and romance in the stories of great jewels. The Count of Monte Cristo , one of the most successful of all romances, has its hero achieve his goal by finding a hidden treasure of great jewels. The Queen’s Necklace , another of Dumas’ masterpieces, centers its intrigue around a necklace fraudulently secured, upon which hangs the evidence of Marie Antoinette’s fidelity. Or one thinks of a marauding foreigner, plucking the great emerald f