CURIOUS JEWELS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 312, 26 September 1908, Page 13

CURIOUS JEWELS.

Madamo Nazimova, the great Russianl actress, has a most interesting fad, gays tho! "Philadelphia Record." It is in tho pos-. session of curious and antique jewels that Nazimova finds pleasure, and the lustrous, • cold,. and brilliant diamond makes but little appoal to the • eminent-Muscovite actress. In her collection of raro jewels may be found golden topazos, purplp amethysts, curious :' white ■ sapphires, beryls, black pearls, and strangely-coloured goms from all over the World. _ A very beautiful ring in the Nazimova jewel caso is a Benvenuto Cellini of wonderfully carved old silver. This singlo treasure iis almost priceless. Another ring in the ; marquise shape is-carved from a solid piece ;of steel whicn is embedded with pink; and I yellow topazes. Yet another ring is from -the noted family of poisoners—the Borsias iof the madieval Italy. This poison ring lias a ruby for its gem, and looks innocuous : enough. • At the back of the curious setting however, there is a tiny spring, which, when ; pressed, releases from a hollow carved in .the ruby a drop of deadly liquid—that ■ is. to say. the poison might be released if it were there, but not since the Middle Ages has the ring done such terrible service. Although the spring yields to pressure, dis- 1 closing the tiny hollow in the heart of tho jewel, it. is quite empty now, and carries with.it/only the suggestion of its potency of yore.- , - A highly-prized necklet of unusual character was found in the tomb of the Scipios on the Appian Way, in Rome. It is of Roman gold, and is formed of a series of. tiny skulls of oxen —a favourite decoration in the time of the Caesars. Perhaps tho most prized gem in the Nazimova collection is a scarab, carved from stone, which ■was taken from the fjreat Sphinx of Egypt. This has been made m the form of a small hair, ornament, which tho Russian actress wears constantly, and which for her typifies much of; tho mysticism of its origin.