JEWKLS TV TUV, PVITITiTTrriHT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 215, 28 August 1862, Page 5

JEWKLS TV TUV, PVITITiTTrriHT

JEWELS IX THE EXHIBITION I recious stones of lower size, but attractive on account of the new simple garments into which they nave been wrapped, draw a large share of visitors to one of the trophies of the central nave. Und*r a hu-re.pyramid of iron and glass are shown .some beautiful dinronn'ls, rubier, and other jewels set | »"Htea.l of m silver or gold, in simple ivory The effect is pleasing and the work, on the whole, emi"nently tasteful. But the exhibitor, a dealer in precious stones, doing a large trade among the fashionables of the yreuit de la crane of London society, is somewhat in error in describing himself as the inventor of tnis mode of setting jewels. The combination of ivory, gold, and precious stones was known to ancient Greece, was much in fashion at Rome anil may be seen to this day in various parts of Italy' and even north of the Alps. Many a Bavarian peasant girl lias her brooch of chalcedony set in ivory or bone; and at village fairs in Switzerland ornaments of horn and bone with stone mosaic, are among the common object, of traffic. However, although not absolutely new, these jewelled ivorr trinkets are certainly very beautiful, and reflect great credit on English art. Charming in particular, is the statuette of a slave girl in the act of liberating a bird, in which the combmation ofjvory and jewels has an eminently pleasing effect, rhe same trophy contains a magnificent cup made out of one solid piece of topaz, richly set n enamel and gold, with the figures of Perseus and Andromeda in bas-relief. In close neighborhood is an emerald of extraordinary beauty, considerably larger than a hens egg, and seemingly without a Jw;,, ?o *"« south-west of this storehouse of glittering things is another, belonging to a Westend jewel er It contains the diamonds of a wealthy Hebrew lady, valued at above L 100,000; the celebrated Devonshire jewels worn by jthe Countess of Uranville at the coronation of Czar Alexander II to l e "™J ? f a m;S»'ty Czarina; and the still more fomous Senngapatam jewels captured by Lord Harris lhen there are jewelled swords, warranted not to cut. but -most beautiful to look upon. The place of honor fa filled by a toy of this description, presented to hir J. Outram by the inhabitants of Bombay Its scabbard of crimson velvet is thickly covered with gold and enamel, while the handle is one blaze of diamonds; it is Joudly proclaimed to be "sweeUy pretty" by alf tne fair viSors' , n^inl° WeVer f expre? neral disappointment when moving over from the English into the French department of jewellery and goldsmith ware. Not that; the articles exhibited by our faithful allies across the Channel are not tasteful in design or complete in ! execution :on the contrary. But they have the fault of not being as high priced as the British goods A lady, fresh from the contemplation of a diamond stomacher worth L 15,000, and a necklace of pS marked L 20.000 looks naturally with contempt Zm jewels worth only a couple of hundred ponndaapiLe The remark is frequently heard that a single show ShSIP ffh v iheJf^ h exhibitors wouldfbuy the nS,? « c ue- nch dePartme»t- The observation is S™ Tf I*l! 1 ? twenfcy-f ««r acre shop, where quantity absolutely devours quality.- Spectator .