WOMAN’S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 14

WOMAN’S WORLD

SOME HISTORICAL JEWELS.

ROYAL STONES THAT HAVE FAME.

(By

Mabel L. Tyrrell.)

The history of a famous jewel is probably worth , twice the gem’s value in gold. The close association of a precious stone with some man or woman during a great moment of agony, joy, or triumph, seems to become crystallised in the gem—the only visible witness of that act or emotion which wrung the .heart of its possessor. Buildings crumble, places change, men and women fade into the past, 'but the jewel- remains the same to-day as it was 100 years ago, always connecting the past with the present. One of the oldest of our jewels is the sapphire set in the Cross over the King’s crown. This sapphire —it was called hyacinthus by the Greeks who supposed it to be the blue and crystallised blood of the beautiful youth Hyacinth —belonged to the Confessor. He must have touched this royal stone, and perhaps he put a little trust in it when times were difficult; evidently he loved it, for he commanded it to be buried with him in Westminster Abbey which he had erected on the old site of the Church of Saint Peter. For many years this sapphire lay buried with the king, but when his tomb was opened it was brought out into tl_. light of day, and now graces the crown. Another famous sapphire is contained in a ring which, in ages past, was used to announce the death of a monarch and given as a token to. the .new. king or queen. This sapphire' was brought to Elizabeth when her sister Mary died; and when Elizabeth passed away it is said that Lady Scrope threw it out of the window to the Earl of Monmouth, who was waiting below, and he rode with it post-haste to Scotland and placed it in the hands of James VI. That sapphire was all that James needed to tell him that his great hour had come without the sound of one shot.

Another famous gem is the red ruby which is in the front of the crown. This was given to the Black Prince in 1367 by Pedro the Cruel, probably after the Battle of Navarette, which the Prince gained. The Black. Prince’s expedition into Spain on behalf of Pedro was a mixed success. Pedro refused to pay for the war, and the Prince returned to England burdened with debt; the ruby was all Pedro gave him. When you look upon that gem, the rather mythical figure of the Black Prince becomes real because he wore it upon his person; so did Henry V. In the days when men wore their most precious jewels when facing the enemy, Henry V. took the Black Prince’s ruby with him when he made war on France, and wore it at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. That red ruby in the crown saw the stakes driven into the ground before battle; saw the dense masses of English archers charge; and, no doubt, caught the lovely eye of Catherine the Fair, the French King’s daughter, when Henry met her in church, bargained with her, and persuaded her to be his bride, which had been her intention for several months.

Pedro, the Black Prince, Henry the Mad-Cap—all have gone, yet the red ruby in the crown still seems to retain the caress of their fingers.

“CHEMIST’S SHOP” LAMPSTANDS. USE OF COLOURED WATER. Most of us share the enthusiasm of the heroine of “Rosamund, and the Purple Jar” for the tall jars of coloured water that shine in the windows of old-fashioned chemists’ shops. Such a jar can he used as a table lamp-stand if it is. filled with the necessary chemical solution and supplied with the requisite lighting fitments. Purple is one of the simplest tints to achieve, for it means only the addition of a little permanganate of potash to the water. The colour will be pale or deep according to the proportion used, but be careful not to over-saturate it, since this means an ugly sediment. Nor is there any difficulty in securing a deep, rich orange colour by means of a small amount of potassium bichromate. A still smaller quantity will give the paler lemon and primrose tones. If distilled water can be used in place of that from the tap, the result will be clearer and brighter. Copper sulphate gives gradations of colour according to the strength of the solution. These will range from the palest blue to gay shades of bright and greeny blue. For a really good green tint you must go to a preparation from chlorophyll, Nature’s colouring matter for plants and trees.

Old decanters and bottles of unusual ■shape make good lamp-stands filled wi.th the coloured water, which weights them so that they are not easily overturned. The cost of fitting one for lighting purposes amounts to about 6s, inclusive of flex and holder. Our Silk Stockings. A method was asked for to use up old silk stockings by a reader of the Wellington Post recently, and a member of a Women’s Institute sent the following: Unpick the hem at the top of the stocking, if any, then proceed to cut round and round the stocking, Jin. wide. You will be surprised to see the long length you will have. Ladders and small darns do not matter. As you cut you will find it all curls up, and so will not show the raw edge. Then with the lengths work ten stitches with a bone crochet hook; turn and work round and round, increasing at each end with a double crochet to form an oval mat. By laying the work flat on the table at times, you will see when to increase. The mat should lie perfectly flat, and only increase enough to make it do so. You can use all shades of stockings—the shades all blend in together; but if you have any dark ones, keep for the outside rows. This will wash well, and makes a very useful bath mat. You can also make a bed-covering by doing the crochet in the shape of an eiderdown I quilt. ~ |