Beautiful Wearers of Beautiful Jewels.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue V, 1 August 1903, Page 355

Beautiful Wearers of Beautiful Jewels.

One of the finest pearl necklaces in the world is that which decorates the slender throat of the young Dueuess of Marlborough. These famous gems, known as the Orloff pearls, are not part of the family jewels of the house ot Churchill, but were given to the American duehess by her father, Mr V anderbilt. They were formerly the property of the Empress Catherine of Russia. Really fine pearl necklaces are the most coveted of all jewels. It takes years of constant care and immense expenditure to obtain a sufficient number of perfectly matched pearls to make a necklace. Queen Victoria had a necklace of pink pearls, worth £ 16,000. which she left by will to Princess Henry of Battenberg. A neeklaee of thirty-two pearls which belongs to the Empress of Germany is valued at £25,000. The largest number of pearls ever pul into one neeklaee belong to the Dowagei Empress of Russia. There are no fewer than seven rows. The leader of Chicago society, Mrs Potter Palmer, has a six-rowed necklace. Her pearls are perfectly graduated, and all Of jpureist whiter. Their value is nearly £ 80,000. Another American lady whose pearls would be difficult to match is Mrs Yerkes, wife of the financier who is doing so much for London’s underground transit. In the year 1496, Queen Isabella of Spain, anxious to fit out a fresh expedition to the New World, and short of funds, sold her finest pearl. After many vicissitudes, in the course of which the gem twice travelled to America and back, the Isabella pearl passed into the possession of the Countess Castellane, to whom belongs the celebrated Esterhazy diamond. The aggregate value of the jewels possessed by the various beauties of the stage might probably buy out the Shipping Trust. Mrs Langtry, although she lost several thousand pounds worth of diamonds a few years ago through an order forged upon stolen note paper, has still jewels worth a king’s ransom. Her particular fads are turquoises and diamonds. In the character of “Mademoiselle Mars” she wore a wonderful necklace of these stones mixed, and a long chain of diamonds. Patti’s tiara is her most valuable pos-

session, but her stock of jewels and Orders, presents from almost every crowned head in Europe, is the greatest possessed by any woman in the world, and of a value quite incalculable. Never did the footlights flash on a more miscellaneous, yet magnificent, collection of gems than adorn that favourite dancer. La Belle Otero. Their profusion is extraordinary, and the value of the little black bag in which she carries these jewels to and from the theatre is far into six figures. Once the Otero nearly lost the whole collection at one fell swoop. ft was at a supper-party in America. Suddenly the electric lights went out. Madame rushed to the window just in time to see one of her guests dropping her bag out to a eon federate who stood below. Of singers, Melba has the most wonderful stock of jewels. But she values none so much as her mascotte, a little jewelled cock, which, though of small intrinsicvalue, she wears constantly. /Another lady who owns a peculiar jewelled mascotte is Miss Violet Vanbrugh. Hers is a chain of uncut turquoises. Her friends, knowing her love for it, often bring her fresh stones to add to it, so the chain is constantly growing. Lillian Russell, who for long held the palm as the most beautiful woman of the American stage, has very valuable diamonds and rubies. One of the finest collections of diamonds belonging to any actress is that of Miss Lulu Glaser. This lady has made a practice of always investing a certain percentage of her earnings in these beautiful gems. One of the oddest pieces of jewellery ever seen is the property of Mrs George

Cornwallis West, formerly Lady Bandolph Churchill. It is a bracelet shaped like a snake, which she constantly wears upon her right arm. Unwound it may be a couple of feet in length, it is of greenish gold, with bronze spots upon it, and startlingly life-like in appearance. The head of the serpent is ox green en amel, with ruby eyes and a ruby tongue. The fangs are of ivory, and in the head is set a great emerald. What its origin may be its owner has never revealed. The finest ruby in the world was given to his wife by the great copper millionaire, Thomas Lawson, of Boston. It is not large, only 4 1-16 carats, but in colour and quality it is perfect—£6ooo was paid for it. Mrs Lawson also possesses a perfect orange diamond. It weighs but three-quarters of a carat, yet is worth £lOOO. Among owners of notable jewels must be mentioned Miss Geraldine Kitzgerald. She is the possessor of a parure of old Spanish paste. The secret of making this beautiful imitation has long been lost, and its value is even greater than that of the diamond it represents. There is seldom seen so great a contrast between two sister as exists be tween the young Duchess of Westminster and the tall an 1 stately Princess Henry of Pless. The marriage of Miss Shelagh Cornwallis West with the young duke was a love romance begun when the two were mere children. The mag nificent Westminster pearls add lustre to the brilliant eyes and dirk complexion of this lovely young duchess, and among her treasures are splendid diamond shoulder-straps. Another marriage even more romantic

than that of the lady just mentioned was that of the beautiful woman known as Countess Torby, who is the wife of the Grand Duke Michaelovitch of Russia. The marriage caused a most extraordinary sensation at -e time, and came very near to disrupting the Imperial Family of Russia, for the countess was the grand daughter of a Russian subject, the poet Puschkin, who was noted for his Liberal opinions. But the countess is as good as she is beautiful, and a great favourite with all our Royal Family. The jewels of Lady Howard de Walden are the envy of all who see them. Her collar of pearls and amethysts is a beautiful specimen of the goldsmith’s art, and she wears the jewelled shoulderstraps now becoming so popular. She was Miss Blanche Holden, a Lancashire girl.