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 in place but made a handy weapon of defense.
How much can be worn in the hair depends upon its styling. The chignon, or other knot behind, permits the use of comb or ornamental pin. The most elaborate of the combs, looking best on a tall woman with dark hair, is the Spanish comb, consisting of a few teeth below a large crest of shell often encrusted with stones. Less favored, but attractive with more exotic types, is the Japanese pin, a long rod of carved ivory or of black lacquered wood decorated in colors and usually worn in a pair.
Few women, outside of the nobility on state occasions, wear the metal bands set or peaked with gems, called indiscriminately diadems or tiaras. Such a band of precious metals and stones, worn by a prince or noble of high rank, is the coronet. The monarch himself, as an emblem of sovereignty, wears a more elaborate circlet or head covering, the royal crown.
Royal Crowns of Britain
Most famous of the royal crowns are those of the British Empire, three for the monarch, two for his queen. First of the three is the reputed crown of Edward the Confessor, which was destroyed by the Commonwealth. It was reproduced by Charles II and, with its inner Cap of Maintenance, has been worn at all the English Coronations since 1661. It is of “massie golde” and weighs four pounds. Since neither this, nor the Imperial Crown of State, may leave the British Isles, a special Imperial Crown of India, the third royal crown, was made for the investiture of George V at Delhi in 1911.
By far the most magnificent of the three royal crowns is the Imperial Crown of State. This may officially be made anew for each new monarch, but the crown that showed the glory of Queen Victoria in 1839 has with few modifications been used by all her successors. This great crown is adorned with historic treasures of the centuries. The great pearl earrings of Elizabeth I are nested here; the sapphire from Edward the Confessor’s Coronation Ring; the Stuart Sapphire, an oval an inch and a half by an inch; the Black Prince’s ruby, large as a hen’s egg. Although the Star of Africa, the world’s largest cut diamond, a pear-shaped brilliant of about 530 carats, crowns the head of the royal sceptre, two other brilliants cut from the same rough diamond adorn the Imperial Crown. One, the cushion-shaped diamond in the band, below the Black Prince’s ruby, weighs 309³⁄₁₆ carats; the other, of 96 carats, is to the side of the band. Literally thousands of other precious stones, including smaller diamonds of various cuts and sizes, make the British Imperial Crown of State, at one time signifying dominion over the most widespread of all empires, the most imposing of all crowns.
Everywoman’s Queen
Far from the Imperial Crowns though she may be, every woman is the monarch of her own beauty. When she sits before a mirror, a woman sees both the material of beauty and the artist who must work with that material. And the first thing an artist must learn is the potentialities of the material.
An honest appraisal of what looks forth from the glass is the beginning of its improvement. Nature has given few women features without flaw; and there is little of personal charm in the prize “perfection” of professional beauty in the face of the beauty-contest “queen.” Even the most beautiful of women can have that beauty enhanced. Cosmetics are no more than a base upon which jewelry spreads its charm. Jewels are the oldest and most proven help to beauty.
And the most lasting. The precious stones that Cleopatra wore for the admiration of three monarchs still hold their pristine fire, and no doubt sparkle on the throat and hand of some fair lady of today. If the cost of a jewel is measured against the duration of its usefulness—even apart from its beauty, its small bulk, and its ready possibility of resale—it is clear that there is no better investment. Nor is there any monotony in a precious stone. It takes new glow in various lights. A little ingenuity will suggest variations in its use. And as fashions change, the permanent values in the stone itself can be displayed in new settings.
A Stone’s Best Setting
The most permanent aspect of the setting of a precious stone is, of course, the wearer herself. When asked for his wisest counsel, the old sage replied: Know thyself. As a later poet put it, “The proper study of mankind is man.” This also holds for woman. A full and frank estimate of the physical features must precede any proper attempt to adorn them.
Consider, for instance, the bone structure. Heavy bones are usually associated with wide shoulders, square cheek bones and strong, pronounced wrists, whereas small bones usually mark a slight build, with slender fingers and small wrists. A woman with wide cheek bones should naturally wear earclips and necklaces that look heavier, to balance her appearance. This proportion should be observed throughout her jewelry wardrobe, with heavier and higher-built rings, bulkier bracelets, larger brooches and clips.
A woman of heavier build emphasizes this fact when she wears a tiny ring and a clip that looks lost on her bosom. On the other hand, a petite person may easily seem overpowered, even dwarfed, by a massive set of jewelry. She will be fittingly adorned with light and airy pieces, with the stones set individually in a dainty style.
Types of Women
The basic choice, then, depends first upon the woman’s own characteristics. Can she call herself the “tailored type”, or “petite”, or “sophisticated”? Within each of these general groupings the next consideration is the contour of the face. This may be round or oval. Yet there are, of course, countless variations within and between these types, and each woman should remember that her characteristics build up into a distinct and unique personality. It is that unique and precious whole which is herself that each woman should explore, so as to know her potentialities and her needs.
The Major Metals
Before settling down to consider details of individual jewels, there are two more general aspects of jewelry that may be pondered: the metal and the design. Gold, especially of eighteen karat, has come back into favor. It is extremely becoming to many complexions for wear during the day and, provided that it is set with at least a few diamonds, it is appropriate as well for the more formal jewels of the evening. The whiteness of platinum, however, has made it a more favored setting for diamonds. In this connection the new metal palladium must not be overlooked; its shimmery satin finish makes a superb background for precious stones. It is lighter than platinum.
The Basic Designs
The most general division of designs distinguishes the ornamental or abstract, and the floral. A tailored type will be drawn to and embellished by the ornamental design. The petite person will find that a flower motif enhances her essential femininity. The sophisticated person may well employ a combination of the ornamental and the floral, seeking style from the ornament, softness and depth from the flower motif. She can venture further, too, toward extremes of style and color.
Every piece of jewelry should of course be tried on before it is selected. However well it looks in its individual box, in the arranged setting of the jeweler’s window, or on the velvet cushion in the store, the important question is how it looks upon the one who wears it. It should be tested against the background of a dark dress, in the direct rays of daylight and in the soft artificial light under which it will usually be worn.