Gems And Settings

More valuable than diamonda are green garnets, because they are so exceedingly rare. They are of an unsurpassed rich shade far beyond that oí an emerald and are very brllliant. On the other hand red garnets are so common that they cost next to nothing. It was thought at one time that wearlng emeralds was good for the eyesight. The story is told by oíd historians that a carved stone lion on the shore of Cyprus had such brilliant emeralds for eyes that the flsh in that part oL the sea were all frightened away, and not till tlie fishermen had stolen the emeralds ard replaced them by green glass did the frnny inhabitants return to be caught. Of late years the ruby lias become so rare that its price is beyond the average mortal. It was considerad during the dark ages a protection against evü and a help to a cheerful disposition. ín China a ruby is put in the córner stone oL a building to insure good luek. Our best rubies come from the Burmah mines, which, before the English took possession, belonged to a king who jealously guarded them. No íoreigner was able to secure one of these matchless gems unless it was smuggled out. Low settings, which of late years have rather been overlooked, are very beautiful, especially for stones like the turquoise, opal or topaz. When a stone is sunk flush with the surrounding metal it becomes a spot of color in the midst of a molding or chasing which is attractive in itself, but the modern niethod permits no decoration of the gold or silver. Antique jewels are aliost invariably sunken. A diamond does not look well set this way, for it has no color of its own and needs the light to help it out. Another good setting consists of four or five strong Claws which hoid the geni up, exposing U fully.