Showing posts with label Jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewelry. Show all posts

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Learn About Cameo Jewelry

Judge Mary  Bartelme
wearing a cameo at her
 throat, on a high lace
collar in the
 Edwardian style.
       Cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewelry or vessel made in this manner. It nearly always features a raised (positive) relief image; contrast with intaglio, which has a negative image. Originally, and still in discussing historical work, cameo only referred to works where the relief image was of a contrasting color to the background; this was achieved by carefully carving a piece of material with a flat plane where two contrasting colors met, removing all the first color except for the image to leave a contrasting background.
       Today the term may be used very loosely for objects with no color contrast, and other, metaphorical, terms have developed, such as cameo appearance. This derives from another generalized meaning that has developed, the cameo as an image of a head in an oval frame in any medium, such as a photograph.
       Ancient and Renaissance cameos were made from semi-precious gemstones, especially the various types of onyx and agate, and any other stones with a flat plane where two contrasting colors meet; these are "hardstone" cameos. In cheaper modern work, shell and glass are more common. Glass cameo vessels, such as the famous Portland Vase, were also developed by the Romans.
       Modern cameos can be produced by setting a carved relief, such as a portrait, onto a background of a contrasting color. This is called an assembled cameo. Alternatively, a cameo can be carved by the traditional, but far more difficult, method directly out of a material with integral layers or banding, such as (banded) agate or layered glass, where different layers have different colors. Sometimes dyes are used to enhance these colors.

"The Little Museum of Cameo Tower of Greek (NA
shows us the entire processing phase of a cameo, 
from the shell to a unique jewel of its kind."

       During the Roman period the cameo technique was used on glass blanks, in imitation of objects being produced in agate or sardonyx. Cameo glass objects were produced in two periods; between around 25 BC and 50/60 AD, and in the later Empire around the mid-third and mid-fourth century. Roman glass cameos are rare objects, with only around two hundred fragments and sixteen complete pieces known, only one of which dates from the later period. During the early period they usually consisted of a blue glass base with a white overlying layer, but those made during the later period usually have a colorless background covered with a translucent colored layer. Blanks could be produced by fusing two separately cast sheets of glass, or by dipping the base glass into a crucible of molten overlay glass during blowing. The most famous example of a cameo from the early period is the Portland Vase.
      Although occasionally used in Roman cameos, the earliest prevalent use of shell for cameo carving was during the Renaissance, in the 15th and 16th centuries. Before that time, cameos were carved from hardstone. The Renaissance cameos are typically white on a grayish background and were carved from the shell of a mussel or cowry, the latter a tropical mollusk.
       In the mid 18th century, explorations revealed new shell varieties. Helmet shells (Cassis tuberosa) from the West Indies, and queen conch shells (Eustrombus gigas) from the Bahamas and West Indies, arrived in Europe. This sparked a big increase in the number of cameos that were carved from shells. Conch shells carve very well, but their color fades over time.
       After 1850 demand for cameos grew, as they became popular souvenirs of the Grand Tour among the middle class.

Classically the designs carved onto cameo stones were either scenes of Greek or Roman mythology or portraits of
rulers or important dignitaries. In history, agate portrait cameos were often gifts from royalty to their subjects.
These antique cameos, some more than 2000 years old, are either displayed in museums or are in private collections.

       Sir Wallis Budge alleged that the noun "Cameo" apparently comes from Kame'o, a word used in kabbalistic slang to signify a "magical square", i. e. a kind of talisman whereupon magical spells was carved.
       Cameos are often worn as jewelry, but in ancient times were mainly used for signet rings and large earrings, although the largest examples were probably too large for this, and were just admired as objets d'art. Stone cameos of great artistry were made in Greece dating back as far as the 3rd century BC. The Farnese Tazza (a cup) is the oldest major Hellenistic piece surviving. They were very popular in Ancient Rome, especially in the family circle of Augustus. The most famous stone "state cameos" from this period are the Gemma Augustea, the Gemma Claudia made for the Emperor Claudius, and the largest flat engraved gem known from antiquity, the Great Cameo of France. Roman Cameos became less common around in the years leading up to 300AD although production continued at a much reduced rate right through the Middle Ages.
       The technique has since enjoyed periodic revivals, notably in the early Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Neoclassical revival began in France with Napoleon's support of the glyptic arts, and even his coronation crown was decorated with cameos.
       In Britain, this revival first occurred during King George III's reign, and his granddaughter, Queen Victoria, was a major proponent of the cameo trend, to the extent that they would become mass-produced by the second half of the 19th century.
       The visual art form of the cameo has even inspired at least one writer of more recent times, the 19th-century Russian poet Lev Mei, who composed a cycle of six poems entitled Камеи (Cameos, 1861), as reflections on each of the Roman rulers from Julius Caesar to Nero. In 1852 Théophile Gautier titled a collection of his highly polished, lapidary poems Emaux et Camées (Enamels and Cameos).
       Many modern cameos are carved into layered agates. The layers are dyed to create strong color contrasts. The most usual colors used for two-layer stones are white on black, white on blue, and white on red-brown. Three-layer stones are sometimes made. The colors are usually black on white on black. The layers are translucent; this allows the artist to create shading effects by removing material to allow the background layer to show through. This way a very realistic, lifelike quality to a figure can be achieved. For example, thinning the top black layer on a three-layer stone changes its color to shades of brown. Removing material from the white layer creates shades of blue or grey, depending on the color of the base.
       The majority of modern agate cameos are carved with the aid of the Ultrasonic Mill. This is a process where multiple copies of a master design can be produced very quickly by pressing a master die onto the agate cameo blank. A film of diamond slurry is used to aid cutting and the die vibrates ultrasonically in a vertical motion. The master is often hand carved by a skilled cameo artist. The result is a cameo that has a satin surface texture described as "freshly fallen snow" (FFS) by Anna Miller. This texture and the lack of any undercutting are used by appraisers as markers to prove that the cameo is machine-made.
       Cameos carved by hand are usually working from photographs of the subject. The fact that there is usually only one copy made means that the tooling costs involved rule out the ultrasonic carving process. There are very few people working in this field, as this is one of the hardest challenges for any gemstone carver. The combination of a highly developed artistic ability, craft skill and many years of experience are needed to be able to create lifelike portraits.
       It is quite rare, these days, for subjects other than portraits to be carved by hand as agate cameos. The traditional themes of classical scenes from mythology or a standard image of a young lady, are more likely to be made with the help of the ultrasonic carving machine as a limited collection of typically 50–200 pieces.
      Since the late 19th century, the species most used in good-quality cameos has been Cypraecassis rufa, the bullmouth helmet, the shell of which can be up to 6 inches long. In this species, the upper shell layer is whitish, and the lower shell layer is a rich orange-brown. Modern sources for this shell are Madagascar and South Africa. The finest hand-carving of these shells takes place in Italy. The most highly prized shell for carving is the emperor or queen's helmet shell, Cassis madagascariensis. This shell has white and dark brown layers and is known as sardonyx shell, and looks similar to the layered agate known as sardonyx. This shell is found in the waters of the Caribbean.
        The world center for cameo carving in shell today  is Torre del Greco, Italy. The shells are first marked with a series of ovals in a process called signing, then cut into oval blanks for the cameo carver. The actual cameo is mainly cut with a metal scraping tool called a bulino, an invention of Jewish artisan Antonio Cimeniello. A number of metal gravers are used: flat-faced, round and three-cornered. To speed production, grinding wheels are used to quickly remove excess material. When the details are completed, the shell is then soaked in olive oil, cleaned with soap and water and selectively polished with a hand brush.

More Information About Cameos and Contemporary Artists:

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

1940s Fashions Worn by "Camay" Brides...

A simple, short strand of white pearls (faux or real) added a finishing touch to many wedding gowns in the 1940s.
In the 1940s floral attachments to bridal veils were also popular.

Camay Bride of 1950s

Brides of the 1940s preferred to wear their hair down, loose about the shoulders and curly.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Wedding Ring Designs from 1900-1910

These diamond ring designs are from 1905, but they are typical for the decade, 1900-1910.
If you're looking to design something vintage for your wedding rings, check out these antique wedding bands.

Wedding Rings

       Wedding-rings have been in use from early days, but the early Christians do not appear to have adopted them till 860 A. D. They were not at first the plain circlets we now use, but were often highly decorated.


The custom was of pagan origin, and at first was not welcomed by the Church. Even in the time of the Commonwealth the custom was considered to be of "heathenish origin," and was discouraged, though not entirely abandoned. In some countries both men and women wear them. No doubt many of the posy rings were made for this purpose, including those with mottoes such as:
  • "In thee my choice I do rejoice"
  • "Tis God above doth seal our love"
  • "Thou hast my heart till Death doth part" 
  • "I kiss the rod from thee and God"
More Engraving Ideas for Wedding Bands:

Friday, November 25, 2016

Fresh Water Pearls 100 Years Ago in North America

      The simple expression, " gathering pearls," has a fascination for the uninitiated, and creates a lively interest in the minds of many who still cling to the romantic side of life; but let them gaze into a plush-lined jewel case containing hundreds of glistening fresh-water gems, and I doubt not their lively interest would develop into a case of " pearl fever."
      Where are pearls found? What Specie of shells bear pearls? In what part of the shell are they found? Which is the most valuable color?What are they worth? Who buys them?
      These questions and many more are asked daily by those seeking information.
      That much desired information regarding both marine and fresh-water pearls is meager. Science does not handle the subject very clearly as to their origin; hence our highest authority must be termed short-sighted upon this chapter of Nature's handiwork.
Specimens of Fresh Water Pearl-Bearing Unios.
      Meanwhile the pearl, the only precious gem which is not fashioned by the hand of man passes through its various stages of growth toward perfection, hanging suspended from the glittering walls of its beautiful prison until released by some lucky pearl-hunter.
      The clam migrates as regularly as the seasons change. In shallow water during the summer months; then seeking a depth of from five to ten feet as the cold weather advances. Here it lies partly dormant until the following spring, when growth and activity are again resumed. Nearly every stream and lake east of the Missouri River contains, to a greater or less extent, pearl-bearing mussels. Many of these tributaries are lined with lime-stone ledges (claimed to be a pearl producing quality). Many of those that are not navigable have mill-dams crossing them at intervals of every ten or twelve miles. In the mud and sediment of the "backwater" the "rough-shelled" Unios (the richest pearl-bearer) accumulate by the thousands. It is here the fisher wades or rakes the mussels from the soft mud.
      It is interesting to know that the aborigines of this country appreciated the beauty of pearls quite as much as do the most cultivated Americans of today. W. E. Myer, of Carthage, Tenn., opened an Indian burial place and found a "gorget " or necklace of scallops strung with pearls. The latter were of remarkable size, but long burial and contact with the earth had rendered them chalky and valueless. Professor Warren K. Moorehead of the Ohio State University and Professor G. W. Putnam of Harvard University opened a sacrificial mound near the great Serpent Mound in Ohio and took from it two bushels of pearls. All were ruined and bore evidence of having been subjected to a hot fire at the time they were offered in sacrifice - probably to stay the ravages of a plague or the invasion of an enemy.
      At Paterson, N. J., in 1857, were discovered the first fresh-water pearls brought to public attention in America. In 1878 settlers along the Little Miami River, in Ohio, found a few good specimens in the mussel shells of that stream. Not until 1883, when pearls were found in astonishing numbers in shells taken from the Cumberland River, in Tennessee, did the industry of fresh-water pearl fishing have a beginning. From the year of its discovery to the present the Cumberland has yielded an annual pearl crop worth $150,000. No finer white pearls are found anywhere than those taken from the Tennessee streams. The greatest find in the fresh-water field is that of White River, Ark., discovered in 1879. The year following the opening of these fisheries they yielded at the lowest calculation $400,000 worth of exquisitely colored pearls which were brought to New York and sold to various houses, but mostly to Herman Myer, the Maiden Lane pearl expert. When American pearls were discovered London dealers, thinking they would flood the market, as an excuse to gain time to dispose of Orientals, said that American pearls would lose color and luster. Because of this report still obtaining credence among wearers, American pearls do not bring one-half the price of Orientals of the same quality, shape and size.
      Four Wisconsin pearl-hunters fished the Cedar River for many miles a few years ago. The writer visited their camp, located a mile above Charles City, la. Here was displayed all the abandon of a happy-go-lucky crowd. Having made the shaded banks of the stream their home for many weeks, this mode of life gave to them a shiftless, easy-going style, so readily adopted by those following this line of work.
      Each member of their party was furnished with a boat, rubber wading-pants, a long-handled basket rake and an ordinary case knife. Stepping into the stream where the shells were thick, it took but a short while to load a boat with them.
      Drawing the batch beneath the first friendly shade, the process of opening was in order. For this purpose a common table knife was used. Running the thin blade entirely through the clam (following the hinge) severs both muscles and the valves easily part. The thin mantle of flesh lining both walls are hastily felt over with the thumbs, for one can feel what the eye cannot detect - although this process is quite unnecessary when the pearl is of good size, for the flesh-covering is so slight it is readily noticeable.
      (Note.  Scientific authorities claim that all pearls originate from an irritation caused by foreign substances, that is, a small particle of sand or wood, or even an abortive egg. As to how this mantle takes up or envelopes these particles with flesh, and forms a spherical gem, is left to the imagination of common mortals).
      Having the power of secretion, this mantle throws over these irritating particles a nacerous covering which is the fundamental growth of pearl and shell.
      As to the industry of fresh-water pearl fishing, it is certainly in a most undeveloped stage. About $500,000 worth of pearls are annually taken from the streams of this country, and this is only a fraction of what the pearl crop might be made to be every year, for where there are clam or mussel shells there are pearls. To make this statement is easy, but to convince people living along a stream not known to have produced pearls is a difficult matter. A river, like a prophet, has generally little honor in its own country. "What! pearls in our own home river?" is the question asked on a new stream when it is endeavored to set the industry in motion. Then the incredulous often add: "Well, it'll be time enough to believe that when I can dig gold out of the garden."
A Pearl Hunter's Kit.
      The opinion seems to prevail that the value of a pearl depends on its size. This is not at all true. It depends mainly on the color and luster, and next, on its shape. Another popular error is that a pearl having an irregular, warty or pitted surface may be cut or ground to a desired shape and a smooth surface. This is not the case, as the touch of the instrument completely destroys the luster.
      The most expert and conservative dealers in pearls are now ready to admit that the silvery globe taken from the American clam is superior to the Oriental article.
      The former has the brilliant luster of a drop of mercury, while the latter is more like a globule of cream.
      To be successful in the pursuit of pearls, one must bear with patience the possible disappointments which are liable to occur on the first trial or two. Gold in the Klondike is not found without one hundred-fold the trials that even a novice at pearl fishing will incur.
      The pearl, which your mind's eye has fashioned, while gathering the bivalves, may be in the first or last shell of your boatload. Always thinking the "next one" will be a $500 beauty, however, holds one fascinated until the last shell is opened.
      Ask a pearl-hunter any fair question and if he is not "soured" by ill-luck, he usually has a willing and ready answer; ask him " what luck" he is having, ten to one he is "mum." Possibly the above mentioned hunters took pity on me and my burning curiosity, for, just before leaving them, they displayed (and with just pride) a pearl the size of a bullet, of remarkable sheen and as green as grass. It weighed fourteen grains, and afterwards sold for $400.
      A few years later, when the writer had hunted to some extent, no blame was ever attached to a non-committal reply from a pearl-hunter, when asked his luck.
      The Cedar River, Iowa (or rather that section of it flowing through Floyd and Chickasaw Counties), has yielded about three hundred pearls, varying from one-eighth to one-half inch in diameter, or from two to eighteen grains in weight. One collector in particular has sixty pearls that weigh 211 3/4 grains - the two largest (button shape) weighing 24 1/2 grains. They are of a ruby wine color and of matchless luster.
      Not long ago the writer found the largest pearl known to have been taken from the Upper Cedar River, Iowa. It was of the size of a hazelnut, spherical in shape, and weighed 18 3/4 grains.
      Pink, wine, violet, green and blue, with all the intermediate shades, are found in river gems.
      The finest and, indeed, costliest pearls in the world are taken from a stream in Wisconsin. Pearls of a beautiful metallic green and possessing a superb luster are peculiar to this little stream. Generally speaking, these pearls are worth about twice as much as first-class white specimens. Nothing found in the Orient approaches in beauty the superb green pearls of Wisconsin.
      A perfect pearl should be of good color, fine luster and shape (either ball, button or pear) to be marketable.
      The transparent film that lies along the hinge contains only "spatter," "floater," or hinge "slugs"; often of nice color, but of little commercial account.
      Pearls that become detached from the flesh are either lost out or fastened to the shell with a thin coating. In two or three years the continued pressure from the inside forces the pearl nearly through, when the action of mud and water soon starts it to decay.
      The up-to-date operator confines himself to more business-like methods than when the industry was young.
      Carrying a camping outfit, good tent, etc., living in a true sportsmanlike style while at work, this form of work usually pays more than any other form of common labor, and when coupled with hunting and fishing, is a pleasant deviation from the regular outing with many campers; and although one may not be "on his luck," still he experiences that feeling of anticipation which always accompanies the undertaking.
      No work on pearls would be complete without mention of Herman Myer, the Promoter of the Interior Pearl Fisheries of America; more generally known as the Pearl King, with headquarters at 41 and 43 Maiden Lane, New York City.
      He has done more to advance the cause of American Pearl Fisheries than all other men combined.
      Mr. Myer is a graduate of Harvard College, and a man thoroughly in love with his work, and he gives all his time and talent, money and brains to the work he so loves.
      Many thousand pearl fishermen owe their well-lined pockets to the work of Mr. Myer in calling their attention to the search for pearls and persuading them to give it a trial. Sometimes it has been no easy task for him to introduce the work on a river where the presence of pearls has not previously been noted. Once begun, its own fascination and the large reward it gives, soon renders the work popular.
A Pearl Fisher at Work.
      It is a rare treat to visit Mr. Myer's headquarters at 41 and 43 Maiden Lane, New York City, and see the choice pearls and exquisite pearl-work he has to exhibit in such vast numbers to his friends. It is related of him, that one day a reporter who was interviewing him, asked the question, " How many pearls have you?" To this question Mr. Myer gave no reply in words, but in his characteristic manner replied by deeds; and sending out for a gallon measure, poured box after box into it until it had been filled four times. He then showed, in addition to these four gallons, several of his rarest pearls separately. This is said to be the largest amount of pearls ever gathered together, and his collection is more remarkable for beauty than for size. Indeed, almost all the rare, unique and fine pearls found for years make their way to this collection. It is a saying of Mr. Myer's, that " I would like an opportunity to bid on every pearl found on Earth - many of them are not shown to me at first, and while I should prefer to pay the full value to the original owner, still, I am sure that nine out of ten American pearls will get to me sooner or later - I always pay one price for them, and that the full value."
      His magnificent pearl, nearly one inch in diameter and perfect in all respects, is known as Myer's Beauty, It is said to be the largest absolutely perfect pearl in the world. Another of his treasures is an old necklace, consisting of over twenty thousand pearls, said to have been made for one of Napoleon's household; came into American hands after the shakeup at Waterloo, finally reaching Mr. Myer. The art and history of this magnificent necklace add to the attraction of its great beauty and value. Mr. Myer is proverbial for his courtesy and aid to beginners in pearl fishing and it would be well to write him, for you are sure of a prompt, courteous reply and all information it is in his power to give. by Vane Simmonds, 1899

How to Grade and Value Pearls.
Pearls Found in North America:

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Strange Ring Trivia

       It was a beautiful day. The birds and the bees, fluttering about, were busy living up to their reputations. In a cozy corner of an Italian courtyard, back in the early part of the 19th century, two romantic young people were crowding years into brief moments of ecstasy. Again and again their lips made passionate contact as they pledged their undying devotion through all eternity.
Thirty-one unusual rings, each with a story, belong to Charles
Harris of New York.
      “Let us toast our love,” gasped the fair young thing, coming up for air. They drank a toast to their future happiness together. With that they embraced again—and lived happily ever after . . . ???? Beg pardon!— They??—Correction, please! She lived happily ever after—he dropped dead ten minutes later!
      The blood was still hot in his veins when his heart grew cold. What could have caused his untimely demise? Prostration? Palpitation? Passion? . . . No! … It was POISON! That sweet little charmer with whom he had been planning a glorious future put the kibosh on him with the aid of a tricky little ring she wore. By flicking a tiny hidden catch on the ring, she had caused the emerald and its elaborate setting to spring open, exposing a secret compartment from which she casually dropped a pellet of poison into the gentleman’s drink.
      That ring, a masterpiece of fine workmanship and deadly design, originally owned and operated by the Cigliano family, famous in the court life of the period, is now a treasured part of a unique collection of rings owned by Charles Harris, a New York jeweler who has been collecting them as a hobby for many years. His collection of over thirty odd rings, the oldest of which is Greek and dates back to 750 B. C., represents a cross-section of history little known to the public. From the most sentimental designs to the most deadly, each has its own interesting history. Some, in fact, have even shared in making history. There is Napoleon’s signet ring, made for him by one of his men from a cannon. Napoleon used this ring to impress his seal on messages.
Top, Close-up shows hair ring and one from
ancient Greece. Bottom, Top center, Simon
Bolivar's love ring.
      There is the wedding ring which Simon Bolivar, the South American revolutionist, gave to his wife. Few knew that the ring had an inner section which could be lifted out to reveal a hidden message of love. Later, in his battles for democracy, Bolivar used the ring to pass secret code messages between his trusted generals and himself.
      Chaperon rings, dating from 1855-1875, open to hold treasured mementos such as locks of hair.
      Frequently Mr. Harris gets requests to make up unusual rings. Though love itself has remained unchanged, lovers are continually cooking up new ways of expressing their emotion. One romantic couple wanted to seal their commingled blood in a wedding ring. Harris obliged them by selecting a bloodstone, (the girl’s birthstone). Splitting the stone, he grooved the lower half to hold the blood, then sealed the upper half in place with diamond cement.
      His favorite story concerns the old Syrian superstition that a ring with a beryl will prevent child-bearing. Some years ago a Manhattan rug merchant, sire of eight healthy sons and daughters, came to have his wife’s plain wedding ring exchanged for one with a beryl. Harris, who knows better than to argue about superstitions, did the job.
      “Did it work?” we wanted to know.
      “In a way—at least the woman had no more children,” Harris replied. “But,” he added, “the husband died four months later.” by Louis Hochman

Did you know that during the 1920a many women in England, who divorced from their husbands, continued to wear their wedding ring, but had a fracture cut in it by a jeweler, as an indication of that fact? Those who had parted from more than one husband, had notches to indicate that number made in the edge of the gold band.

"Here they are! The top ten MOST UNUSUAL wedding/engagement rings ever made. From the spooky to the bizarre, take a peek at some of the most unusual rings on the planet!"
More Ring Trivia:

Friday, November 18, 2016

"La Tausca" Fine Pearl Necklaces

      From the Victorian era into the 1950s, a strand of pearls either faux, cultured or natural was the most traditional wedding gift a groom could give his bride on her wedding day in America. This custom has been sadly forgotten by many grooms today.
       "Remarkably beautiful, and indestructible pearls. They are perfect duplicates of genuine pearls, and only an expert can distinguish between them. The rare beauty and close resemblance to genuine pearls will be fully appreciated by those who seek a beautiful and at the same time durable necklace. These being fully guaranteed against damage by heat, water or perspiration. Rivals the true Oriental in beauty. Finished with a solid gold clasp, and furnished in an attractive case of soft grey velvet lined with white satin. The pearl string is 15 inches long, case is oval."
This ad is from the earlier part of the 20th Century.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Fashionable Wedding Rings from 1929

More than 400 ring styles are offered for your selection. The church drawn in this ad is The House of Hope.
       Each year strengthens this style leadership. What have you a right to expect in your engagement and wedding rings? Finest workmanship, of course . . .  skillful hand-chasing in precious metals of superior wearing quality! But equally important, the style leadership established a generation ago with the original Orange Blossom . . . and strengthened each year with superb new creations in the same exquisite pattern! Naturally, other manufacturers have paid Traub the tribute of imitation . . . but for protection against inferior substitutes, you need only purchase from a jeweler of unquestioned reputation, and insist upon "rings styled by Traub."

Thursday, August 25, 2016

The Claddagh Ring: It's History and Tradition

       The Claddagh ring (Irish: fáinne Chladaigh) is a traditional Irish ring given which represents love, loyalty, and friendship (the hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty).
       The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the old city walls of Galway, now part of Galway City. The ring, as currently known, was first produced in the 17th century.
       The Claddagh ring belongs to a group of European finger rings called "fede rings". The name "fede" derives from the Italian phrase mani in fede ("hands [joined] in faith" or "hands [joined] in loyalty"). These rings date from Roman times, when the gesture of clasped hands was a symbol of pledging vows, and they were used as engagement/wedding rings in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
       Fede rings are distinctive in that the bezel is cut or cast to form two clasped hands that symbolize faith and trust or "plighted troth". The Claddagh ring is a variation on the fede ring, while the hands, heart, and crown motif was used in England in the early 18th century.
       Towards the end of the 20th century there was an explosion of interest in the Claddagh Ring, both as jewelry and as an icon of Irish identity. In recent years it has been embellished with interlace designs and combined with other Celtic and Irish symbols, but this is a very recent phenomenon that corresponds with the worldwide expansion in popularity of the Claddagh ring as an emblem of Irish identity.

       Galway has produced Claddagh rings continuously since at least 1700, but the name "Claddagh ring" was not used before the 1830s.
       As an example of a maker, Bartholomew Fallon was a 17th-century Irish goldsmith, based in Galway, who made Claddagh rings until circa 1700. His name first appears in the will of one Dominick Martin, also a jeweller, dated 26 January 1676, in which Martin willed Fallon some of his tools. Fallon continued working as a goldsmith until 1700. His are among the oldest surviving examples of the Claddagh ring, in many cases bearing his signature.
       There are many legends about the origins of the ring, particularly concerning Richard Joyce, a silversmith from Galway circa 1700, who is said to have invented the Claddagh design as we know it. Legend has it that Joyce was captured and enslaved by Algerian Corsairs around 1675 while on a passage to the West Indies; he was sold into slavery to a Moorish goldsmith who taught him the craft. King William III sent an ambassador to Algeria to demand the release of any and all British subjects who were enslaved in that country, which at the time would have included Richard Joyce. After fourteen years, Joyce was released and returned to Galway and brought along with him the ring he had fashioned while in captivity: what we've come to know as the Claddagh. He gave the ring to his sweetheart, married, and became a goldsmith with "considerable success". His initials are in one of the earliest surviving Claddagh rings but there are three other rings also made around that time, bearing the mark of goldsmith Thomas Meade.
       The Victorian antiquarian Sir William Jones described the Claddagh, and gives Chambers' Book of Days as the source, in his book Finger Ring Lore. Jones says:
The clasped hands [style ring]... are... still the fashion, and in constant use in [the]... community [of] Claddugh [sic] at [County] Galway.... [They] rarely [intermarry] with others than their own people.
A gold Claddagh ring without a stone.
       An account written in 1906 by William Dillon, a Galway jeweller, claimed that the "Claddagh" ring was worn in the Aran Isles, Connemara and beyond. Knowledge of the ring and its customs spread within the British Isles during the Victorian period, and this is when its name became established. Galway jewellers began to market it beyond the local area in the 19th century. Further recognition came in the 20th century.
       In his 1911 book Rings for the Finger, American mineralogist George Frederick Kunz addresses the importance of gold wedding rings in Ireland but does not mention the Claddagh ring. He does, however, include a photo of one, captioned with its correct name. Furthermore, it is unclear exactly how or when the ring was brought to the United States. In Rings Throughout the Ages (1945), James Remington McCarthy barely addresses the subject of Irish rings at all.
       The Claddagh's distinctive design features two hands clasping a heart and usually surmounted by a crown. These elements symbolize the qualities of love (the heart), friendship (the hands), and loyalty (the crown). A "Fenian" Claddagh ring, without a crown, is a slightly different take on the design but has not achieved the level of popularity of the crowned version. Claddagh rings are relatively popular among the Irish and those of Irish heritage, such as Irish Americans, as cultural symbols and as friendship, engagement and wedding rings.
       While Claddagh rings are sometimes used as friendship rings, they are most commonly used as engagement and wedding rings. Mothers sometimes give these rings to daughters when they come of age. There are several mottos and wishes associated with the ring, such as: "Let love and friendship reign." In Ireland, the United States, Canada, and other parts of the Irish diaspora, the Claddagh is sometimes handed down mother-to-eldest daughter or grandmother-to-granddaughter.
       According to Irish author Colin Murphy, a Claddagh ring was worn with the intention of conveying the wearer's relationship status:
  1. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is single and may be looking for love.
  2. On the right hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is in a relationship.
  3. On the left hand with the point of the heart toward the fingertips: the wearer is engaged.
  4. On the left hand with the point of the heart toward the wrist: the wearer is married.
       There are other localized variations and oral traditions, involving the hand and the finger on which the Claddagh is worn. Folklore about the ring is relatively recent, not ancient, with "very little native Irish writing about the ring". Hence, the difficulty today in finding any source that describes or explains the traditional ways of wearing the ring.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Wedding Ring

       What a romance of fact and fiction centers about the wedding-ring ! From time immemorial the ring has been a symbol of both power and confidence. Among the Assyrians, Hebrews, Greeks, and other ancients it was used as a seal for signing orders, and thus for ages it has been a token of binding authority. And, then, what symbolism! Its gold signifies refined purity of love; its endlessness promises eternal love; its roundness hints of the round flowing of love and also of single things it stands for the "oneness" of the couple; its exactness of fit is a reminder of the harmony in the tempers and tastes of the two; the price takes the place of the ancient purchase money; as it neither slips nor hurts, so husband and wife should never wound nor evade each other. If the ring be lost it is a warning that the husband's love will soon pass away; if broken, that he will soon die.

"As your wedding-ring wears
You'll outlive your cares."

       How long it has been considered a necessity for weddings cannot be told. Tradition claims that the first one was made of iron and adamant by Tubal Cain for a man named Prometheus; the iron, thought Cain, signified lastingness and the adamant perfect concord. The early Romans commonly used a plain iron ring; while the poorer English, even in the nineteenth century, used the ring of the church keys. Even yet the poverty stricken Irishman who cannot buy one rents it, and tradesmen in the smaller towns make no mean income by keeping three or four in stock. What will a man not do in times of dire necessity! Long after the Norman Conquest peasants used circles of rushes or sedges, and eighteenth century Fleet Street parsons, ready for any emergency, constantly carried brass curtain rings in their pockets. The Puritans forbade the use of any ring, as savoring of paganism; but whoever successfully dictated public tastes?
"Old pictures of the Virgin Mary, such as
Raphael's "Espousal," show the band on the right."
       In the days when the espousal was in vogue the girl invariably received a ring if her love had the money to buy it, and this band she wore on her right hand until at the wedding it was transferred to her left. If the future husband were too poor to buy or rent a ring, he gave her a kiss, — so binding a token that the law allowed such a lassie, if jilted, to retain half of her presents (and all the kisses). The common people even considered it sacred, named it the mystic Mss, and declared that it made the two lives one. After the giving of the ring or kiss wine was generally drunk by the bride and the groom, and this ceremony, known as a "wet bargain," made the contract even more binding.
       Oftentimes, too, at the espousal a silver coin was blessed and broken, and a piece given each partner to be hung over the heart; and this, also, took unto itself a sacredness and a power to drive away trouble and cure disease. 
       Among the wealthy a French invention, called a gemma, gimmal, or geminal ring, constructed with a clasp so as to become one band or several, took the place of the broken coin, and when brought together at the wedding by the couple and the witnesses, who each took a portion at the espousal, was found to be engraved with a rhyme incomplete without every small golden band. This is the idea so beautifully expressed in Father Tabb's The Half -Ring Moon:

"Over the sea, over the sea,
My love he is gone to a far countrie;
But he brake a golden ring with me
The pledge of his faith to be. 

"Over the sea, over the sea,
He comes no more from the far countrie;
But at night, where the new moon loves to be,
Hangs the half of a ring for me."

       These rhymes or "posies" — what marvellous creations in verse! An English bishop engraved on the ring of his fourth wife: 'If I survive I'll make them five."
       Bishop Bull of St. Davids chose as the motto for his wife's ring the words: "Bene parere, par ere, par are det mihi Deus," all of which means "God make me prolific, obedient, and sedulous."  Most modern brides would have returned it with thanks and regrets. 
       The village poet (who also constructed poetry for tombstones and candy hearts) often reached heights of eloquence in such efforts as "I will be yours, While life endures." or "It you deny, Then sure I die." and "I did commit no act of folly, When I married my sweet Molly."
       Today we invariably put the ring on the third finger of the left hand. Why this choice? It has not always been customary; old pictures of the Virgin Mary, such as Raphael's "Espousal," show the band on the right. There is a definite reason for the modern convention. Besides being less used and therefore less exposed to danger, and being the weaker finger and therefore symbolizing the wife's dependence, this third digit of the left hand has been supposed from the days of the Egyptians until this hour to be connected directly with the heart by a vein called the "vena amoris. " This finger, thought the ancients, resisted disease longest; gout never attacked it until the heart had become affected, and then the pain in the finger was the death sign; the alchemists believed it the quickest to give warning of poisoning, and they habitually stirred their potions with it. It was indeed the "finger of life." To this day the mountaineers of Virginia and Tennessee wear a special ring on it to drive away rheumatism, and stoutly assert that the process gives relief. But whether the ring were on the right or left hand made little difference before Shakespeare's day; for it was considered decidedly immodest in any unmarried person to wear such an ornament unless he were a judge, a physician, or a State authority. Holiday 1919

"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"

       "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a jazz song introduced by Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), which was written by Jule Styne and Leo Robin. It was based on a novel by Anita Loos.


       The song is perhaps most famously performed by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Monroe's character, Lorelei Lee, has been followed on a Transatlantic ocean liner by a detective hired by her fiance's father, who wants assurance that she is not marrying purely for money. He is informed of compromising pictures taken with a British diamond mine owner and cancels her letter of credit before she arrives in France, requiring her to work in a nightclub to survive. Her fiance arrives at the cabaret to see her perform this song, about exploiting men for riches. Diamonds are an element in another story line in the film, in which Lorelei is given a diamond tiara by the mine owner, in gratitude for her recovering the photographs. In a later scene, Jane Russell, who played opposite Monroe, sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in court, while pretending to be Lorelei.
       Most of the song in the film is Monroe's own voice but she needed help in two phrases – "These rocks don't lose their shape, diamonds are a girl's best friend", and at the beginning with a series of high-pitched "no's", all of which were dubbed in by the soprano Marni Nixon.
       The number was later re-shot in CinemaScope, to be used as part of a CinemaScope demonstration held on the Fox lot in March of 1953. Producer Darryl F. Zanuck told "Daily Variety" that it only took 3-1/2 hours to shoot the number in CinemaScope versus four days for the original film version. The public finally saw the CinemaScope version ten years later when it closed Fox's documentary tribute to Marilyn, however this has not been released on DVD or VHS.
       The song was listed as the 12th most important film song of all time by the American Film Institute.

Multi-cut Diamonds from 1951

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Coiffures for the Bride, 1938

Left, A sculptured coiffure worn by Grace Bradley, Paramount player. The sculptured ringlets are arranged in an upward manner and pinned flat in a halo around the top of the head. Right, Back view of coiffure on left showing the use of rhinestone clips to match pendant earrings.
    
       New hair styles for wedding and honeymoon from 1938.
       One the right, the butterfly coiffure worn by June Clayworth, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer player, in which the hair is kept straight except for a soft roll at the nape of the neck and four large curls framing the face.

Find More Butterfly Broaches for Your Wedding Coiffure or Bouquet: 
Above Left, From Paris, a new type of coiffure which raises the hair off the ears and arranges it high on the head in soft curls and rolls. Above Right, The double Pampadour coiffure worn by Wyn Cahoon, Columbia player. Two rolls on top of the head are complemented by soft pin curls on either side and a series of small rolls at the neck.