Jewels and the woman: The romance, magic and art of feminine adornmentOstier, Marianne
History
Jewels and the woman: The romance, magic and art of feminine adornment
Ostier, Marianne
Jewelry
Although Woden was king of the Nordic gods, his name is used to translate
the Latin for the day of the fickle and thievish Mercury, who was
placated on this day. The emerald is its precious stone. The color green
may mark jealousy when it flickers in a woman’s eyes, but in a gem it is
a token of change. In a man it betokens joyousness, quick-soaring but
transitory. In the woman, with the Wednesday emerald comes a spontaneous,
childlike delight in passing things, a love of variety. This is a good
day to hold in memory those who have died in the flower of youth.
_Thursday_
Thor’s day, said the Anglo-Saxons. Again they transmuted the powers, for
Thor is the god of war, while to the Romans this is the day of Jupiter,
king of the gods. It is a violet day, the day of the violet sapphire.
This is a precious stone indeed, and a potent day. In the man it marks
sober judgment, gravity, industry. In the woman the Thursday sapphire
denotes high thoughts, and a love that lifts beyond the body with the
spirit. Fortunate are they between whom a violet sapphire passes on a
Thursday.
_Friday_
Here the Anglo-Saxons made no mistake, for Friya is their god of love,
and Friday is Venus’ day. Friday still feels the force of the sapphire,
but the sapphire must be blue. In the man, the blue sapphire marks
magnanimous thoughts and wisdom.
In the woman, the blue sapphire of Friday, especially the star sapphire,
marks courtesy and keen powers of observation. The girl Friday sees
more than she tells. But there is need for caution; without the stone,
these feminine powers may shift to a colder watchfulness, accompanied by
jealousy and suspicion. Beware a flaw in the precious stone, the precious
one. Friday is an auspicious day for love, if love is bedecked with a
blue sapphire.
_Saturday_
Saturday is the seventh day, the day of rest. Thus the Anglo-Saxons did
not labor to translate it from the Latin; it is the day of Saturn, the
Roman god of time and growth. Saturn was the father and first king of
the gods; his stone is the king of gems, the diamond. Saturday crowns
the days of the week, as the diamond crowns the family of the gems. In
a man the diamond marks gravity, fortitude, constancy. In a maiden, it
may betoken a certain giddiness, a flighty fancy that has not yet found
its destination; but in a woman it marks perseverance and constancy. The
woman of the Saturday diamond knows what she wants, and works unfaltering
to attain it.
_The Months_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account