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
I once designed a beautiful set of jewelry for the Duchess of S——, whose
stable colors were yellow, blue, and white. Whenever one of her horses
ran, she wore this parure, brooch, bracelet and earclips of canary
diamonds, white diamonds, and sapphires from Kashmir. She told me that
invariably her horses won. “Once,” she said, “I forgot to put on the
jewelry, and my horse finished out of the money.”
Whether she has a horse, or wins her bets, or not, every woman that wears
beautiful and appropriate jewelry has good luck.
_Business Luncheons_
There are occasions when a business woman must pay special attention to
her jewels. She must seek to convey the impression of dignity and good
sense and avoid the frivolous.
At a business luncheon, whether it consists of two persons or a small
group, the business to be transacted is of less immediate significance
than the friendly spirit of good will the occasion should engender. A
woman—with her sex still not wholly accepted as on a par with men in
the business world, especially in what are referred to as the upper
echelons—must feel at ease, and create a good impression. This is made
easier by her knowledge that she is pleasant to look upon, impeccably
dressed and adorned. Simple jewelry is best, with gold plainly visible
though not oversize. A simple necklace of pearls is highly appropriate,
with not more than one precious stone upon the hands.
_The Charity Luncheon_
At least once in every year the woman who does not work—along with
many who do—may be called upon to attend a charity luncheon. The woman
attending such a luncheon may be grouped at table with her close friends,
but she will meet or at least be seen by many others. The occasion,
therefore, calls for a degree of elegance. The jewels should be well
matched; pearls are to be preferred.
If a woman possesses a distinctive jewel, one that might be considered a
conversation piece, this is the occasion for wearing it. Especially is
this true if the entire table is not taken by close friends. There should
be no such display of diamonds as to make distinctions invidious; but a
well-designed jewel or an attractive parure offers a pleasant opening for
conversation, and mutual interest in conversation makes for friendly ease
among strangers at the table.
_Opening Night_
Opening nights at the theatre are always gala occasions. A premiere of a
great ballet company is perhaps even more festive. Most elegant of all is
the first night at the horse show, or the opening of the season at the
opera. For such events, one appears in one’s most elaborate jewels.
The more festive the occasion, unfortunately, the greater the opportunity
for faux pas. Cartoons of the “Keeping Up With the Joneses” variety often
show a woman who does not distinguish between wearing the best jewelry
and wearing the most. An observant eye at the openings will note that
such caricatures have their counterparts in real life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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