English culture of the mid-to-late Nineteenth Century was one that relied a great deal on symbolism in order to communicate subtly and politely. The in-your-face passions of daily life were considerably toned down in public. Jewelry played a large part in the subtle communication of affections. Gemstones were assigned different meanings and significance. As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes, gems would even be used to spell out a message such as the case of REGARD (Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond) rings or DEAREST (Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Topaz) rings.
In the parlance of gems, garnets symbolized sincerity, admiration and affection. Of course, as is the case today, diamonds were considered a symbol of eternal love. I like to think this stickpin of a large, faceted garnet and small glittering diamond set in 15 karat gold was a gift to a gentleman from an admirer or his beloved. I suppose it’s that kind of sentimentality that draws me to these things in the first place.
1 comment:
Oohh! I know the world needs facebook/twitter/textmessaging, but I'm a big fan of the time when people still wrote letters (in full English) to each other and gave subtle hints about their feelings before proceeding further. This sort of pin speaks of that era: When men wore morning coats and butlers made their breakfast tea, when electric lighting was still called "the electrics" and there was 'still time for art'.
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