Tea at Trianon: Birthstones

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Birthstones

From Victoria:

The history of birthstones can be traced back to biblical times and the breastplate of Aaron, High Priest of the Hebrews. It is described in the book of Exodus as being set with twelve gemstones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Down through the ages, these stones were linked to the signs of the zodiac and credited with talismanic powers. Not until the eighteenth century did assigning a certain jewel to each month become the custom. The official list was adopted in 1912, and though other bijoux have been suggested in recent years, it is the traditional lineup to which the majority of gemologists adhere. Most women wear their own birthstone, but it’s not uncommon for others to honor their offspring. For a time, “mother rings” were quite popular, with bands made up of a rainbow of stones representing a beloved brood.

These colorful gemstones also captivate brides. For example, a ring setting might feature a center diamond with smaller emeralds or sapphires alongside it. “Back in the twenties, engagement rings often had a subtle touch of color,” says Chuck Cooper of Van Atkins Jewelers, “and we’re seeing more of that today as well.” Cooper once found a diamond with a tiny ruby inclusion, and because the ruby is July’s birthstone, that one-of-a-kind find now graces the left hand of a bride married in that month. (Read more.)