About the Jewels of the Dutchess of Somerset of the Sixteenth Century

The jewels of an English lady in the sixteenth century are shown in an "Inventory of the Money and Jewels of Anne, Dutches of Somerset, taken after her Death, by the Queen's Order, by John Wolley, one of the Privy Council, and John Fortescue, Master of Her Majesty's Great Wardrobe. April 21st, 1587.

"A great chain of pearle and gold, enamelled with knots. A carkenet of gold and perles with knottes, with a pendant sapphire, with a fair perle annexed. A carkenet of perle and padlock of gold. A chain of fair perles, furnished with pipes of gold, enamelled with black. A plain chain of gold with small links. A pomander chain, with small beads of pomander and true-loves of perle, and many small perles to furnish the same, with pendants of mother-of-perle, and a little acorn appendant. A faucon of mother-of-perle, furnished with diamonds and rubies, standing upon a ragged staff of fair diamonds and rubies. A great jacinct, garnished with flowers of gold and perle, with a less jacinct on the back side, with a rough perle appendant. A tablet of gold of a story, furnished with diamonds and rubies, with a perle appendant. An agate set in gold, and garnished with small perles, with a perle appendant. A pair of flaggon braslets of gold, plain, in each braslet a jacinct. A double rope of perle of one ell long. Twenty-eight small rubies unset. Three perles, whereof two pendant. A double rope of perle, of one yard three-quarters long. A chaine of perle of a bigger sort, of four double. A lily pot of gold, with a sea-water stone in the midst, with two perles pendant. Four fair emeralds set in collets of lead. A little tablet of gold, enamelled with gold, with a perle appendant. A pillar of gold, garnished with eight diamonds. Nineteen amethysts, whereof one great one. A fair jewel of gold, set with diamonds on both sides, bordered with small perle. A great tablet of gold, enamelled black and white, garnished, the one side with an agate and six rubies, and on the other side with twelve diamonds. A tablet of gold, curiously wrought, set with six fair diamonds and three fair perles, whereof one pendant. A table of gold, garnished round with small perle, with a great ballast in the midst, and a perle pendant. A fair square tablet of gold like an H, with four diamonds and a rock-ruby, or ballast, in the midst, garnished with perle, and a pearl pendant."

There are many other objects of gold and enamel enumerated, and coffers and bags containing large sums of money.