Precious Jewels of the Late Sixteenth Century

Towards the close of the sixteenth century, the luxury in dress of the Swedish nobles was excessive. In the list of jewels left by Duke Magnus are enumerated 184 large diamonds, 461 emeralds, 46 rubies, 256 pearls, independent of mounted stones, buttons with pendant pearls, half-armed men and Turk's heads in monster pearls, rubies, and diamonds. The consumption of seed pearls was incalculable. These were procured from the Unio margarateferus of the Swedish rivers, and are still taken in considerable quantities.

At this period the courts of France and England seemed to rival each other in extravagant luxury. Bassompierre relates that for the ceremony of the baptism of the children of Henry IV the king had a dress made which cost him fourteen thousand crowns. He paid six hundred crowns for the fashion only. It was composed of cloth of gold, embroidered with pearls.

It was towards the close of Elizabeth's reign that the celebrated Gabrielle d'Estrees wore, on a festive occasion, a dress of black satin, so ornamented with pearls and precious stones, that she could scarcely move under its weight. Such was the influence of her example in Paris, that the ladies even ornamented their shoes with jewels.

Evelyn, in his "Mundus Muliebris," or Voyage to Maryland, gives a rhyming catalogue of a lady's toilet, and mentions among her jewel decorations:--

"Diamond buckles two

For garters, and as rich for shoe.

A manteau girdle, ruby buckle,

And brilliant diamond rings for knuckle.

A sapphire bodkin for the hair,

Of sparkling facet diamonds there;

Three torquoise, ruby, emerald rings

For fingers, and such pretty things

As diamond pendants for the ears,

Must needs be had, or two large pears;

Pearl necklace, large and oriental,

And diamond, and of amber pale."