What
is more beautiful in nature than the opal, and what more discreditable
to the age of sober materialism in which we live, than the baseless
conspiracy to attribute consequences of misfortune to the wearer. The
Hungarian opal ranked with the principal gems when it was an article of
familiar commerce in our markets, but now that a quite modern slur has
been cast upon this lovely gem, it has naturally fallen in value to a
considerable extent. Surely a gem which in ancient times was held in
the highest repute, first for its beauty, and then because its very own
mythology constituted it a harbinger of love and goodwill among men,
should, in these days, triumph over the silliest of silly prejudices.
The
seienite, or moonstone, deserves notice as a lesser gem of great
beauty. There is hardly a stone admitting a greater variety of
applications, the admirable softness of its tint enabling both coloured
gems, diamonds and enamels, to happily be associated with it. I have
sought to demonstrate this by the various examples I am submitting to
you to-night of the semi-precious gems in their applied forms.
Of
the unmounted gems shown to-night, I would instance the unique
specimens of beryls which recently passed out of my hands into the
collection of a noble patron of art, to whom I am greatly indebted for
the opportunity of displaying representative beryls such as no museum
has acquired.
I am likewise indebted to Lord Revelstoke for the interesting opportunity of exhibiting to you the saphir merveilkux of
Egalite Duke of Orleans, for many years an ornament of the Hope
collection and in addition to its remarkable history, a conspicuously
beautiful gem.
Another
great patron of the precious gems has enabled me to show you a
remarkable parure of brilliants, assembled by me during the past year,
the perfect brilliancy of which testifies at once to the quality and
manipulation of South African diamonds,
APPLICATION.
At
the present moment the beautiful lapis lazuli is sharing unmerited
oblivion in common with onyx and, in short, most of the opaque and
semi-opaque stones, upon which alas we had learned to rely no less than
the great classic goldsmiths of Rome. We valued them beyond price as a
consistent accompaniment of plain gold work, of that high order which
lacks repose, in conjunction with the flashing gems.
When
I look back to the magnificent results obtained by those golden
ornaments at a comparatively recent date, I can but lament, whatever
the cause that classic goldsmithery should practically have become a
joy of the past' Irresistibly developing as is the patronage of the
pellucid gems, I grieve to think there should no longer be sufficient
large-heartedness to enable such priceless traditions to abide with us,
in the once cherished form of sober and dignified personal ornaments.
Classic
and, indeed, art goldsmiths' work, both that which was plain and that
adorned by the various gems consistent with its character, was i
ntroduced into this country as an industry by my lamented father,
Robert Phillips, about half a century ago. The travelling companion
through Italy of Owen Jones, Digby Wyatt, John Gibson, and two
generation! of the Castellanis, he was not slow to perceive, with
reference to his own art, the benefit likely to result from a radical
improvement in the public taste for jewellery, either reproduced from
antique or mediaeval sources, or conceived in the spirit of those ages.
From
that time, until some eight years ago, the good work proceeded, under
the auspices of my father, an enthusiastic untiring revivalist, who
accomplished his object with the disinterested feeling of an old
master, rather than a man influenced by the ratio of its commercial
success.
It
must not be understood that this art of reproducing classical jewels,
and accomodating them to modern uses, was heartily responded to at the
outÂset of my late father's labours. Tt came as a surprise, not to the
few cultured
