A Most Beguiling Accomplishment

July 15, 1786 PLATE III. A Ring chart. M. Bourignon de Saintes , Correspondent of the Royal Society of Medicine, for several Academies, and of MONSIEUR's Museum, has made us the honor of sending us Research on Rings and other Jewels of women of antiquity , and gave us permission to put it into our Books. We will not fail to use it, to express our gratitude to him, and to get our Subscribers to see the similarities between past eras and our own. "Wearing rings," says M. Bourignon de Saintes , "dates back to the furthest times past. The Chaldeans, the Babylonians, the Persians, and the Greeks wore rings. The Sabines also had them in the times of Romulus: theirs were similar to those of the Greeks. From the Sabines, they passed to the Romans. "Rings were of gold, silver, copper, iron, or glass. Some were made of a simple metal, others of a mixed or alloy metal; for sometimes iron or silver were plated, or surrounded gold with iron. The first wer...

At the top of the Plate, on the left, a Bust of a Woman. Gauze cap, à la Jannette .* Kerchief of Italian gauze, à la Henri IV , knotted with a pink ribbon. Gown of dark green satin. The earrings are plaquettes . On the right, another Bust of a Woman. Cane hat, à la Marlborough , surmounted by two white plumes and a violet one; trimmed with blue ribbons. Kerchief of Italian gauze, à la Henri IV . Gown of pink satin. At the bottom of the Plate, on the left, a Bust of a Woman. Cap à la Figaro , of Italian gauze, surmounted by two plumes, one white, and the other violet.  In the middle of the cap, a barrière  of black velvet, trimmed with white pearls.  Two pearl tassels hanging on the left side. The earrings are plain hoops . Gauze kerchief, plain. Gown of blue satin, tied with a dark violet ribbon edged with white. On the right, another Bust of a Woman. Cane hat, with a high crown, edged with a dark violet ribbon, and trimmed with two bows of dark vio...