An American Designer of Jewelry 
Some are rich and ornate, 
some dainty and refined, 
some “ stunning ” and 
barbaric, some simple and 
quiet; but in all there is 
an element of truth and 
absence of affectation 
which should make them 
staple and lasting. 
Her work panders to 
no passing fad, and noth¬ 
ing worries her more than 
to have someone ask her 
to “get me up something 
pretty, as probably in a 
few years I shall have it 
all pulled to pieces and 
reset.” H er pieces may 
be worn as long as the 
particular kind of orna¬ 
ment is in fashion, such 
as a hair comb, for ex¬ 
ample, and then may be 
laid away with the confi¬ 
dent expectation that when the wheel of 
fashion swings around again the little grand¬ 
child, now grown up, will be delighted to 
ornament her coiffure with her grandmother’s 
comb. She uses methods purely conven¬ 
tional, partially conventional, and purely 
natural, depending on the inspiration of the 
moment and the person for whom the piece 
is designed. And this is in a way unique, 
that very largely her work has been by order, 
so that she has designed each piece to suit 
the size, complexion, character and style of 
the woman who is to wear it. The pieces 
mean more than a black and white repro¬ 
duction can here convey, for there is color, 
and of this much is made, and 
appropriateness to the owner, 
and the prospective use,—all 
these combine, as they should 
in all truth, to make a harmon¬ 
ious result. In the piece itself 
the jewel is given its proper 
value ; nothing is accentuated 
at the cost of something else; 
every line must be just heavy 
enough to balance other lines; 
every part strong enough to be 
practical, fine enough to escape 
being clumsy. One buckle of 
corals and enamels sug¬ 
gests an Indian influence 
and is for morning wear; 
again a cool, water-green, 
aqua-marine will hang 
pendent from a gold 
chain of great beauty and 
fineness, the setting and 
clasps of carved platinum 
set with rose diamonds, 
—this for evening wear. 
Mrs. Kdapp also uses 
variously colored golds, 
colored by alloys, not by 
acids, so as to harmonize 
withthegem. Sheisfond 
of pure gold—Etruscan 
—which is very yellow, 
and which with the dark 
blue of lapis-lazuli for one 
is very beautiful. She 
also uses platinum alone, 
and in conjunction with 
gold very extensively. 
If the pieces are for use, to be worn and 
not merely exhibited, the clasps must fasten 
firmly, the pins of brooches must close se¬ 
curely, and the edges of pieces to be worn 
over lace must be so designed as not to 
catch and tear ; all this is carefully consid¬ 
ered. 1 once was examining a little Japanese 
ivory statuette of a man seated cross-legged. 
It was a cabinet piece, and beautifully carved, 
though only two inches high. Something 
impelled me to turn it over to look at the 
under side—possibly, being an American, to 
see if the price were marked upon it! Then 
I saw that the under side upon which it 
rested was carved just as carefully and con¬ 
scientiously as the part that 
showed : there was the gown 
with the figured design, the 
doubled-up bare feet, while 
each minute toe had a still more 
minute nail. Truly 1 mar¬ 
velled at the Japanese, and re¬ 
membered Longfellow’s lines: 
“ In the elder days of Art, 
Builders wrought with greatest care 
Each minute an unseen part. 
For the gods see everywhere.” 
You may turn any one of 
Mrs. Klapp’s pieces over: the 
A BELT CLASP OF DEEP RED CORALS 
SET IN SILVER 
•with bits oj green, red and yellow enamel 
A BROOCH OF TOPAZ 
SET IN GOLD 
