A rhinestone is a beautiful thing.

Chesterton agrees.

A rhinestone is an artificial diamond. It’s not even as fancy as a cubic zirconia, which is a more modern invention and can cost more than you’d expect. Those zirconias really do fool, and so I can’t help but say that one should be very very careful about putting on a ring – or anything for that matter – which is meant to give an Impression of Success, Status, Prestige or Riches of Any Kind. It’s a dangerous game, and leads you to become shallower and shallower until you’re just a Thin Crust of Pretty Gray Dust. Yuck.

And speaking of diamonds, here’s what I think. I personally don’t envy or feel jealous of the diamonds that I see on the hands of other women. I have openly admired and enjoyed looking at them. I know someone named June and her diamond is pretty. I know someone named Christine and hers was lovely too. Shelley had that really big one and I enjoyed looking into it. I remember gazing upon that mysterious mix of fire and water, genuinely ooing and awing. Nevertheless, I don’t need (“need” ha ha) or want a big diamond for myself. I have seen them looking so tempting and perfect in the Costco jewelry bright-lights display, but as far as I’m concerned, let them stay there. Beautiful, but just not me. I don’t know. A small diamond can be sweet. It makes me think that you found your love (and your love found you) when the love was what mattered, and not the cash and not the flash and the bling. And besides, a smaller diamond won’t catch on things or scratch the soft cheek of the child that you love. Something like that. (Mind you, at the other extreme, I hope that the men don’t use my blog as an excuse to be cheap. Just don’t take out a loan is kind of where I’m going with this. And PLEASE ignore anyone who gives you the rule that a diamond should reflect x% of your income. You have my permission to deck ’em. Idiots. Scammers.)

As for any diamonds that came after engagement, well, alright. I guess if it turns you on, go for it. Mind you, the odd thing is that the biggest gems seem to appear on the most wrinkly hands.

As for the cubic zirconia, well, I’m still a little concerned. Check your motives before you proceed. Perhaps I can leave it at that.

I wouldn’t want to be accused of “Drivelx1000” as someone wrote just last night. His email name was lambchops@wow.com and he said his name was cinderella. I was kind of excited (maybe this person was a reader!), and I wrote back, “Hi Lambchops! Pleased to meat you!” I thought it was funny and I looked forward to a chat, but when I pressed “Reply” my email was denied. Turns out the fellow was what you’d call a Liar. Too bad. Fake name, fake email. Oh well. You can’t win them all. I may drivel my ball, but at least I don’t lie, like you, loser. And besides, if you don’t like my chatter, Mr Chop Chop, why do you stay? Go away. Don’t bother me; I got some drivelling to do. Or shall we post your IP address too, for the hackers out there? Believe you me: hacking seems to be the world’s second hobby. (Porn’s prob’ly the first.) Consider the benefits. You might get some anonymous visitors, who won’t leave their real name or their real email – and that’s just your style, ain’t it?

(If you write to me, please leave your real email so that I can reply; it’s only fair.)

So anyway,

Unlike a cubic zirconia, the rhinestone knows

It cannot compete

with

“the real thing.”

A rhinestone knows its place.

A rhinestone: for playing and plays.

Plays: Rhinestones take the stage when the “real” diamonds are Too Precious to do so.

Playing: Rhinestones are considered suitable for children (obviously the “real” diamonds cannot be shared with anyone like that! Even mothers rarely share – they have buckets of jewelry, more than they can ever get through – but it never occurs to them to let their daughters have access to the stash, not even ever – won’t happen ’til mamma is dead. Strange, hey? What’s the big deal, after all?)

But anyway: Costume jewelry.

Made into necklaces, ornamenting clothes, the rhinestone is named

after a pebble

found on the shores

in great multitudes

of the Rhine.

After all,

That’s the region it was invented

Around

Eighteen Seventy Nine

Year of Jesus Our Lord

 

Dictionary.com:

Word History and Origin for

Rhinestone

n.

colorless imitation stone of paste or leaded glass, 1879, a loan-translation of French caillou du Rhin “Rhine pebble,” so called because they were made near Strasburg, on the River Rhine, and invented there late 17c. Extensively worn later 18c.

Rhinestone jewelry, a reproduction of the ornaments of the Louis XV. period, is all the rage in Paris. The Rhinestones are as brilliant as diamonds, and being set in silver, will stand any amount of wear or of cleaning. [“The American Stationer,” March 20, 1879]

In The Flying Stars, one of the Father Brown mystery stories, Chesterton referred to rhinestones as “paste jewels.” (They were sometimes called paste jewels or paste diamonds.) Flambeau covered himself with silver foil paper and flashing rhinestones during a home-theatre event. He got them from Ruby. Here are some excerpts:

The harlequin, already clad in silver paper out of cigar boxes, was, with difficulty, prevented from smashing the old Victorian lustre chandeliers, that he might cover himself with resplendent crystals. In fact he would certainly have done so, had not Ruby unearthed some old pantomime paste jewels she had worn at a fancy dress party as the Queen of Diamonds.

With real though rude art, the harlequin danced slowly backwards out of the door into the garden, which was full of moonlight and stillness. The vamped dress of silver paper and paste, which had been too glaring in the footlights, looked more and more magical and silvery as it danced away under a brilliant moon.

There were hollows and bowers at the extreme end of that leafy garden, in which the laurels and other immortal shrubs showed against sapphire sky and silver moon, even in that midwinter, warm colours as of the south. The green gaiety of the waving laurels, the rich purple indigo of the night, the moon like a monstrous crystal, make an almost irresponsible romantic picture; and among the top branches of the garden trees a strange figure is climbing, who looks not so much romantic as impossible. He sparkles from head to heel, as if clad in ten million moons; the real moon catches him at every movement and sets a new inch of him on fire. But he swings, flashing and successful, from the short tree in this garden to the tall, rambling tree in the other, and only stops there because a shade has slid under the smaller tree and has unmistakably called up to him.

“Well, Flambeau,” says the voice, “you really look like a Flying Star; but that always means a Falling Star at last.”

The silver, sparkling figure above seems to lean forward in the laurels and, confident of escape, listens to the little figure below.

Those lines are so loaded with meaning. What I find with Chesterton is that the slower you go, the more fun you have, but he makes things so interesting that you want to go fast!

But as I was saying, the rhinestone is lovely, and for me, it stands as a symbol.

You’ll note how it was the common man’s version – an imitation – of the diamonds flaunted during the period of Louis the Fifteenth.

The common man knew he wasn’t able to have the real thing, so he contented himself with something rather obviously fake. The common man wasn’t able to have the real thing, so he contented himself with the wash-and-wear version. But he didn’t entirely mind. To his left and to his right were friends and relations who did exactly the same.

They knew that they were playing make-believe and following just

The fashions of the day.

That’s okay.

I get it.

As a matter of fact, I find it poetic.

Rhinestone: symbol of children, theatre and the everyday person

Rhinestone: symbol of dreamers and those who say I wish and I want and wouldn’t it be nice if …

Rhinestone: named after a pebble just hanging around

Hey man —

Since nobody’s claiming it, I’ll take it as mine.

I’ll think of it as a symbol of me.

I’ve got it.

It’s here in my head.

I’m not Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

I’m Blogger on the Ground with Rhinestones

Right on.

Let’s see where that goes.

In The Flying Stars, the rhinestones went up into the trees.

Flambeau let the ‘real’ diamonds drop from the heavens onto the ground

Flambeau disappeared

Not to be seen

(At least for a while)

Yet looking like he was covered in

Flying Stars

Yeah, about now I’m loving the analogies and possibilities

Of this little symbol.

Come with me, common man

Come with me, hackers and thieves!

Come with me, ladies and gentlemen!

Step right up!

Enjoy the show!

We’s gonna go

Flying!

Flying like

Stars

Flying like

a rocket

(We’ll have a blast.)

Drivel?

My ass.