3546 — The Wearing of Ornamental Jewelry
By Editor
A young friend of mine recently bought a gold ring for his wife, and wants her to wear it, and she is glad of an excuse so to do. He says he didn't favor it until he read your answer in regard to wearing rings some time ago. Will you kindly state definitely the proper Christian principle in this matter? The principle which should underlie wearing rings or jewelry of any kind is clearly stated in 1 Tim. 2:9: "In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works." And in 1 Peter 3:3: "Whose adorning, let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel." The next verse tells us what the true adorning is: "Let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." The apostle is not speaking of necessary clothing. The clothing of every woman should be neat and tasty and fitted for herself—that which will rightly and at best advantage make her an acceptable, presentable representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not understand that the text decries or condemns taste in dress, or such simple trimmings as will commend themselves to the best judgment of all. What it does condemn is the wearing of gaudy ornamentation, and classed with it are jewels of gold. There are three things that should condemn these in the Christian: one is the unnecessary expense invested in these things; another is the setting of a wrong example, which would lead others less instructed and younger into extravagances of this sort; and the third is that they are not needed in any way to enhance the beauty or best appearance of any person. A ring, for instance, on a beautiful hand does not add to its beauty; a ring on a hand which is not beautiful only accentuates and emphasizes the unbeauty of the hand, by making the contrast appear more striking. In the early days of Methodism it is said that Mr. Wesley and another Methodist minister, overzealous and radical, were dining at the house of a wealthy member whose daughter, a beautiful young lady, was also a member of the church, but was still wearing jewelry, or rings. This zealous minister caught the young lady's hand at the table and held it up in the sight of the company and said, "Mr. Wesley, what do you think of that for a Methodist hand?" Mr. Wesley, in his quiet, wise way remarked, "It is a very beautiful hand," saying in a stronger way than so many words would, that it needed no ornamentation to beautify it. And the young lady needed no more; the jewels came off. So it would seem that Christians, if they have beautiful hands, need no jewels to enhance their beauty. If they have not beautiful hands, they certainly do not want jewels to reveal, by contrast, the ugliness of the hand. There is but one excuse, so far as we know, for wearing rings, and that does not obtain in America. In some countries of the world the ring is a part of the marriage vow; it forms a part of the marriage ceremony. Women who accompany men and do not wear the wedding ring are thought to be women without husbands, or those who are of questionable character. But no such imputation rests upon women in America, because a good many sensible married women do not wear rings, and we see no reason whatever why any Christian American woman should do so. If she is in a country where that is demanded by society in general, for the sake of her reputation it might be well for her to accede to the custom. There is another appeal which ought to come home to every Christian woman's heart: it is possible to transmute the gold which would be worn as mere ornament in rings, and now coming to be the style again in earrings, into the gold of character in heathen lands. It seems as tho Christian women would be glad to make the exchange. We would not be understood as having reference, in this, to gold-bowed glasses. These are almost absolutely necessary, as others tarnish very quickly. These are not worn for adornment, but for necessity.