Contest: Jewels

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

If chess is not your game, consider a nice crossword puzzle.


The Jewelers' Circular, April 8, 1925, from Milky Way Vintage Jewels.

Crossword puzzles were a huge fad in the 1920s. The book whose wide sales launched the publishing house of Simon & Schuster was a crossword book that came with its own pencil tucked into the spine. In 1928, Dorothy L. Sayers wrote a mystery story, The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will that could only be solved by completing the crossword puzzle included in the book.

Comments

[tresjolie9.livejournal.com]

Those look really cool, wonder how much one would go for today?
Wonder if there any still in existence at antique shows? Perhaps someone on etsy could make them?

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

They have a definite steam punk look to them, even though crosswords are post-Victorian (not to mention that these are US style puzzles and not the British kind).

[meezergal.livejournal.com]

Those are cute!

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Dorothy L. Sayers wrote a mystery story, The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will, that could only be solved by completing the crossword puzzle included in the book.

And it was a hard one, too! I got a bare handful of answers right.

Oh, and, yes.

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

I remember being pretty well stumped by it, but it's been years and all my mystery books are in storage. If I recall correctly, the tiles in the pool were the puzzle diagram, right?

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Rightio. The uncle's niece had to do something fun for once in her earnest life in order to solve the puzzle and find her inheritance.

At least we have an excuse for being terrible at it ourselves. Many of the questions were topical to the time and I dimly remember one or two being in French or Latin or both. (My books are in a box, too, dang it.)

[bradygirl_12]

Yes! I like the cleverness of this jewelry. :)

[mellzie-1963.livejournal.com]

YES. And I loved Uncle Meleager's Will! I'm a big Sayers/Lord Peter fan.

[pikkewyntjie.livejournal.com]

Yes!

I can't figure out how they work, but I like them. I'm not a big fan of jewelry, but I would wear these for their sheer geekiness.

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming they are mosaics, but they can't be much as puzzles, especially the one on the left with all the single cells.

[1geek-queen.livejournal.com]

Yes.

I'd wear them, as long as they're not too large for me to pull off (style-wise). I like crossword puzzles and they're cute.

Thanks for the info. I want to check out that Dorothy L. Sayers book, now. :)

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

It's part of the story collection Lord Peter Views the Body.

[1geek-queen.livejournal.com]

Thank you for letting me know. :)

[wings-unfurling.livejournal.com]

I'd wear them.