European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sarah Ruby Start a new trend by Anne Marie Schiro new York times diamonds May be forever but rubies and sapphires Are for sometimes. One of those times is now Many jewellers  Prince Andrew of Britain presented Pigeon blood Ruby and Diamond ring to Sarah Ferguson to Seal their engagement jewellers readied themselves for a surge of interest in rubies. After All they had noted increased interest in sapphires when Prince Charles gave a Sapphire and Diamond engagement ring to lady Diana Spencer in 1981. A ring like Diana s became the thing to have says Bill san Filippo assistant manager of Cartier. We did a whole line of Diamond surrounded sapphires rubies and emeralds. They were very popular but sapphires were the most popular. The trend lasted about a year and a half. We believe that Sarah s Ruby will Start a new  that View is echoed by Edward Green managing director of Garrard a the Crown jeweler that made both Royal rings. There s no doubt this will increase the popularity of rubies Green said. The Ruby will never take Over from the Sapphire because the Sapphire is cheaper but Sarah Ferguson s ring will set a new fashion. The Royal family do set trends Here and elsewhere in the world. We be seen that with the Princess of  although Queen Elizabeth had a Plain Diamond he added Princess Anne had a Sapphire. The Diamond engagement ring has never been the tradition in England that it is in the states. And we re seeing More and More coloured stones  Prince Andrew had specifically asked for a Ruby Green said. He believed a Ruby would suit Sarah with her red hair and  Royalty notwithstanding the majority of engagement rings sold in the United states is diamonds. According to the Diamond information Center nearly three quarters of All first time brides in the last decade have flashed diamonds on the third Finger of the left hand. Nothing Ever has and nothing Ever will replace the Diamond As an engagement ring says John Loring senior vice president and design director of Tiffany & co. Sapphires Are the second most popular Stone. They be enjoyed great popularity since Princess Diana got a Sapphire. I be no doubt he added that the Ruby will increase in popularity now but it will never catch up to the Sapphire for one very simple reason a first class Ruby is a very precious object indeed and not As easily affordable As a  wednesday april 30, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17 a Diamond May Cost 50 percent More than a comparable Sapphire and 40 percent More than a comparable Ruby yet most brides would rather Settle for a smaller Diamond than break with tradition. It s generally the older More sophisticated Bride to be who chooses a coloured Stone to make an individual statement. In recent years rings that Combine diamonds and coloured stones have never accounted for More than 6 percent of engagement ring sales to first time brides and 8 percent to second time brides. But when retail jewelry sales Are $15 billion a year Small percentages Are not overlooked by jewellers. At Fortunoff they re gearing up for a Rush on rubies although it in t expected to come until june when the big engagement season starts. A photo Prince Andrew gave commoner Sarah Ferguson a Large Oval Ruby engagement ring inset. The ring is set in to drop diamonds on a yellow and White Gold band. After Diana s engagement we immediately began to sell sapphires said Helene Fortunoff and sapphires have remained popular in All kinds of jewelry. Now we re getting ready for rubies. The Ruby surrounded by diamonds we re calling the Princess  she said that coloured stones also were popular As Side stones with a Center Diamond and As the Center Stone flanked by diamonds. The circlet is a More popular ring she added but the three Stone ring is used More As an engagement ring. Young women Don t want to have to explain to people that they re wearing an engagement ring. They want people to recognize it and a three Stone ring looks More like an engagement  Erma Bombeck a s this is being written a search is on for a woman who  statue of  May or May not cause Worsen to hyperventilate with excitement who Are walking around out there with a 35-foot Waist a four foot nose and an Arm 12-feet in diameter holding a Torch waiting to be discovered. Even if you could find a woman to admit she was 100 years old and had cosmetic surgery Over 90 percent of her body the question is Why Why does the statue of Liberty have to become mortal the answer of course is so she can do for commercialism what Clara peller did for where s the Beel the statue of Liberty will be humanized and turned into a pitch woman. Ever since the advertising Industry discovered names sell products celebrities have been hucksters. When they had exhausted movie stars opera singers business tycoons sports figures Rock n Roll artists and authors they went for the symbols. And the myths came tumbling Down. We Learned that George Washington crossed the Delaware with a cheese snack in his coat pocket Uncle Sam ate Only Kosher hot dogs Mona Lisa was smiling because she had just experienced the perfect pizza and King Tut s eyes rolled around in anticipation of a Candy bar. I once saw Abraham Lincoln at a car Wash in Ohio and Ben Franklin passing out coupons for a dozen free doughnuts in new York. After that their places in history paled a bit. I Don t want the statue of Liberty to become life size. If she is Given a voice i Don t want to know if she has a new Jersey accent a twang from Texas or a drawl from Wyoming. I Don t want to know what feminine products she prefers if she wears a Bra for a full figured woman or if she Ever leaves Liberty Island without her american express card. I Don t want to see her doing a sketch on saturday night live baking an Apple pie on hour Magazine or telling me she won the Reader s digest sweepstakes. Maybe there should be a Law protecting our symbols from exploitation. These larger than life hunks of Concrete with carved eyes and tips of Stone who cannot defend themselves. It would guarantee that the woman holding the Scales of Justice on our courthouses would never be shown wearing Foster Grant sunglasses and that the it. Rushmore quartet would never appear at a bar and request a Lite Beer. Let her be. Let the statue of Liberty stand there from her height of 141 feet. Let her keep the dignity she has earned through years of welcoming the world to our shores. Let her continue to make us weep with gratitude for All she stands for. Once she has passed out cosmetic samples at Bloomingdale a. It won t be the same. C 1986, los Angeles times Syndicate