Ancestral Jewels

With her recognition of ancestral jewels as ``emblems of family pride, visible links in the chain of history . . . encompassing the heights of human artistry and the breadth of human feeling,'' freelance writer Scarisbrick embarks on a survey of the gems of England from the Tudors to the Edwardians, with detours into the history of certain individual pieces. These are jewels with pedigrees--and through them, aspects of their eras come to life. Via words and illustrations of queens and other nobility bedecked in their prized possessions, the elegant baubles and bangles are recreated in glossy splendor: the workmanship of Renaissance goldsmiths and less flashy Stuart ornaments; the diadems, tiaras and diamond dog collars of more modern days; ``love rings'' with French inscriptions and memorial rings containing locks of hair; parures of dazzling opulence. Retained whenever possible by their original owners, these glittering fragments of the past have survived time, taxes and the Blitz. (Sept.)