THE jewellery now sold in the streets far exceeds, both in cheapness and quality, what was known even years ago. years ago the jewellery itinerant trade was almost entirely, if not entirely, in the hands of Jews, who at any rate professed to sell really gold articles, and who asked large prices; but these traders have lost their command over this, as I have shown that they have over other street callings, as not a of the street-jewellers are now Jews. A common trade among such street and country itinerant jewellers was in large watch seals, the bodies of which were of lead, more or less thickly plated with gold, and which were unsaleable even as old metal until broken to pieces,—but not always saleable then. The street or itinerant trade was for a long time afterwards carried on only by those who were regularly licensed as hawkers, and who preferred "barter" or "swopping" to actual sale, the barter being usually for other and more solid articles of the goldsmith's trade.

The introduction of "mosaic" and other cheap modes of manufacturing gold ornaments, brought about considerable changes in the trade, pertaining, however, more to the general manufacture, than to that prepared for the streets.

The itinerants usually carry their wares in boxes or cases, which shut up close, and can be slung on the shoulder for conveyance, or hung round the neck for the purposes of sale. These cases are nearly all glazed; within them the jewellery is disposed in such manner as, in the street-seller's judgment, is the most attractive. A card of the larger brooches, or of cameos, often forms the centre, and the other space is occupied with the shawl-pins, with their globular tops of scarlet or other coloured glass: rings, armlets, necklaces, a few earrings and ear-drops, and sometimes a few side-combs, small medals for keepsakes, clasps, beads, and bead-purses, ornamental buttons for dresses, gilt buckles for waistbelts, thimbles, &c., constitute the street jeweller's stock-in-trade. The usual prices are from to ; the price most frequently obtained for any article being It will be seen from the enumeration of the articles, that the stock is such as is required "for women's wear," and women are now almost the sole customers of the streetjewellers. "In my time, sir," said elderly street-trader, "or rather, when I was a boy, and in my uncle's time—for he was in jewellery, and I helped him at times—quite different sorts of jewellery was sold, and quite different prices was had; what's a high figure now was a low figure then. I've known children's coral and bells in my uncle's stock—well, I don't know whether it was real coral or not—and big watch keys with coloured-stones in the centre on 'em, such as I've seen old gents keep spinning round when they was talking, and big seals and watch-chains; there weren't no guards then, as I remember. And there was plated fruit-knives—silver, as near as a toucher—and silver pencils (pencil-cases), and gilt lockets, to give your sweetheart your hair in for keepsakes. Lor' bless you! times is turned upside down."

The disposition of the street-stalls is somewhat after the same fashion as that in the itinerant's box, with the advantage of a greater command of space. Some of the stalls— in Tottenhamcourt Road, I may instance, and another in Whitechapel—make a great show.

I did not hear of any in this branch of the jewellery trade who had been connected with it as working jewellers. I heard of journeymen watchmakers and clockmakers now selling jewellery (but often with other things, such as eye-glasses) in the street, but that is all. The street mass selling jewellery in town and country are, I believe, composed of the various classes who constitute the street-traders generally.

Of the nature of his present trade, and of the class of his customers, I had the following account from a man of years' experience in the vending of street jewellery:—

It's not very easy to tell, sir," he said, "what sells best, for people begins to suspect everything, and seems to think they're done if they give 3d. for an agate brooch, and finds out it ain't set in gold. I think agate is about the best part of the trade now. It seems a stone as is easy imitated. Cornelians, too, ain't so bad in brooches—people likes the colour; but not what they was, and not up to agates. But nothing is up to what it once was; not in the least. Sell twice as much—when you can, which often stands over till to-morrow come-never—and get half the profit. I don't expect very much from the Great Exhibition. They sends goods so cheap from Germany, they'll think anything dear in London, if it's only at German prices. I think it's a mistake to fancy that the cheaper a jewellery article is the more you'll sell of it. You won't. People's of opinion—at least that's my notion of it—that it's so common everybody'll have it, and so they won't touch it. It's Thames water, sir, against beer, is poor lowpriced jewellery, against tidy and fair-priced; but then the low-priced has now ruined the other sorts, for they're all thought to go under the same um- brella,—all of a sort; 1s. or 1d. Why, as to who's the best customers, that depends on where you pitches your pitch, or works your round, and whether you are known, or are merely a upstart. But I can tell you, sir, who's been my best customers—and is yet, but not so good as they was —and that's women of the town; and mostly (for I've tried most places) about Ratcliff Highway, Whitechapel, Mile-end-road, Bethnal-green, and Oxford-street. The sailors' gals is the best of all; but a'most all of them is very particular and some is uncommon tiresome. 'I'm afeard,' they says, 'this colour don't suit my complexion; it's too light, or it's too dark. How does that ring show on my finger?' I've known some of the fat and fair ones—what had been younger, but would be older—say, 'Let me have a necklace of bright black beads;' them things shows best with the fat 'uns—but in gen'ral them poor creatures is bad judges of what becomes them. The things they're the most particular of all in is necklaces. Amber and pearl sells most. I have them from 6d. to 1s. 6d. I never get more than 1s. 6d. Cornelian necklaces is most liked by children, and most bought for them. I've trusted the women of the town, and trust them still. One young woman in Shadwell took a fancy the t' other week for a pearl necklace, 'it became her so,' which it didn't; and offered to pay me 6d. a week for it if I wouldn't sell it away from her. The first week she paid 6d.; the second nothing; and next week the full tip, 'cause her Jack had come home. I never lost a halfpenny by the women. Yes, they pays you a fairish price, but nothing more. Sometimes they've beat me down 1d., and has said, 'It's all the money I has.'

It's not very long ago that one of them offered me a fine goold watch which I could have bought at any price, for I saw she knew nothing of what it was worth. I never do anything that way. I believe a very few in my line does, for they can't give the prices the rich fences can. It's common enough for them gals to ask any street-jeweller they knows how much a watch ought to pop for, or to sell for, afore they tries it on. But it isn't they as tries it on, sir; they gets some respeckbel old lady, or old gent, to do that for them. I've had cigars and Cavendish of them; such as seamen had left behind them; you know, sir, I've never given money, only jewellery for it. Plenty of shopkeepers is glad to buy it of me, and not at a bad price. They asks no questions, and I tells them no lies. One reason why these gals buys free is that when the jewellery gets out of order or out of fashion, they can fling it away and get fresh, it's so cheap. When I've had no money on a day until I has sold to these women, I've oft enough said, 'God bless 'em!' Earrings is hardly any go now, sir; nothing to what they was; they're going out. The penny jewellery's little good; it's only children what buys, or gets it bought for them. I sell most of brooches from 3d. to 6d., very seldom higher, and bracelets— they calls them armlets now—at the same price. I buys all my goods at a swag-shop: there's no other market. Watchguards was middling sale, both silver and goold, or washed white and washed yellow, and the swags made money in them; but instead of 1s., they're not to be sold at a Joey now, watchguards ain't, if a man patters ever so.

I am informed that there are not less than individuals who all buy their jewellery at the London swag-shops, and sell it in the streets, with or without other articles, but principally without; and that of this number are generally in London and its suburbs, including such places as Gravesend, Woolwich, and Greenwich. Of these traders about - are women; and in town about -fifths are itinerant, and the others stationary. -half, or thereabouts, of the women, are the wives of street-sellers; the others trade on their own account. A few "swop" jewellery for old clothes, with either the mistress or the maids. or , when they see a favourable opportunity, offer to tell any servantmaid her fortune. "'Buy this beautiful agate brooch, my dear,' the woman'll say, 'and I'll only charge you '—a German thing, sir, costing her farthings street-jeweller informed me,—'and I'll tell you your fortune into the bargain.'"

"old hand" calculated, that when a streetjeweller could display worth of stock, he could clear, all the year round, a week. "People," said this man, "as far as I've known the streets, like to buy of what they think is a respectable man, and seemingly well to do; they feel safe with him." Those, however, who cannot boast so large a stock of jewellery as worth, may only clear instead of weekly. trader thought that the average earnings of his fraternity might be taken at a week; another—and both judged from their own experience—thought was high enough. Calculating, then, at a weekly profit of , and a receipt of per individual, we find expended in the street-trade, including the sales at Gravesend, Woolwich, and Greenwich; where—both places being resorted to by pleasure-seekers and seamen—the trade is sometimes considerable; watches, which now are almost unknown in a regular street-trade, there forming an occasional part of it.