I recently read Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik which has (among other points) a kind of elvish race of Staryk. In one scene they are described with a clear ranking where the lowest social ranks (servants, carriage drivers, etc) have brightly colored gems (rubies, emeralds), and then in a progression the gems get paler the closer (by rank and physically in that particular scene) they get to the King and Queen, who are the only ones that wear clear uncolored gems.
Now, I have no idea if this is the case for the elvish traditions that Tolkien worked off or invented, but if so the reference to "jewels wan" would mean that the jewels strewn on the beaches aren't just any elf gems but gems for elf-lords. This would in a way lift the elven lands to an average rank of nobility.
But there is a big "if" there, does anyone know if this is elven lore that Tolkien might have referenced, or is it something Naomi Novik made up for her book?
Now, I have no idea if this is the case for the elvish traditions that Tolkien worked off or invented, but if so the reference to "jewels wan" would mean that the jewels strewn on the beaches aren't just any elf gems but gems for elf-lords. This would in a way lift the elven lands to an average rank of nobility.
But there is a big "if" there, does anyone know if this is elven lore that Tolkien might have referenced, or is it something Naomi Novik made up for her book?