Two screen shots from a Chinese TV drama show the nail sheathes used by ancient women.

Fingernail sheath

Fostering nails had been a fad in ancient times, especially for females of wealthy families. To protect their slender and fragile fingernails, a sheath was designed particularly for nails. The sheath, in the shape of a bow, was always worn on the ring finger and little finger, and at the top part of a finger.

During the Qing Dynasty, the nail sheath was made mostly of gold, silver, jade, hawksbill, pearl and gold-gilded copper, and the craftsmanship was enamel, filigree, carving and diancui (dipping blue).