The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-22

"
I, wine, and coated with white wax, heated :
a a high degree. The trinkets imported a
g "Venetian pearls are glass, and thei
production presents no difficulty.
! Now, as to the mourning Infinite car
: is bestowed upon this by your French arti
6cer. He has to consider how bis shan
settings-they must be sham since be mus
sell them cheap-are likely to suffer from
the action of heat, Of electricity in the at
mosPhere, of oxygen, of air and water, anc
Of acids; and be resorts to copper, lead
platinum, iron, steel, gold, silver, and tbeil
amalgams accordingly. The history Of
thei: manipulation by bis, or several sets
Of hands, is worth nothing; the sOftening,
the publication, the moulding, the washing,
the bamDering, the melting the coloring
or the bleaching the chisseling, etc, through
an entire technical dictionary. There are
instruments for stamping, instruments for
welding, instruments for soldering. One
workman cbamfers another flutes another
stands at the Eliminating machine; fourth
bends over the delicate ename ler's knife,
sharp as diamonds edge, and nearly as
hard fifth subjects the com pleted jewelry
to mlcroscopical examination. Not fewer
than ten differently shaped hammers are
used. This industrial economy is peculiar
ly interesting. The diversity Of aptitude,
of course, encourages the division of labor,
as will be presently seen more minutely.
/ For the moment let US revert to the
French meretricious jewelers. other arts
shose Of coating common with precious ma
terials, and enameling Few persons have
eny idea Of the extent to which these tricks
10 manufacture are carried The ingenious
and cheap French enamel, white or colored,
made up into rings, collarets, and bracelets,
brings great profit to the workmen, and is
really attractive. But it requires time and
study TO obtain a mastery over this art.
There is the fixing Of the translucent glass
upon the metallic surface, the painting of
the vitreous plane, the choice Of tints, the
subtle application Of heat the, consideration
of chemical action exercised by one oxide
upon another, and the due admixture of
materials. Then, the engraving of enam-
els is task requiring all possible exact
ness and tenderness Of touch. We hardly
reckon among these gaieties to call
them-of picturesque industry, mock mo
salcs, damascening, or gliding, although the
last is very important affair in the sight
of France, which pretends to be the great
glider Of the world, gliding even its young
men, as Juvenal dares to assert the Romans
gilded their goddesses, Of flesh and blood
The Parisians style this gold colOring,"
and their methods are extreme ly various
the oil, the hot, the cold, the bronze, the
copper, the steel, and the ether; but the
magic Of silvering is scarcely less intricate,
especially when the surfacing is to be total
y false: Or what is termed MAI ss' 6.
gold, which is quite different from gliding,
this belongs altogether to higher artisan
ship, applicable also to lead, and even iron.
Next in order are the much esteemed steel
tr;uket> IN nufactured by the French. Their
invention is Of old date, and the finish and
polish of the fancies produced for the Palas
Royal by the artifcers of the riotous Eau
bourg s. Antoine have never been excelled
even by the am bilious mechanics of Austria
who are Dutch in their perseverance, and
Italian in their taste. But, after all, these
artists aim mostly at the imitation of jewels
or gold.
Shall we reveal another of their secrets
after the manner Of cookery book ? Take
a little powdered sulphur; sprinkle it with
boiling water, mix well boil the cOncOction,
strain through fine muslin put the liquid
into vessel containing the substance with
which you desire to play the Rosicrucian
trick, resort to another boiling, and your
Cornish tin is-prestO !-Babylonan gold I!
A dash of spring aloe juice, of salt petre.
or sulphate Of zinc, improves the imposture.
How far this deceptive art has BEEN carried
may be Judged from its catalogue of styles
The Lamb, the Arch, the Turkish. the
Myrtle branch, the Maltese cross,the Dead,
the Star, the Lance-iron, the Violin. the
Hatchet, the Rose, and the Turtle. Into a
similar category come agraffes, opera
I glasses, decorative shOe-buckles, ornamental
buttons, fancy watch-keys, cream spoons
writing pencils, punch-iadles, jewel caskets
scissors, pipes, egg cups, and tobacco boxes
all initiated, my friends, all gewgaw, and
yet not little pretty.
But in no branch is this fraud-for it is
fraud, when the prices charged are those
due for genuine materials-pushed farther
than in that Of honorary decorations, with
out which no Frencbman appears able to
live. There is the Order of S. Ampoule.
or the oil which was brought from heaven
by dove. 1t is bit Of gilt copper, with
; an attachment Of black ribbon. The Palais
Royal charges you fifty shllings for it. So
with the order Of the Weasel, Of the Star
Of st. Louis, of Mount Carmel, and St
, Lazares, Of the Dog and Cock Of st Nj
cbael and the Holy Spirit, and even Of the
Legion Of Honor. They were all pro>ti
} tuted to the purposes Of jewelers. profit
3 Nor is it generally known what maautac
ture Of foreign decorations was, until lately
+ carried on at Paris The English Order .
the Garter has been forged in the Frenc
capital, and worn at Continental courts
/ That of the Golden Fleece, the pride {
e Imperial Austria, has been successful
' initiated, though its collar is at once eI
o ceedngly rich and Of exceedingly delcat
workmanship We have seen Napoleon
Il Iron Crown-not to be compared with II
s old and proud signuna Of Lombardy-s
Is perfectly counterfeited as to escape detec
ton more easily than mock Waterlc
10 bullet. The Danish Government il
IS jealous Of anybody assuming the blue ril
D. bon Of the Danish elephant that it ordair
2 perpetual exclusion from court Of all il
le dividuals buying these spurious sparkles
a Now, not to prolong series Of example
= already sufficient, we may again renal
N that number Of workmen in Paris hay
to for many years, been dependent upon th