The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-11-20
Fanoinol Ftligreo.

'tln Santa Fe the manufacture of this
jewelry is becoming more important, and
hllgree work is becoming in greater demand.
Tourists invest In Mexican jewelry because
In itself 1t is quaint and pretty and is rare
ly seen In tho East, and as souvenirs of the
ancient city they desire naturally to take
away something which has an unmlstakably
native appearance. The gold used in tho
manufacturing this jewelry, is either from
tho Old Placers or the Now Pacors, twenty
Or thirty miles distant, and Is generally
bought from Mexicans who earn their
living By pannlng out the dust from the
washings on these properties. Tho silver
comes generally from Silver City, the
"'76" mlne of Bremen near there supply
ing the ore, and the smelling being done
In that town. 1t Is brought from there in
crude state, and refined in the shops
where the jewelry Is made. It may not
be uhintercsting to those who have seen
hlligree jewelry IN its complete form, to
examine for moment the process by
which tho pretty designs are wrought out.
First, the gold and silver must be absolute
ly pnro and without alloy, as any combin-
alton Of the baser metals would destroy
tue necessary ductility of the metal which
Is to be operated upon. Tho metal as 1t Is
aud then cast into flat bars. These bars
or plates are then put through rollers until
they arc reduced to tho thickness of about
one-oighth of an inch and a foot or SO long.
Then with shears, strips arc cut off which
are drawn through holes In an iron plate
successfully smaller until the strip becomes
wire Of tho necessary thickness. The
smallest Of these wires are of tho thinness
of fine sewing silk, but are perfect in
roundncss. The next step Is the twisting
Of the wires together, which is now done
by lathe, this having been found easier
and quicker and more accurate thar the
OLD way of rolling the two wires under the
hand on board. The twisted wires are
then passed through rollers which turns
them out into very thin tape of metal,
the edges being finely and regularly notch
Cd. The workman has now done with his
metal wire for Minute, and lays 1t aside.
a framework Of thicker wire is made to
receive the design he is about to manufact-
ure, and this Is placed fiat upon the table.
Into this frame he places divisions or COM
partmcnts ard again takes up his wire.
Near his hand is block of wood, IN which
is embedded a row of small pins, or rather
brass teeth, set very closely together. Ono
end OF the wire Is then attached to the
central peg, and the workman proceeds to
wind his wire OH tho pegs, moving with eaoh
turn OF wire one pin away from the center
In each direction. When he has continued
this movement until he considers his coil
OF wire is sufficient for Ills purpose, he
cuts the tape and slips it from the pins,
having then fiat oval coil Of very dne
motal wire, Irregular on tho surface with
the notches of the edges. This coil the
workman can manage as he plcases. He
can lengthen it, broaden 1t, make it mar
row, insert another piece of another de-
sign and manipulate 1t to almost any ex-
tent, 80 flexible is the wire, without mar
ring the appearance produced by tho in
dcntations of the edges Ho then flts this
coil into the framework, soldiers it there
after lifting 1t with fine pinchcr and nip.
pers, and adds coil after coil, if moro than
one Is needed, until the figure is complete
ed. The patterns worked into jewclry in
Santa Fc aro without number, numerous
imitati"ns Of feather and scroll work and
flowers being manufactured from the crude
gold and silver According 10 the taste OF
the customer and his desire to incur OK.
pense, jewels are added TO increase the
bsilliancy Of tho article. Not only is tho
whole work done without the aid of any
Wachlne, Dut on almost every piece 0ccur-
ate measurement is required to proportion
the work exactly, and this is all done by
the eye merely without the aid of rule,
mold or die. The ornamentation Is pro
duced Sill ply ny bending or pressing the
wire. no engraving chiseling or inlaying
appearing on any pleoo. The work, OF
coursc, requires time, and hence Mexican
jewclry is very costly, though tho prices
asked in Santa Fo arc smaller than ono
who has watched the tedious and careful
process would expect. Several pieces
which have been ordered recently from
Santa Fe, of special design, have required
several weeks Of labor for their production,
two workmen or even three heing constant
ly employed during that time. Santa Fe
ships large quantities Of jewelry to all tho
large cities of the East.