The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-19
JewGlerS' Frauds.

An expert in tho watch making business,
recently said that quantities of 'tilled'
watches were made, many Of which were
undoubtedly sold as genuine articles. Such
watch-case was manufactured of very
thin layers of gold, with a layer of base
metal between, the whole being ''sweated"
together. Really it was simply gilt
watch, bnt it would last for ten years be-
fore the surface was worn through, and
was innocent enough when sold for what it
was. In the hands of unsCrupulous dealers
however, it was very dangerous. An ex-
pert could readily detect lis character by
the color and weight, as well as by. the use
of acids, but with any ordinary customer
it would easily pass for gold Such watch
case, worth some 1923, would in genuine
gold be worth $50 to $40. AS there was no
hope of getting any legislation IN this cour-
try which would guard against the per-
petration of the frauds in question, this
gentleman declared that only ono way re-
manned for the public to protect Itself in
the matter. This was, for every purchaser
OF gold watch to demand written certi-
icate from the manufacturer that the case
was "of solid eighteen carat gold through.
out" When private customers generally
insisted upon such certificates, the retail
dealers and jebbers would require them
fr m the makers, who would, OF course, be
held legally responsible for the correctness
of the guarantee.
He said that frauds similar to those prac-
tised IN watch-c cases ran through every line
of jcwelry and god-work. The standard
fincness Of watch chains was in this country
fourteen carats, being two cs.frats less than
in England, as tho lower grade was harder.
and wore better. Yet it was now extreme.
ly difficult to find a genuine fourteen carat
chain sold as such assaying more than
twelve carats. Frequently the swivels of
the chains were stamped fourteen carats,
there by leading to the false beiief that the
chains were 30 manufactured and sold even
by firms OF good reputation, and that re-
tailcrs. who bought them from jobbers,
were often deceived as well as their GUS
toners. In this matter, as in regard to
watch cases, the cxsctiOn Of an explicit
written guarantee was the only method of
protecting the purchaser. ''Filleu" and
plated chains were usually sold upon their
merits, and chiefly in the ruder parts of
the country.
Thousands Of wedding rings, he SAID,
were annually manufactured, filled with a
brass wire run through the center Of the
circlct. and stamped with device rcsem
bling an eighteen. carat quality mark,
though in reality it signitisd nothing.
There was no doubt that these were sold
as gold, and many of them at little les,
than the Legitimate price of gold In the
manufacture of fancy gold neck-chains, tor
ladies' wear, 1t was necessary that the
links should be made hollow i'll order TO
give them the proper degree of elasticity.
llence they were spun over copper wire +,
which was aftcrward, by honest Makers
entirely destroyed by the use OF a srong
acid. 1t was now a common PRACTICE
however, TO use solution Of acid, which
crumblcd away only parts of the wire and
left litllo sesments of copper to increase
the weight Of the chain. Probably nne-
tcnths of the hollow-link chains, which
were sold to dealers by weight, contained
more or less of this copper filling. Cameo
rings of unadulterated gold were rarely o -
tanned by purchasers, tho practice being to
run Lrass wire through the "Shank." or
crclct, and frequently 10 insert a thick
piece OF brass ut the back of tho stone, be-
meath thin gold layer. Sleeve buttons,
| sold as gold, were also frequently backed
with brass, or were of silver, with gold
veneer.