The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-16
Making Cheap JeweIry.

MIR. Charles Faas. ''Rolled plate is
made by sweating down the gold on
the metal. In a process of that kind
about the thickness of very thin tissue
paper is used. This process was used
because the name was newer and more
taking than plated. but it is not
much practiced nowadays.
Red gold, as you call it, is simply
IAN alloy of gold and copper; the parts
can be Just the same as in an alloy of
gold and silver-iust so much as is nee
.essary to harden gold to given point
"Alloy is a combination of metals
with each other, except when mercury is
a constituent, in which case the combna-
ton is called an amalgam; thus, bronze
is an alloy of copper and tin, brass
an alloy of copper and zinc, etc. An
amalgam is the combination OF mer-
curry with some other metal. Anal
gains are used to render metal fit to
be spread out, as in gliding, or else to
reduce it to powder. Two methods are
generally employed in making ANAL
gains. The first is merely trituration
in mortar, and without heat; the sec
;Ond is fusing the metal to be amalga-
mated and adding to it, when fused.
the intended quantity of mercury. An
amalgam of tin and mercury is used for
looking glasses. Gold amalgamates
the most readily of all the metals with
quicksilver. When in a state of fusion
it very easily and very intimately COM
bines with silver, and when mixed with
that metal will also run into a mass
with iron. No metal destroys the
,malleability of gold so completely as
lead; one two thousandth part renders
it too brittle for rolling, and its very
fumes produce a serious effect upon it.
Gold is almost universally alloyed with
copper or with silver, in order to in
creasei its hardness. In speaking of the
fneness of an alloy of gold, the mass
is supposed to be divided into twenty
four parts, and the same is called car
ats. An ounce of gold is divided into
twentyfour carats, and gold of TWEEN
ty-two carats fine is gold of which
twenty-five parts out of the TWENTY
four are pure, the other two parts be-
ing silver, copper, or of other metals.
Gold alloyed with silver is the yellow
gold of the old market, To-day gold
is freely alleged with copper, and pro
duces an alloy that is of a rich red col.
or, and that is what you call red gold.
In little room as closely shut of
from the rest of the factory as is usu-
ally the working-room of a photogra-
pher from the restof his establishment,
was a Smead battery in full operation.
In several of the jars were small,
thin pieces of yellowish red metal, at
tached to small wire hanging from
the highest of two rods running from
the battery. THAT metal" said
Charles Faas, Jr., the operator and
head member of the firm, is the alloy pre-
pared by us. The gold is purchased
in square blocks 2 inches long, u
inches wide and II inches thick. 1t is
rolled down, and then allowed for 10,
II, IA, 16 or Is carats. From 10 to
10 carats is the most common, and II
is the preferable, as it combines the
hardest and brightest and most lasting
qualities.
"The brass comes to us in straight,
hollow rods. 1t is then twisted in coils
to fit an ordinary wrist, and then cut in
single rings. The article is first put in
I've to be thoroughly cleansed. 1t is
then hung in the jars on the lower rod,
the gold sheet in the upper rod, because
if their positions were transposed the
brass would be washed on the gold.
The bracelet is taken out and occasion
ally tried with nitric acid. When it
resists the action of the acid, or, in
other words, does not turn black, it is
taken out of the Jar and put in saw
dust to dry, after which it is FURNISHED
and passed up to the fnishers, who add
some neat-loOking trihe to the ring to
finish it of, such as a small gold pad
lock or a pretty little bird in Roman
gold or silver
'How much gold is used in one iar?"
"About three grains minute; but
sometimes the battery will work quick
er and plate twice as much as it will at
other times"
"How many bracelets will one ounce
of gold plate?n
Zone hundred and fifty pairs"
The casting of the ornaments used on
jewelry, such as birds, flowers, leaves,
etc, is a. very important branch of a
factory. Everything is done by steam.
The furnishing is done exclusively by
women. The joints for bracelets are
the most delicate. The cutting of the
smallest hook or tiniest trimming is
done on what is known as watch
makers wheel, costly tool-S700 low
est price-which can be used to cut
large bar of metal or to turn out the
most delicate screw BrOOkIli1e I1liOl.