The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-01-23
GUILD AND sSIGv *
HOW JEWELLERS wnRcHAsprsx| |
MADE BY THE TRADE.

II
Valuable swccpinGs-Making tho Ar
loys-wondorful Little Saws
How Rings Are Made.
'I get sixty dollars q barrel for the
swcepings of my floor, T" SAID manufac.
turing jeweler to Washington Star no.
porter. "There is no question of poking
the dust over before II Is bought. The
people who purchase IL are glad enough
to take it at that rate insight unseen, as
tho boys say. sell the stuff to the re-
tincrs, who make business of buying
refuse that has precious metals In it and
separating it. Tho gold and silver they
get In this way arc sold by them to jewel
ers in turn.
81 -hny -f,en- -tha- : -,asna.a4 sso.a. Sho
assay Office the gold and silver that / use,
getting it always perfectly pure--that is
to say, twenty -four carats. Then mako
my alloys for myself, putting tho desired
proportions of gold, silver and copper
into ono of thoso little three -cornercd
earthen pots and melting them all up to-
gether with fire. The copper I use is
like what have here in this box. You
see it somewhat resembles shot of differ
cnt sizes. The copper is chemically
purc and when being prepared Is poured
from the smelling pot held at somo height
into receptacle full Of cold water,
which is kept stirred rapidly. Upon
striking tho water tho metal takes tho
form Of these globulcs. 1t is much moro
convenient in this shape, because wo can
weigh 1t out readily in any proportion
desired.
"The silver and gold as wo get 1t 10
melted up with the copper in proper
proportions for tho alloys aud cast In
iron molds. Thus prepared tho ingots
are flattened out under powerful roller
to tho thickness desired. From thcso
slabs the pieces. of sizes needed fnr .onn,,
purpoaa or -snostaer, arc cut of with{b :
big machine.knife. or every new do.
sign that is brought into manufacture
ing jewelers. shop pattern is made of
zinc or copper, 80 that when something
of the samo kind is ordered all the work.
man has to do is to lay the pattern upon
the little slab Of gold, trace its outlines
on the metal and aftcrward saw out tho
article. Such saving is donc with what
Is called 'pierco saw which has a
blade like fine wiro and no thicker.
with little teeth. These saws arc chcap.
costing only eighty conts a gross, but
the work thoy do is wonderful in the
hands Of u skilled operator.
''lf ring is to be made a strip OF
gold of the proper width is bent around
by contrivance specially adapted to the
purpose and joined with gold solder SO
nrtfully that the place Of iuucturo can.
not possibly be discovered. supposing
That a watch chain is to be produced tho
melted gold is first made into . :s:;;ara
bar of the length wished for and then
than That pYeteurng,; .dL hea --- Sill IL IA.
required diameter. Then it only
remains to cut of, bend, solder,
and connect tho links in order
to complete the chain. Tho chief
part of our business consists id doing
stock work for the jewellers. They
send us all sorts of things to make. For
example, they want six rings, each with
n one. carat diamond. In conveying the
order tho dealer includes the six one.
carat diamonds in piece of paper folded
up, written on the outside the brief
directions that there arc to be half dozen
rings, each with singh -tone. My
business thercupon Is to made the rings,
set the stones and deliver tho goods as
ordered. / should never think OF adver-
vertising myself TO the public, because
people might he disposed to come to me
directly for work, and, although 1 might
be paid moro for an individual job, l
should lose tho custom of the jewellers,
upon whose patronage l am obliged to.
depend. Jewellers recently have taken
to selling hair brushes and other articles
which compose toilet sets, with backs of
sterling silver richly chased. Peonls
generally are not aware how this chasing
is done. The ignorant imagine that tho
designs in silver on the backs OF the
cambs and brushes arc stamped on with
dies, but AS matter of fact they arc
always made by hammering with blunt
tools from the wrong side of the silver,
80 as to fetch out in relief the patterns.
This process requires the greatest skill, and
it is for this reason, rather than for the
value of the metal that goods OF this
sort cost so much"