The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-06-04
GOLD USED IN THE ARTS.
PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN
MANY INDUSTRIES.
Peculiar Influence Exerted Over Its Prop
critics by Alloys beautiful .'Pur-
pie OF Cassius"-
ium Bronze.

One OF the most important proper
tics OF all gold Is its inalterabilitJ
when kept exposed to the air, u
water. or to acid emanations. MOS
metals In these circumstances rust OF
tarnish. but gold remains brilliant
Some persons having remarked tina
the gold used by dentists for stopping
decayed teeth disappeared. moro OF
less. after time were led to suppose
that the saliva contained some sub
stance which acted upon it; but though
the saliva acts energetically upor
many organic substances. and will at.
tack some metals. it has been proved
by an eminent chemist that it has nc
action upon pure gold. The dis.
appearance OF gold used for stopping
teeth Is simply due TO wear or friction.
In the same manner. rings and gold
coin become thinner by friction. Dis
honest people have taken advantage
OF this property in the process called
sweating"
Gold can be united or alloyed to
most any OF the other metals. and
some OF these alloys have remarkable
properties. The extraordinary due
tiliiy and malleability of pure gold.
10 which we have alluded are entirely
lost when this metal is alleged with
only 1-2000th part OF bismuth; and a
similar effect is produced with tin.
arsenic. and many other metals.
Thus, according to the celebrated
chemist Hatchett il two thousand
ounces OF gold be melted with one
ounce OF Ibismuth. the resulting COM
pound metal or alloy. instead OF
hammering out into thin sheet will
not Hatten ut all but breaks to pieces.
Mercury combines so readily with the
precious metal that being liquid
metal at ordinary temperatures it is
often used to dissolve gold. and be-
fore electro gliding superseded it. this
iquid alloy or 'amalgam. as it was
called was extensively used for gild-
ing copper and silver.
Copper unites with gold renders it
harder and gives it that reddish tinge
50 remarkable in continental jewelry;
it resists wear much longer than pure
gold. such rs is used by the natives OF
India for instance.
When gold is dissolved in nitro
muriatic acid it forms chloride OF gold.
a beautiful yellow liquid used by
gilders, photographers and others.
When this solution is diluted with
water. and chloride of tin is added.
metallic gold is precipitatod us beau
tiful purple powder which is used
for gliding and coloring porcelain and
glass This powder is called purple
of Cassius. from the name OF its
discoverer Andreas CaSsius OF Ley
den. who made it for the first time in
the year 1855.
In gliding porcelain it is spread
upon the pattern by means of paste.
and by the action OF heat in the oven
it takes the ordinary golden hue and
brilliancy; but by modifying the COM
position of the paste 1T yields also
rose and purple colors. When u
small quantity OF it is mixed with the
materials used in making glass. the
glass produced has magnificent ruby
tint seen TO perfection in the we'll
known Bohemian glass.
The art OF electro-g gliding was dis
covered in 1908 by Brugnalelli. q
pupil OF the illustrious Volta; it not
only superseded the old unhealthy
method Of gliding by mercury, but
placed the use OF gold within the
reach OF the poorer classes The ex-
small quantity of gold which
can thus be made to cover uniformly
a large surface OF some other metal
to which it adheres firmly. and resists
ordinary friction. gives to the gilt OBJ
ject the external appearance and the
OF pure gold.
Gliding on metal and porcelain con-
sumes large amounts OF the precious
metal says the Saturday Evening
Post About one thousand ounces OF
fine gold are used in Birmingham
every week; and in the Staffordshire
pottcries some seven to ten thousand
ounces OF gold are used per annum.
Photographers employ great deal OF
this metal in the shape OF chloride of
gold. or 'sel or a compound salt
used for intensifying or toning the
Photographic image n~-.,sge
The production OF gold-leaf is a very
important industry. The product is
extensively used for gliding picture
frames and for other kinds OF me-
chanical gliding such as that which
is applied to the binding OF books and
the edges OF the leaves. Several OF the
to which we have merely
alluded would require special article
in order to give an idea OF their cx-
tent and Importance.
1t appears from certain passages in
the bible that in remote ages men
were we'll acquainted with the art OF
purifying gold by heating this metal
In contact with the air, much us we
do at the present time; but the art OF
gliding coloring glass and porcelain.
and spinning fiattened gold wire. are
all appliances OF comparatively mod
ern date.
In making what is called gold wire
q cylindrical ingot OF silver well gilt
Is drawn successfully through mum.
Der OF small round holes in a steel
plate. each hole being less than the
other. till the thread is no wider than
n hair. This can be fiattened by
passing between two small rollers OF |
polished steel. and so fit It to be used
n. Ii A