New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-22
GIN METAL FOR JEWELRY.
LONG PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH
eTEEI, is PUT TO GET THE FINISH.
n,rr,crLrY OF DISCOVERING THE METHOD

the cnterprising department stores display Can
have failed 10 notice how rapidly the suDs'"nee
called gun metal has acquired popularity III Iie
,, war or two For match boxes, cigarette
cases watch cases. lorgnettes. chains ufnpreli"
handles and all similar articles for which SILVER
has long been largely used. the new metal is
now steadily supplantjng the old IL B naoe
ND not only in its plain, undecorated torin' Dui
H. combinations with gold, and Ii useo' III uie
handsomer pieces, as background upon winch
turquoises pearls amethysts, sapphres' ana
oven diamonds sparkle with singularV FL
H., tive brilliancy.
Considering the extent TO when sub-me'
articles have already been purchased and used
n IL rather odd to discover how little the pup
H., and most Of the dealers too, for that mat
,er know what the material really u.s. and where
md how II il manufactured. To any one VINO
thinks about the subject at all, two points lot
specuIation usually occur-whether the metal Is
realIv the same as that used III the making OF
guns and why il this is so, it should be SO as
tonishngIy expensive when made up into fancy
articles A bit OF information regarding the
new substance will not only be interesting but
Will perhaps. Justify In peoples minds Its mys-
ferrous costliness.
THE FIRST INFO RThTloN.
The story properly begins with the mporta-
,ion Of a quantity Of the gun-metal jewelry,
many months ago. from Europe. AS ii began to
be shown by various NewYork firms. Few en-
terprising manufacturers here wondered no" II
was produced and made numerous private ex-
periments with view to duplicating H. But
somewhat 10 their surprise. this proved 10 pe d
most difficult task. The method OF obtaining the
dull soft lustre which distinguishes the black
ish surface Of the metal was quite unknown 10
them.
Such expedicnts as acquering oxidiZing ana
vanishing different metal compositions not only
failed to give exactly the desired finish, but the
coatings wore of after while. and were quite
unsatisfactory, II looked az II the Foreigners
were to keep their secret and enjoy monopoly
OF the gup-metal trade. Gradually most OF the
experjmenters gave up their attempts judging
that II was merely good time wasted One OF
the most persistent, howcve OF those who we're
working at IT was italian, J. N. Provenzano,
who, In his factory IN East Fourteenth-st' where
he had been for several years engaged IN the
making OF fine jeWelry in gold and silver. spent
many weeks In trying to solve the mystery Of the
new metal He kept his Investigations secret
for long time, not wishing 70 make anything
public unless he should be successful But one
day when he happened to be calling on bust
ness at a prominent jewellers In Union Square,
he saw there imported cigarette-case OF
gun metal which had rusted badly. After ex-
aiming II Provenzano remarked 10 the
proprietor Of the store that II IL were intrusted
to him he thought he could refnish il. The
proprietor was doubtful but willing 10 give
the matter a trial and the italian took the
case to his workrooms After two I'M
successful trials he was able TO return the ar
ticle TO its owner In absolutely perfect condition
His panstaking experiments had borne fruit at
hast From that time he began to devote more
and more attention to the manufacture of gun
metal articles, and is to day one OF the very
few men-almost the only man-who is pro-
ducng satisfactory work Of the KIND IN this
country
HOW THE METAL Is TREATED
Although OF course he will not disclose the
secrets OF his laboriously learned processes to
the public Mr. Provcuzano willing the
other day to show the writer his work In va
rour stagee and to give a general idea Of the
method Of treating the metal He procures first
the high grade s;eel used by the Government
In the manufacture Of artillcry-the name gun
metal IL thus true titie-and. without any
preliminary treatment proceeds to fashion 1t
into the various forms desired This FIRST opera
ton Is much more tedious than In the Of
gold silver or any other metal, on account OF
the extreme hardness OF the steel
platinum used TO be the most stubborn
substance we had to work with" said Mr. Pro-
venzano but this gun metal Is much harder
and more troublesome than that"
After the matchbox cigarette-caso or other
article has received its shape and the parts
have been fitted together only the first and
easiest stage OF the work is done. The metal Is
still OF the ordinary light-gray color which
eharacterizes steel and TO produce the dull
black lustre somewhat like the surface Of a
black pearl which Is familiar H. the finished
pleces a lnng md mearianmo p1ncahs mnst be