Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-12-21
SOLID GOLD.
The Legal Definition OF This muon
Abused Term.

The Legal Definition OF This muon
Abused Term.
The term "soid gold" says the st.
Louis Globe Democrat, has been the
cause of much discussion on the part
Of manufacturers of gold articles ana
of much misapprehenson on the part
of the public for some time, and the
recent law fixing the commercial dell
milton of the phrase is welcomed Oh
all sides
According to this law, 10 carat gold
"a the commercial solid gold. and Oil
articles containing more alloy than this
or all articles with parts which contain
more alloy are henceforth to be known
as plated. filed or rolled gold and must
he so marked by the manufacturer.
For example. pin with top OF sollo
cold even to the value Of Is carats,
cannot legally be called solid If hinge
hook or pin is not 10 carat gold, while
another min of 10 carats throughout
though of much less intrinsic vaiue
than that of IS carats, is legally "solid
gold"
This law was made to protect the
! manufacturing jewelers. against the
makers and sellers of ''phony' jewelry
and has been heartily Endorsed by the
legitimate trade all over the United
States.
or &c law which we have long
needed" said a St Louis wholesale
ieweler. but solid gold is a misnomer'
and I for one should be very gao 10
soc the term abandoned and the value
stamp used In its place. Commercially
sneaking. there never was such thing
no solid gold-at least not for the ias'
900 or 800 years. Some of the ancient
iewelry of the Roman and the renals
sonce periods was made Of pure golo
worked up by hand with the crudeS'
NJ tools. and that is. OF course, OF la
greater value on account OF the purity
Of the material as well as us guam
and beautiful workmanship and us an
t,ouity than any modern products o.
the goldsmith's art.
.'But alloy has been used 10 con
e stantly increasing extent since pecaus'
Jewellers found that the harder III
b cold was rendered by good alloy III
4 greater its wearing qualities and IN
more secure. therefore, the setting o
c the gems II contained. Our jewelr'
I now is Of IS. II or 10 carats. accorc
inc TO the design and character OF I'd
e article. and 1t is much more frequenti
:. 10 and 49, -,
"The law requires us to mark on III
u article itself or on the card to which
is attached the exact value OF the gol
II IN nil the parts. just as the food mani
' facturers are now obliged to state u
IS ingredients of the package on the labe
II and heavy penalty is attached
n tho use of the words solid gold II an
u mart NJ the article contains less tina
- 10 carats of gold.
y "There is q bill to be introduced
s. congress to abolish the use OF I'd
or form and substitute the carat stan
IL for it, and both wholesale and reti
Jewellers over the country Will wo
hard for its passage. We believe q
term is calculated to deceive ey'
IL when carefully explained. This bill
u" PASSED will require manufacturers
NC stamp all gold articles with the nuI
d Der of carats registered. Half a car
to will be allowed for errors, but I
nc manufacturers will have to see III
II the gold comes within this limit. III
n' would be a great help to the buyi
Ie, public as we'll as to US. for then evel
III body could see at once what he Is g
no ting, and there would not be SO ma
chances for come back at u.s."