Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-06
Selections
"S0LID GOLD" IN LAW.

weaving OF Puzziing Term In the
jowciry Trade.
The term solid Gold' has been the
cause Of much discussion on the pnrt
of manufacturers OF gold articles and
OF much misrepresentation on the part
OF the public for some time past. and
the recent law fixing the commercial
definition of the phrase is welcomed
OH all sides.
According to this law. says the St
Louis Globe Democrat. 10 carat gold
Is the commercial solid gold" and nil
articles containing more alloy than
this or all articles with parts which
contuin more alloy are hcnccforth to
be known as plated filed or rolled
gold and must be so marked by the
manufacturers. For example. pin
with II top OF "solld" gold even TO the
value of ~ caruts. cannot legally be
called solid II hinge hook or pin Is
not 10 carat gold. while another pin of
10 carnts throughout. though OF much
less Intrinsic value than that Of 10 car
nts. is legally solid gold" This law
was mndc 10 protect the manufacturing
jewelers. against the makers and sell
ers OF "phony" jcwclry and has been
heartily Endorsed by the legitimate
trade all over the United States.
1T Is II law which we have long
needed" said st Louis wholesale
jewelcr. "but solid gold is II mIsnomcr.
and | for one should be very glad to
see the term abandoned and the vnlue
stump used In It's place. Commercially
speaking. there never was such thing
ne solid gold'-at least not for tn.
last 200 or 300 years. Some of the
ancient jewclry OF the Roman and the
"reminiscences periods was made OF pure
gold. worked up by hand with the
crudcst tools. and that Is. of course, of
fnr greater value OH account OF tho
purity OF the material rs well MS its
quaint anu beautiful workmanship and
It's antiquity thnn any modern products
OF the goldsmith's art
but alloy has been used to con-
stnntly increasing extent since, be-
cause jewellers found thut the harder
the gold was. rendered by good alloy
the greater It's wearing qualities and
the more secure. therefore, the setting
OF the gems Ii contained. Our jcwe!ry
now is OF Is. II or 10 cnrats, according
to the design and character of the ar
tlcle, ana II is much moro frequently
10 than 10.
THE law requires us to mark on the
article itself or OH the card to which
: 1t is attached the exact value OF the
, gold In NIL the parts, just as the food
manufacturers are now obliged to
stnte the ingredients of the package on
the label, and IL heavy penalty Is ut
tachcd 10 the use OF the words solid
gold II any part of the article contains
less than 10 cnrats of gold
There Is Il biz now being prepared
to be introduced ut the next Congress
TO abolish the use of this term ami
substitute the carat stamp for It, and
both wholesale nnd retail jewellers
over the country will work hard for
It's passage. We believe the term is
calculated to deceive, even when fully
explained. This BILL If passed, will re-
quirc manufacturers 10 stamp all gold
articles with the number OF cnrats
registered. Half carat Will lie al
lowed for errors, but the Manufacture
or Will have 10 soc TIKI the gold comes
within this limit. This would be n
great help to tile buying public rs well
ns to us. for then everybody could see
Mt once what he is getting and there
would not be so many chances for a
comeback at us"