ORNAMENTAL SURFACE FOR JEWELLERY AND LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said. Invention for "ORNAMENTAL
SURFACE FOR JEWELLERY AND LIKE ARTICLES" which Invention has been com-
municated to me from abroad by James Wesley Miller of Newark in the County
of Essex and State of New Jersey in the United States of America Manufacturer
of Jewellery and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object the production of an ornamental surface for
articles of Jewellery or the like. It consists in the use of thin scales or particles
of different colored gold, silver, or platinum or other metal, which are cut or formed
from thin sheets of the metal in irregular forms and then applied to the surface to
be ornamented. The mode in which it is preferred to carry out the invention is
as follows: The article of Jewellery to which the ornamental surface is to be
applied is in the sinooth condition in which it commonly comes from the rolls it
being already shaped into the desired form. There are then taken, for instance,
a thin sheet of Platinum, a thin sheet of red gold, and a thin sheet of green gold,
and small irregular pieces or flakes are sheared or clipped from each of these sheets
in about equal quantities. These different colored flakes are then mixed together
thoroughly, and some of them are taken and applied haphazard to the surface to be
ornamented. The preferred mode of doing this is to take the ordinary solution of
Borax and water, and dip a Camels hair brush into it, then put the camels hair
brush among the flakes so mixed together and apply as many of them as adhere
to the brush upon the surface of the plate to be ornamented. This is continued
until the surface of the plate is entirely covered or so much of it as it may be
desired to cover. Finely divided solder is then sprinkled over the whole surface.
The moisture is then gently dried or allowed to dry out of the borax after which
heat is applied for the purpose of melting the solder thus perfectly securing the
flakes to the surface of the article.
The article is then boiled in dilute Sulphuric Acid to take off the fire coat in the
usual way-If it be desired to color the interstices between the flakes of varied
colors, it can be done by the usual Acid coloring process, provided the surface upon
which the flakes are laid be of gold. Of course the gold must be of sufficient
fineness to admit of this process. If the surface upon which the flakes are laid be
of base metal, or of gold of not sufficient fineness to admit of the acid coloring
process, then a similar effect can be produced by electroplating the whole with
gold. By this process silver or other desired metal in place of gold can be used to

page_text: form the surface. When the acid process is used care must of course be taken
to use coloured gold for the flakes that is not liable to be injured by the Acid.
The next step after the application of the Acid process is to scratch brush the
whole surface of the article. This completes the finish of the portions of the article
not covered by the flakes, and also the interstices between the flakes. The next
step is to polish the surface of the flakes. This brings out the color of the gold,
but at the same time the contrasts are not very striking owing to the reflection
caused by the polish. For some purposes the process may now be considered
complete, as the effect produced is very beautiful. If it be desired however to
produce a strong contrast of color, then a dead finish is made over the surface of
the flakes, by matting, engraving or other process suitable to produce the desired
effect. Where the battery process has been used, the piece is finished in a similar
manner to what has been before described except that the polishing must of course
be carried to a sufficient extent to rub the electro deposit of gold or other metal
off the surface of the colored flakes. The piece is then completed and only has to
be rouged and finished in the way well understood.
The effect of thus grouping together flakes of different coloured gold so as to
form a surface for an article of Jewellery of irregularly variegated color, is
extremely beautiful and differs radically from any other ornamentation that has
been heretofore used in the Jewellers art. The effect produced upon the eye,
where the colors are properly chosen, is somewhat analogous to the irridescent
effect familiar in the Opal.
Another mode of carrying out my Invention is by using instead of the flakes,
filings of different colored inetals-Great variations in the effect can be produced
depending upon the relative fineness and coarseness of the filings and their
varigated color-A very pretty effect can be produced by using platinum and
gold filings only. The flakes need not be distributed over the surface of the article
of Jewellery so as to be in actual contact with each other. The effect may bo
The flakes
varied by having them sprinkled over the surface at small intervals.
may vary greatly in size and the effect is enhanced by their not approaching
regularity in shape. Very beautiful effects may be produced by having a raised
polished ornamentation upon a back ground of this variegated flake surface.
It will readily be seen that a similar effect to that produced as above described
might be produced by the use of flakes of Aluminium, and various other metals
and combinations of metal, whether base or otherwise aud that surfaces of baso
metal or of substances other than metal might be used to receive the flakes.
It is also obvious that this Invention is applicable to watch cases, silver ware,
and other articles that are not classed as Jewellery in its strictest sense.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. The process herein described of producing an ornamental surface upon
an article of Jewellery or other analogous article, by means of flakes or particles
of metal irregularly applied and of varied colour substantially as herein before
described.
Second. As a new article of manufacture an article of Jewellery or other
analogous article, having an ornamental surface produced by flakes or particles
of metal, irregularly applied and of varied color substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 28th day of October 1884.