358 Jewellers. 



ception of what is required for such dehcate parts of the work 

 as can only be executed with fine gold. 



In conversing with some of the largest manufacturers of 

 jewellery, whose trade consisted chiefly in making what are 

 called heavy articles, such as mourning rings, snuff-boxes, chains, 

 plain bracelets, and similar ornaments, it was ascertained that 

 they used no refined gold. Two houses, especially, whose use 

 of gold weekly exceeds 100 ounces, asserted that they never 

 purchased any refined gold, but bought old English light guineas 

 and sovereigns, or foreign coin by weight, and lowered the qua- 

 lity to the degree of fineness most applicable to the particular 

 objects for which they were designed. Another informant, who 

 paid the highest amount of duty at Goldsmiths' Hall, affirmed 

 that he purchased no refiner's gold ; and another, whose trade 

 consisted in making the more delicate, as well as the heavy ar-^ 

 tides, stated, that " on taking an account of the various quali- 

 ties of gold used in their manufactory during the last four years, 

 it was found that the proportion of fine gold was nearly six- 

 tenths, and of standard gold, consisting of light guineas, ports, 

 and doubloons, four-tenths." 



Among eighteen of the largest manufacturers of jewellery in 

 London, the fact was ascertained, as nearly as such kind of facts 

 can be, that their weekly consumption of standard gold amounted 

 in the whole to 1000 ounces, whilst the fine gold they used did 

 not amount to more than 300 ounces. This information is cer- 

 tainly very imperfect, when the master manufacturers in that 

 trade, including those on a moderate scale, are more than ten 

 times as numerous, and whilst the smaller manufacturers who 

 work in obscure garrets, or in other lodgings, and use perhaps 

 not more than two or three ounces of gold monthly, are known 

 to be many hundreds. Among this latter numerous description 

 of workmen, some, to whom a short credit is an object, repair 

 to the refiners for their small portions of metal ; whilst those who 

 have a little money beforehand, will prefer buying a light guinea, 

 a napoleon, a moidore, or some other foreign piece of money ^ 

 the weight of which may be best adapted to their finances and 

 the articles on which they are employed. 



In calculations of this kind, an inquirer should be constantly 

 apprehensive of exaggerated statements and reports, and that 



