Gold-Beaters. S51 



the proper form and extent. In beating the gold, it is, by re^ 

 peated operations with a hammer, brought to the required thin 

 state ; but it is in large leaves, of an irregular shape, and these, 

 when reduced to the prescribed form and size, necessarily leave 

 much clippings, all of which are carefully preserved for future 

 applications, and contribute some addition, perhaps 10 per cent., 

 to the gains of the manufacturer. 



The account here given, of the gold-beater's operations, ap- 

 plies more especially to the trade as carried on at Birmingham, 

 where the chief leaf-gold is of the thinnest kind, and in which, 

 consequently, the wages bear the highest proportion to the va- 

 lue of the gold. In London, though some little leaf-gold is 

 made, chiefly for the use of painters, as low as L. 3, 10s. the 

 thousand books, the greater part is of a thickness which makes 

 it worth from L. 4 to L. 4, 10s., and from that price upwards to as 

 high as L. 9. It thus appears that the proportion of the wages 

 to the gold varies excessively ; in the thinnest leaves amounting 

 to more than two-fifths, and the thickest, which requires less 

 hammering, to less than one-tenth. 



This disquisition may appear too minute, and may, perhaps, 

 be tiresome to the reader ; but it was made, among other in- 

 quiries, to verify the calculation, framed in another way, on the 

 quantity of gold used by the gold-beaters. Having ascertained 

 the number of hands, the rate of wages earned, and the weight 

 of gold weekly used in a particular shop, and then learning the 

 number of workmen in the other similar shops, an estimation 

 was made, which came sufficiently near to that produced by the 

 relations of the several persons conversant in that branch of bu- 

 siness, to satisfy the inquirer that his view could not be far re- 

 moved from the truth. 



We arrive thus at a conclusion, that the annual consumption 

 of all the gold-beaters in the British kingdom is about 17,500 

 ounces of fine gold. 



Another description of gilding requires annually a great por- 

 tion of pure gold. This trade is sometimes distinguished by 

 the name of water-gilding, and a considerable branch of it by 

 that of tot^ or button gilding. The gold, in the form of dust 

 or fine powder, is mingled with quicksilver, and, in a consist- 

 ency like paste, is applied to the metals that are to be gilt. 



