THE NOBLE METALS AND JEWELllY. 131 



are produced by the peasants in tlie g-overnment of Kazan in the village Eybnoi 

 where rings, bracelets and other ornaments worn principally by the Tartars are 

 made. The peasants work silver also in the governments of Vladimir and Moscow, 

 and in the villages of the latter government the industry is valued at 200,000 

 roubles. 



To the silver industry belong also the black enamel works. This business has 

 been principally practised since ancient times, in Veliki-Oustioug, government of 

 Vologda, where it came according to tradition from Novgorod, during the reign of 

 Ivan the Terrible. Its special characteristics consist in the pretty shades and the 

 durability of the black enamel which differs much from that of Moscow. Now the 

 industry has nearl}"^ ceased in Veliki-Oustioug, but is very much developed in Moscow 

 ;ind especially in the Caucasus. 



The making of leaf gold and leaf silver belong also to this category of indus- 

 tries. They are made in workshops and by peasants who get the silver and gold in 

 thin ribbons, 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Such a ribbon which weighs about 

 7 zolotniks is first cut into small square pieces, which under the hammer are gradu- 

 ally divided into many leaves, the number of which amounts finally to as high as 

 2,000, each leaf being of 12 inches square ; the}^ are put into a book of tissue paper, 

 from 60 to 120 leaves in each. The production of leaf silver and of leaf gold is 

 especially developed in the governments of Moscow and Kaluga, to the value of 500,000 

 roubles yearly. As in Eussia gold of the best quality, namely of 94 standard, is used 

 for making leaf gold; the quality of the latter in Eussia is much higher than that 

 of other countries. 



The same may be said of the Eussiau gold and silver thread which by its 

 quality also exceeds the foreign make. The first fabric for such thread was founded 

 in Moscow, about 1770 and its manufacture by hand dates from the introduction of 

 Christianity into Eussia. Much of this thread is exported to Persia and India. The 

 high qualities of the Eussian gold and silver thread and tissues are well known; 

 the Eussian gold tissue cloth called parcha has no rival of its sort in the world. 



The most extensive fabric for making thread and tissues in gold and silver 

 are in Moscow, one of which, belonging to the firm Vladimir Alexeev, has a yearly 

 turnover of 1,000,000 roubles. All the work is done by machines, even the 

 stamping of the so-called sparkles. The household thread making industry is centred 

 in the governments of Moscow and Tver and amounts to the sum of 600,000 roubles 

 per annum. The production of gold and silver in leaves, threads and tissues, includ- 

 ing the domestic industry as well, amounts to 3,000,000 roubles yearly. 



In conclusion it should be observed that the making of articles from platinum 

 has been introduced into Eussia only in recent years and that not in large dimen- 

 sions, as the demand for objects in that metal is very limited. The principal fabrics 

 for producing articles in platina are those of Koljje and Lindfors and the chemical 

 works of Tentelev, both of which are in St. Petersburg. They produce apparatus for 

 the condensation of phosphoric acid, evaporating cups, melting pots, plates and wires, 

 'and of the latter there is a considerable export. 



The production of articles in gold and silver, as also of jewelry especially in- 

 creased in the years of 1880, and since then it has remained nearly constant. In 

 1889 there were 52 factories containing 15 steam machines with a total of 250 horse 



9* 



