286 JEWELLERS. 



CHAP. XXVI. 



gree of inferior workmanship, at Derby and Liver- 

 pool, but more especially at Birmingham. At the 

 latter place much gold is so mixed with alloys, in the 

 combination of which much chemical knowledge is 

 applied, that it can be sold at all prices from a 

 half to even a quarter the cost of standard gold. 

 From metal of these several degrees of fineness 

 ornaments are made which enable the more nu- 

 merous class, a little below the fashionable world, 

 to rival their superiors in fashion, and with no 

 danger of their inferiority being detected except 

 by the very small number who are critical judges 

 of the metals. 



Another step has been made in the progress 

 of suiting ornaments to the finances of a still 

 more numerous class of lovers of dress. Of late 

 years the practice of plating with gold in a man- 

 ner similar to that long practised with silver has 

 been introduced. A thin plate of gold is fixed on 

 a thicker one of inferior metal, and then by means 

 of the powerful flatting-mills the substance is ex- 

 tended to the space desired, and presents a sheet 

 on one side of thin gold and on the other of in- 

 ferior metal. From this metal thus compounded 

 great numbers of seals and other small articles are 

 made which are gold to appearance, and will re- 

 tain that appearance even when constantly worn 

 during ten or twelve years. 



The gilding of metal, by applying to it powder 

 gold combined with quicksilver so as to leave 



