Surni— Ancient Irish Gold and Silver Ornaments. 737 



'Colour of the specimen was a very rich, golden yellow. It weighed 

 17'5 grains. Its analysis shows it to consist of — 



Gold, per cent., . . . . 98-02 

 Silver, ,, (by diff.), . . 1-98 



Copper, ,, . . . . trace 



100-00 



Fineness in carats, . . = 23-52 

 Specific gravity . . = 19" 103 



From the results obtained it is evident that the article is made from 

 gold of a very high standard. As none of the fillets in the Eoyal Irish 

 Academy collection have been subjected to analysis, their composition 

 is unknown ; it is impossible, therefore, to compare the above results 

 with any articles of a similar kind, but one of the specimens examined 

 by Mr. Mallet^ approaches very closely in composition the fillet 

 examined and, considering the high standard of the gold, is of interest 

 for comparison. It was part of a twist of wires (museum number 

 188), of about one-tenth of an inch in diameter each, the whole length 

 of the twist, which is straight, being about six inches. Mr. Wilde 

 (in his Catalogue of the Gold Antiquities of the Royal Irish Academy 

 collection, p. 76) describes the specimen as " a portion of a torque, 

 formed of four wires, twisted together, and encircled at the end by a 

 decorated collar," The locality in which the specimen was found is 

 unknown. 



The colour is a very deep rich golden yellow. The specific gravity 

 18-593. When analysed its composition proved to be as follows : — 



Gold, per cent., .... 96-90 

 Silver, ,, . . . . 2-49 



Copper, ,, . . . . trace 



99-39 



This is equal to a fineness of 23-25 carats. Mr. Mallet makes the 

 following remarks in connection with this specimen.- "From its 

 workmanship and from its being wire-drawn in the ordinary way 

 through a draw plate, it is probably not nearly so ancient as the other 



^ Trans. Eoyal Irisli Academy, vol. xxii., p. 315. Analysis No. III. 

 •Ibid., vol. xxii., p. 316. 



