Vol. VII No. 8 
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 
December 1905 
HRISTMAS Greetings to our read- 
ers! We hope they will like our 
holiday number. We have worked 
hard to spread a Yuletide feast 
for them and wish them a good 
digestion! The New Year ap- 
proaches and with it we hope to 
turn^^many new f pages with the 
help of our subscribers. Will 
they not write us a New Year's 
letter, making suggestions as to what they would like for 
the New Year. We will do our best to fulfil their desires. 
Tell us what you think would improve the usefulness of 
Keramic Studio. We may not always agree, but we 
will surely receive many valuable hints. 
It has been thought best to extend the time for the 
competition for the punch-bowl and cup. (See back of 
cover.) Beside the color drawing, as called for, a section 
in black and white, working size, can be submitted rather 
than the entire full size bowl. If preferred, the bowl may be 
done in black and white, accompanied by black and 
white section in full size and a section in color. The full 
size bowl should be 12 to 15 inches in diameter. Special 
attention is called to the shapes of bowl and cup. 
Our ' ' Fruit Book, ' ' which we are sure will be fully as 
popular as our ' ' Rose Book, ' ' will be ready in January. It 
will be a larger book, as it will contain the studies published 
in six years, while the ' ' Rose Book ' ' was the collection of 
four years. 
We are approaching the season of exhibitions. Have 
the various clubs given up their fall sales. W^e will be glad 
to hear from them with illustrations of the more interesting 
exhibits. We are always glad to give club and studio news, 
and illustrations when received in time. Sometimes we 
have to cut the cloth according to the space, but where pos- 
sible we give as much space as we can. 
We would be glad to have drawings in black and white 
of any subject suitable for china decoration submitted 
from time to time by our subscribers. At present we are 
needing greatly studies and arrangements of miniature 
flowers, fruit, etc., for small pieces; also good simple designs 
for beginners. 
THE CLASS ROOM 
On account of lack of space the articles on gold work 
will be continued in the January Keramic Studio. 
J. J' 
ROMAN GOLD. 
[KEI'RlN'rED] 
Emily F. Peacock. 
To the amateur, the preparing of gold for keramic dec- 
oration seems a great undertaking, but with the proper 
apparatus, materials and care, this should not be. Then 
the pleasure and profit derived from using pure gold more 
than compensates for time expended. There are two meth- 
ods generally used. In both the metal is dissolved in aqua, 
regia, and when precipitated is in the form of a light brown 
powder. By one method the gold is precipitated by ferros 
sulphate (copperas), the other by mercury. The former I 
prefer, and give as follows: Take four penny-weights of 
pure ribbon gold, cut into small pieces, and put in a large 
measuring glass or porcelain vessel holding not less than a 
pint, cover with about an ounce and a half of aqua regia, 
placing over vessel a piece of common glass. Let this stand 
over night in a large room, or preferably, in the open air. 
In the morning pour the chloride of gold into two glass ves- 
sels, each holding three pints or more, being very careful 
not to waste a drop, as every grain counts when the precip- 
itate is formed. Then make a solution, taking about a 
quart of warm water to an ounce of ferros sulphate. When 
thoroughly dissolved, add to the chloride until precipita- 
tion begins, clouding the liquid, and the gold in the form of 
brown powder will begin to fall to the bottom of the vessel. 
Tet this stand four or five hours, or until entirely settled; 
then pour off the clear liquid from the precipitate, treating 
it as before, as the gold held in solution may not all have 
been precipitated; i. e., pour off clear liquid into another 
vessel, to this must be added more of the prepared solution, 
until it is cloudy as in the first instance; if it refuses to 
cloud there is no more gold in solution. Wash the precip- 
itate left in the vessels with warm water, let it stand until 
settled, pour off, and repeat the process twice. The wash- 
ing consists of stirring the precipitate with a glass rod a 
few times in the water. When it has settled for the last 
time, pour off the water and transfer to a shallow plate 
that will bear heat; place over this a paper cover, and put in 
front or over a fire. When quite dry, rub down with a muller ; 
when it is ready for use or to be fluxed. Divide your pow- 
der into penny-weights. In this way you will find out how 
much you have made. All liquid used should be poured 
through filter paper afterwards, to make sure you do not 
lose the smallest quantity. When dry this may be burned, 
and only the grains of gold remain. To make flux, use 
nitrate of bismuth, twelve parts, to one part of pulverized 
borax; mixing one part flux to twelve parts the gold 
powder. When ready to use, rub down to a proper con- 
sistency with fat oil and spirits of turpentine, taking care 
not to make it too thin. If made as directed, one coat of 
this gold is sufficient. 
A couple of glass rods, several pieces of glass for covers, 
and a large jar to hold solution, besides vessels already men- 
tioned, will be necessary, and each one of these must be 
washed scrupulously clean before using. Glazed paper is 
best for wrapping up gold powder, and a small pair of scales 
will be found very useful. 
