Gold, Jew′eller’s

This term is applied to alloys of gold used for trinkets and inferior articles of jewelry, ranging from 3 or 4 carats fine upwards; or which are too inferior to receive the ‘Hall mark’. The lowest alloy of this cla is formed of copper, 16 parts; silver, 1 to 1 1 ⁄ 2 part; gold, 2 to 3 parts; melted together. This is worth only from 8 s. 6 d. to 9 s. 6 d. the oz. It has recently been found that gold of the quality of 12 carats, or le , if alloyed with zinc instead of the proper quantity of silver, presents a colour very nearly equal to that of a metal at least 2 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 carats higher, or of 8 s. or 10 s. an ounce more value; and the consequence has been that a large quantity of jewellery has been made of gold alloyed in this manner; and the same has been purchased by some shopkeepers, very much to their own lo as well as that of the public; inasmuch as a galvanic action is produced, after a time, upon gold so alloyed, by means of which the metal is split into several pieces, and the articles rendered perfectly usele .