GOLDSMITHING. Strictly, the art of working in gold. More broadly, the term is used to include the working in the precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, etc.). In a still broader sense, the jeweler is often termed a goldsmith although his product consists largely of pieces of personal adornment in which stones (precious, semi-precious and other wise) arc the main features and the setting (frequently of other than the precious metals) is often a matter of minor importance. The subject as here treated refers to the manipula tion of gold for ornamental purposes. (See also SILVERWARE). The chief decorative proc esses used by the goldsmith are: Repousse or driven work, pierced work. chasing, carving, filigree, enamel work in cloisonné and cham pleve styles, niello, etc. Enamel work (except as a subsidiary feature) is done chiefly on or in copper and has been treated elsewhere. (See ENAMELS). On account of the high cost of gold the process of casting is little used as it leaves too thick a relief. See REPoussit.
Technology.— Treated in simple language, the following is the general method of the artist-goldsmith (as differentiated from the modern factory technique) : The work is started with a piece of well-annealed sheet metal. This is reduced by hammering, or roll ing between steel rollers, to the desired thick ness. It is now beaten out with hammers and punches into form and decoration — relief and intaglio (creux). Chasing, chiseling and fin ishing follow. The product of the metal worker has been classified as "flat-ware and "hollow ware"; the treatment for flat-ware (plates, dishes, saucers, spoons, etc.) is simply one of hammering and punching, etc., the embossed work from the under or negative side, then turning the piece (blank) over and working the depressions from the positive side. In hollow-ware (bottles, ewers, etc.), where ac cess to the interior is very limited, the diffi culty is overcome by the use of arms (swages) projecting from the anvil or bench and which enter the interior of the vessel. The "snarling iron" is one of the most useful of these. The ends of these stakes have different forms at the extremities and afford an inner resisting medium on which the hammer can operate ex ternally to create embossed ornament. For the intaglio or depressed work the vessel is filled with a substance (usually pitch) easily melted yet sufficiently hard, when cold, to afford just enough resistance to the blows of hammer and punch. When the work is finished the sub stance is melted and poured out. The•number of tools formerly used by the artist-goldsmith were more or less numerous, but were fash ioned by the individual worker according to his desires. The fact that nomadic tribes, even to the present day, such as Arabs, Csechs, Tzi ganes, etc., are able to produce on their wander
ings very artistic, if not large, pieces of gold smiths' work proves that a heavy "kit" is not so much the requirement as an extended knowl edge (handed down from one generation of the family to the next) of the possibilities inherent in each implement. An anvil, vise, drawplate (for wire), dividers, calipers, hammers with different shaped "panes" (or "peens") and "faces," punches with various faces, scorpers (for lowering the surface by removal), set of engraving tools, swages, soldering irons, blow pipe, etc., are a few of the necessary tools of a practising goldsmith; but the modern factory outfit adds: draw-bench, turning lathe, polish ing lathe, planishing tools, sets of shears, "sparrow hawk," numerous pliers, nippers, treblets, frame-saws, corn-tongs, gauges, mi crometer, drill-stock, etc.
History.— The art of working gold,• though in crude manner, dates back to prehistoric times. The ancient Egyptian goldsmith did cloisonné work with inlays of colored stones and pieces of glass paste. To them we owe the delicate chain-link termed ."trichinopoly." Their minute granulated work was done 3,000 years earlier than that of the Etruscans; their pretty gold necklaces with numerous drops were in such common use that the word necklace (nub) was symbol and term for gold. Gold bead anklets were worn between 8,000 and 5,000 B.C. Their astonishingly artistic gold pectoral ornaments, pierced, carved and inlaid with colored stones, prove the high state of their goldsmiths in art and execution. The .ancient Hebrews derived their knowledge of the -art from their enslavement in Egypt and from Phoenicia. They made golden earrings, finger rings, bracelets, chains; the noted seven branched candlestick and altar vessels of Solo mon's temple and the king's table 'service were of gold. The Greeks in the 8th and 7th cen turies B.C. established colonies from Marseilles to the Crimea and their goldsmiths' work fol lowed in their trade routes. The Scythians had wealth and loved golden ornaments and Greek pieces were plentiful with them, as is attested by the frequent discoveries of gold ornaments in the graves. The Etruscan gold jewelry of beautiful design and such extraordinary deli cacy with its minute filigree and granulation is ever a cause of wonder to this day. Even the conceited spirit of the great Cellini, when asked to make a duplicate of a piece of this antique itation of antique Grecian pieces; also we find long arm spirals and arm rings, neck-rings, diadems, large vessels, even axe-heads of mas sive gold of Celtic origin. The ancient Romans do not appear to have been great gold artificers as the Greeks produced all their rich pieces for their palaces, galleries, etc.