GOLD LACE. A fabric formed by weaving silken threads that have been previously gilded. The peculiarity of this manufacture consists in the gilding of the silk in such a manner that it shall retain sufficient flexibility for weaving. A deep yellow or orange-colored silk is used for the pur pose. The usual method of doing this is by what is called 'fibre plating.' A rod of silver is gilded by simply pressing and burnishing leaves of gold• upon it. This gilded silver is then drawn into very fine wire, so fine that one ounce of metal can be extended to the length of more than a mile. It is then flattened between polished steel rollers, and further extended, so that a mile and a quarter weighs only one ounce; for the last drawing the wire is passed through perforated gems, such as diamonds or rubies. The film of gold upon this flattened wire is much thinner than beaten gold leaf, and has frequently been quoted as an example of the divisibility of mat ter, as one inch of the highly gilded wire con tains but the eighty-millionth part of an ounce of gold, while 4, of an inch, which is a visible quantity exhibiting the color and lustre of gold, contains but an ounce; or, in other words, one ounce of gold covers a length of wire of more than 100 miles. This flattened gilded
wire is then wound over the silk, so as to in close it completely, and produce an apparently golden thread. Other means of directly gilding the thread have been tried, and for some purposes are successful; but none have yet been discovered which give the thread the same degree of lustre as the above, which was first practiced in a ruder manner by the Hindus. Much of the so-called gold lace of commerce is made of an alloy known as Dutch metal. SILVER LACE is made in the same manner as gold lace, except that the gold coating is omitted. Both gold and silver lace are used extensively for military and other uniforms, and for ornamental effects in women's apparel.