Hi Walt,
I have a book from that era titled “Workshop Receipts For
Manufacturers Mechanics & Scientific Amateurs”. It covers the
jewelery topics you mention, as well as plating, soldering, patinas
and coloring in surprising detail. It was published by E & FN Spon,
dated 1881. Your book and mine may be related, mine has a list of
other publications that cover a huge range of trades, but not
jewelery. I am sure these are predecessors to the wonderful books
titled “Henley’s 20th Century Book of 10,000 Formulas Processes And
Trade Secrets”. As a teenager I used to read Henly’s like a novel,
for entertainment. The old names for chemicals, the descriptive
language, the how-to’s starting with the the most basic raw materials
are so quaint and informative.
I am curious about the word “Receipts”, is it an old form of spelling
"recipe", or is “recipe” is a derivitive of “receipt”, or something
else entirely?.
Regards, Alastair