Jewelers Practical Receipt Book

Jewelry Discussion
#1

Orchidians,

A couple of years ago I purchased a small paperback booklet titled
"Jewelers Practical Receipt Book". It was published in Chicago, by
George K. Hazlitt & Co Publishers. It is dated 1887. Have any of you
readers come across this publication in the past? It appears to be
one of the early versions of what we now commonly refer to as our
"trade mags". Some of the areas covered:

  1. Aluminum silver
  2. Brass, Tempering
  3. Cold black pickle for brass
  4. Ivory, to make flexible
  5. Pearls, to restore lustre of (I’ve yet to try that one)

Just curious.

Walt Teats
American Goldworks

#2

Hi Walt,

A couple of years ago I purchased a small paperback booklet titled
"Jewelers Practical Receipt Book"

Sounds interesting - the kind of thing that should be scanned into a
PDF file and published on line…

Ian
Ian W. Wright
Sheffield UK

#3

I have the original book in hard back, I believe there was a reprint
in the 70’s (condensed down a bit). Has lots of useful info. I’m
working on transcribing it as the original is a bit fragile.

Regards,
Matt

#4

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

#5

Alastair,

I checked w/ several “trade folk” & it was their understanding that
it meant “recipe”. I also checked the “Wikipedia” dictionary:

Receipt (noun)

  1. The act of receiving, or the fact of having been received.

  2. (in plural) a quantity or amount received; takings

  3. A written acknowledgment that a specified article or sum of money
    has been received.

  4. A recipe

So…in answer to your question, it’s a “recipe” book not unlike a
cookbook (albeit for gold & silver workers).

Walt Teats
American Goldworks