Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets / Or, A Collection of Above 500 Useful Receipts on a Variety of Subjects

by Daniel Young

10. GOLD PLATING FLUID

Warm six ounces of pure rain water, and dissolve in it 2 ounces of cyanide of potassium, then add a 1/4 ounce oxide of gold; the solution will at first be yellowish, but will soon subside to white; then half fill a bottle with whiting, fill it up with this solution and shake it well; you may now take a piece of old cotton, wet it with the solution, rub it well over brass, copper, &c., and it is nicely washed with gold.