Clark’s patent alloy—
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Shot copper | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nickel | 0 | 3 | 18 |
| Spelter | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| Tin | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Cobalt | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 1 | 6 | 16 |
White alloy—
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Shot copper | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tin | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Arsenic | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1 | 11 | 0 |
Alloy with platinum—
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine silver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Platinum | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1 | 5 | 0 |
Alloy with palladium—
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine silver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Palladium | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1 | 5 | 0 |
The platinum and palladium of which the last two alloys are composed, although very difficult to use in combination with any other metal, readily unite in any proportions with silver; and it has been found that such alloys are not so easily tarnished as the ordinary ones, or even as fine silver itself. These various alloys serve to effect the several purposes for which they are employed in manufactures; wires prepared from any of them will supply the place of silver, as brooch tongs, stems for pins, catches and joints, &c. for articles of common quality and cheap workmanship. They are also employed for preparing the ground for “electro-plate,” for which they are very serviceable. When, however, these alloys are employed by the regular silversmith, care should be taken not to get the scraps of metal in any way mixed with those of the better material, otherwise difficulties will soon begin to present themselves, which will materially interfere with the regular and proper working of the best silver alloys; and in fact, with all qualities that have originally been prepared free from nickel. Those prepared from nickel are much more infusible than those made without it; consequently, if a piece of the nickel alloy, either by accident or design, gets intermixed with the other quality, in a subsequent melting, it will be found to float upon the surface of the molten metal for some considerable time, and thus retard the process. Alloys prepared in imitation of silver are harder and much more difficult to work than those of the true metal; therefore it can easily be imagined what alteration the latter undergo upon the addition of some of the former compounds. The hardness and toughness which these alloys possess admirably adapt them for such purposes as we have described.