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WE have already said, that Gold, Silver, and Red Copper may be Enamel'd; now to make true Work, you must use only pure Gold, because Silver makes White Enamel appear Yellow, and Copper rises in Scales, and makes Vapours; for tho all Enamel sticks to it, yet it is but very imperfectly,
and may be easily divided and peeled off again; be∣sides, the Colours are so wretched on it, and lose much of their Charm and Lustre by the Impurity of that Metal.
Therefore, if you would have good Work, let Gold only be your Subject, and of the purest, if you employ clear Enamel, because on impure Gold they grow dull, and become imperfect, that is to say, there appears with this a certain obscure and Cloudy Vapour in the Enamel, which deadens and takes a∣way the Life of its Colour.
The Gold Plate ought to be rising, and when it is forged very even, the Goldsmiths apply white Ena∣mel over and under it, tho it is to be wrought but on one side, but this is necessary for two Reasons: First, Because the Work is neater and fairer for it: And a∣gain, Because if it were only Enamel'd on one side, the Fire would swell it, and so make it rise, and that in Bubbles; because it is always as it were torment∣ed, especially when the Pieces are great, and the Enamel carelesly laid on; this makes it produce Bli∣sterings, which disfigure the Work; the French Chy∣mists call such Vegoter, but their Goldsmiths Petits Ocuillets: This disfiguring of the Work, you may avoid, by laying Enamel on both sides of the Plate of Gold, and thicker over than under, this will keep it equal and even on both sides, the first lay of White Enamel remaining / smooth in this conditi∣on, serves for a Field to place all your other Colours on as we will further discourse of in the Art of Pour∣traying.
Oyl of Spike is used for dissolving thick and opaque Enamel before it can be applied; for the Transpa∣rent you need use nothing but fair Water, as we shall shew in Chap. 185. and then 'tis couched flat and bordered with the Metal, and sometimes we don't border at all, the Field being all Enamel, but this is
troublesome, because the Limpid Enamels as they melt, often mix, and so confound the Colours which constantly happens when the Pieces 〈◊〉〈◊〉 small.
Red Enamels are not so, unless by chance, and come generally Yellowish out of the Fire; assoon as 'tis ap∣plied to the Gold, it alters the Colour; one may soon bring it to a perfect Red Enamel, by turning it at the Mouth of your Furnace, when you are taking it out from the Fire; and then it is that the Work∣men say they make it Red, and give it its compleat Colour.
Gold, as we have already said, admits of all sorts of Enamel, clear or opaque, bright Purple excep∣ted, which is altered by the Yellow-colour of the Gold, and does not take so good effect there, as on Silver, on which it ought still to be used. The Way of working every sort of Enamel, is alike; not to make any useless Repetitions, we will satisfie our selves only to advise you to employ all those Ena∣mels prescribed in the Sixth Book, which have every illustrating and convenient Property to be wished for in this Work.