quartation
The act, process, or result (in the process of parting) of alloying a button of nearly pure gold with enough silver to reduce the fineness so as to allow acids to attack and remove all metals except the gold.
Noun
- The act, process, or result (in the process of parting) of alloying a button of nearly pure gold with enough silver to reduce the fineness so as to allow acids to attack and remove all metals except the gold.
Origin
Latin quartus, "fourth", because usually enough silver is added to make the amount of gold in the alloyed button about one fourth.