| quartation | <chemistry> 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. Synonym: inquartation. Compare Parting. Origin: L. Quartus the fourth: cf. F. Quartation. So called because usually enough silver is added to make the amount of gold in the alloyed button about one fourth. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|