L.G. BALFOUR Co.Attleboro, Massachusetts
L.G. Balfour Co. - Attleboro, Mass. - 1914

L.G. Balfour Co. - Attleboro, Mass. - 1922

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1922

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1922


L.G. Balfour Co. - Attleboro, Mass. - 1922

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1927

L.G. Balfour Co. - Attleboro, Mass. - 1927

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1927

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1930

L.G. Balfour Company - Attleboro, Mass. - 1933

L.G. Balfour Co. - Attleboro, Mass. - 1933
The relations between Phi Gamma Delta and the L. G. Balfour Co., the official jeweler, have been very cordial. Mr. Balfour is a member of Sigma Chi and has been building up a reputation that has won for him the title of official jeweler for nearly forty fraternities and sororities. Under the caption, "Where Tri Belt Crescents Grow," the Trident of Delta Delta Delta gives this interesting glimpse of the Balfour workshop:
Did you ever want to know how our stars and crescent badges are made? Our jewelers, the L. G. Balfour Company, have the second floor of a brick building and a huge factory behind it in Attleboro, Massachusetts, a quaint and interesting New England town which is inhabited by continuous rows of manufacturing jewelers and die cutters. Attleboro is said to be the jewelry-making center of the United States and the finest artists in this line of trade are assembled here.
At the front are Balfour's office and a big room and with dozens of typewriters where many girls receive our jewelry orders, check them and handle the routine work. The factory is a long, narrow room, lined with windows on three sides, with plenty of air and sunshine. The middle floor space contains the delicate polishing wheels, the heavy die stampers, metal cutters, and all other machinery necessary to the quick and accurate manipulation of precious metals. A small electric furnace supplies any heat needed without the dust and unpleasantness of an outside fire. The side walls are bordered solidly with desks, tables and work-benches. Two things impressed me at once about the workers. First, their utter absorption in their tasks, and second, that they are a most unusual crowd of educated, well-mannered and good-looking people. The majority of them are girls. Some one has said that Attleboro is a haven for women workers. Gold, silver, and precious stones are so beautiful, the tasks are not heavy, the environment is good, and I understand that the compensation is worth while.
An order for a Delta pin received in the office is checked and passed on to a sort of cage in the factory, where proper material is issued and our badge begins in a small block of gold. This is forced into a hardened steel die to be cut into proper shape. The crescent is trimmed and polished and the safety catch and star sets are welded on it. The star sets are made in sort of a tube, a tool that was invented and made especially for our needs. It is most complicated, but makes our stars with accuracy and celerity — and they tell me they are quite difficult to manufacture. The three Deltas are enamelled, a most interesting process in itself. Do you know that enamel is a mineral formation and comes in lumps that must be pounded into a fine powder and then soaked in distilled water? And when it comes from the baking process it doesn't look right at all. You would believe that the pin had been entirely ruined, but the polishing wheel soon fixed things up in fine shape. The pearls set in the stars are most carefully selected for color, shape, and size. A thousand of our stones don't make a handful, but Oh! they are lovely. These little jewels can hardly be obtained at any price now, and a special messenger was sent to France in order to obtain enough of them to take care of our Deltas this winter.
Tri Delta is fortunate in having the attention of a large manufacturer, for the small dealers have been unable to buy pearls at anything like a reasonable price for some time.
After each process mentioned above our badge goes to the polishing wheel and finally receives a most careful finishing and inspection before its journey to the engraving machine which makes it your own particular property. From the engraver, the pin goes to the shipping department, is once inspected and is sent to you just as soon as the O. K. from the national marshal releases it.
It was astonishing to note the careful attention given each badge through each process and also the number of people who gave it their best services and artistry.
Any Tri Delta will leave Attleboro with a firm conviction that everything possible is being done to make Delta Delta Delta jewelry the finest of its class that can be manufactured.Source:
The Phi Gamma Delta - 1922
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