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Characteristics of Gold
Gold is like no other metal on earth, and has been recognized for its uniqueness since ancient times. The word "gold" comes from the Indo-European word "ghel" which meant yellow. It is a dense or thick metal that does not react when mixed with chemicals. Because it is chemically inert, gold does not tarnish; a piece of gold remains looking the same throughout time.
Historical Making of Gold Leaf
Despite its denseness, gold is the most malleable of all metals, meaning it can be easily stretched into wire or flattened into thin sheets. One ounce of gold can be hammered thin enough to cover a surface almost 97 square feet in size. Flattening gold is the first step toward making gold leaf. Historically it was made by pounding sheets of gold over and over, cutting those sheets into smaller sheets, then repeating the process again and again until sheets measured about an inch in size.
Modern Gold Leaf Manufacturing
Today, gold leaf flakes are smaller than their ancient counterparts. Gold sheets are fed into machinery with metal rollers that continually flatten the sheets, rolling and compressing the gold to a thickness of seven millionths of an inch. Cut into smaller pieces measuring less than half an inch, gold leaf flakes are then packaged in plastic boxes or plastic or glassine bags.
Oil Gilding
The application of gold leaf flakes is called gilding. There are two traditional types of gilding: Oil gilding and water gilding. Oil gilding lays down an oil-based varnish or adhesive, which dries to a tacky finish. Gold leaf flakes are applied before the varnish completely dries. After drying, excess flakes are brushed off. Oil gilded surfaces have a matte to moderately bright appearance and can be coated with a clear overcoat for protection.
Water Gilding
Water gilding is much more complex. It is used on wood, so it is found on furniture or picture frames. The wooden surface is prepared with multiple coats of gesso and then sanded before another layer, this one called a clay bole, is applied and dried. Next, the wood surface is coated with a mix of water, alcohol and glue. When that dries, the gold flakes are applied individually with a fine sable brush by the gilder. Water gilded surfaces are then burnished to bring out the rich color of the gold.
Crafting with Gold Leaf Flakes
Crafters working with gold leaf flakes no longer have to go through such complex steps. Adhesives made specifically for applying gold leaf to a number of surfaces are available. Most mimic the steps of oil gilding, in which a surface grabs onto the individual leaves. The excess leaves that fall off after rubbing the gilded surface can be captured and reused on future projects.