Gilding of jewelry with gold leaf

What is gold leaf

From Old Russian, the word “susala” has a definition - face, cheekbone. This is due to the fact that previously gold leaf was used to cover only the front part of the object. The material could be seen on icons, statues, and other rarities. Today, gold leaf coating is used to make various details, jewelry, crafts, and furniture brighter and richer. To make such a gilded sheet, the craftsman must forge a piece of metal into a thin wire, and then roll it into a 2-3 mm plate with a ligature weight.

Compound

The composition of such material may vary and depends on the different specifics of production. For example, in addition to gold, it may contain silver, copper, palladium, cadmium, zinc, and nickel. If you add a ligature, that is, an additional metal, you can achieve different shades and colors of gold leaf. It can be yellow, red, white, green, orange and pale yellow.

Try

In Russia, this material complies with GOST and must contain mandatory components in certain quantities. Standard leaf coating will always be 960. At the enterprise, it is placed in special books between sheets of special paper. The book of material consists of 60 square sheets that weigh only a few g. You should not touch the sheets with your hands - they may simply tear. Leaf coating composition:

gold – 96%;
silver – 1%;
copper – 1%;
other – 2%.

How it is produced

A piece of gold is taken and flattened on an anvil with a hammer, then this strip is cut into plates and, after several hours of forging with hammers of various sizes, it is pressed into a thin film, tens of times thinner than a human hair. To prevent the plate from sticking to the hammer and breaking, it is placed between two layers of “gear.” In Ancient Rus', it was made from beef liver chaff, or from animal intestines.

Now, of course, such methods are a rarity, and plastic is used to process gold leaf, and hammers have been replaced by computerized machines. The thickness of the sheet is regulated not only by the master, but also by the condition of its use in the future. On sale there are sheets of the same size 9.5x9.5 cm, but of different thicknesses. It depends on the weight of the gold leaf ligature. To make one and a half thousand sheets you need one hundred grams of alloy. Thin sheets are used in interior decoration - for gilding frames, icon cases and other objects. Thicker sheets, weighing three to five grams, are used for gilding domes, facade decoration and sculptures. For example, in Petrodvorets the Samson fountain is gilded with five gram gold leaf.

Gold leaf Noris

The German company for the production of leaf coating Noris is currently included in the ranking of leading manufacturers. The company offers high-quality goods on the Russian market, as well as the opportunity to buy gold in an online store. Let's look at the most popular options below:

Name: pure palladium Noris.
Price: 2800 rubles.
Characteristics: one book contains 25 sheets, size 80x80 mm.
Pros: can be polished, does not corrode.
Cons: only for interior gilding.

If you decide to decorate the surface in the interior, to make it brighter and more attractive, the Noris “Color Card” leaf coating is perfect:

Name: Noris leaf coating “Color card”.
Price: 2200 rub.
Characteristics: The cover is attached to tissue paper; The width is selected by the customer from 3 mm to 110 mm.
Pros: used for processing long surfaces of the same type.
Cons: The color card can only be purchased if ordered.

A smooth surface lends itself well to processing using gold plates. But what if the object does not have straight lines and is difficult to manipulate? The way out is gold powder:

Name: Noris gold powder.
Price: 12,600 rubles.
Specifications: 23 carats, 2 g; fine powder sample 960; Sold in cans of 2 or 10 g.
Pros: great for applying to uneven surfaces, good for preparing gold varnish.
Cons: Best used only for small items.

What is

But only a few of them have heard and know what “gold leaf” is. On the other hand, most often they do not need this, since this type is used in the decoration and design of church utensils and domes.

Use of picture frames in decoration.

In Kievan Rus, similar gilding technologies became widely used at the beginning of the 10th century. Thanks to this, for centuries the domes of many churches and a huge amount of church accessories were covered.

In modern times, thin sheets of gold are often used in architecture, and not only in churches. Decorating parts of a building, as well as the interior, with yellow metal is a sign of excellent taste and high income of the owner.

At this stage, the enchanting shine of gold is becoming attractive to more and more people, including famous designers. You can see what gold leaf looks like and its photos on various surfaces in the illustrations for this article.

Gold leaf is sold in jewelry stores in the form of “books,” as well as in shops for artists and designers. They are laid with a layer of tissue paper between sheets of 60 pieces. They also have different sizes: 12x7 cm, 9x9 cm, 8x8 cm, etc.

It is impossible to work with these sheets by hand because they are torn. To produce gold plating, you need a special tool and a certain skill. Gold leaf, depending on which sample is used, becomes more or less sensitive to the influence of external factors and climate.

One of the largest centers for the production of gold and silver leaf, as well as “hybrid” products, is Poshekhonye in the Yaroslavl province.

Gold leaf Russian standard

Classic gold leaf, which has a number of advantages. For example, the material of the Noris “Russian Standard” brand in no case wears off, fades or oxidizes. It is plastic and does not lose its properties for years. If a flat surface is gilded with gold leaf, then one booklet is enough for 0.5 meters of the object. As for stucco, it is recommended to calculate the complexity coefficient of the work. Below is a description of the materials:

Name: leaf coating from the Noris “Russian Standard” brand.
Price: 19300 rub.
Specifications: 60 sheets 91.5x91.5 mm; 4 g, 23 ct.
Pros: durable decorative material.
Cons: the product can only be purchased upon order.

Another good material from the Noris “Russian Standard” brand, it is distinguished by its quality and surprisingly high strength. The downside is that it is only suitable for flat surfaces:

Name: leaf material of the Noris “Russian Standard” brand.
Price: 9550 rub.
Specifications: 23 g, 2 carats.
Pros: reliable gold leaf, which is recommended for use in temples or decorating icons.
Cons: thin material, can be easily damaged.

Use of Vikasol during menstruation
Fibrocystic mastopathy - symptoms and treatment. Signs of the disease
Glycerin suppositories for children - instructions for use and price. How to give glycerin suppositories to a child

No less popular is transfer gilding “Russian Standard”, the main purpose of which is to cover smooth surfaces. It is absolutely not suitable for uneven people:

Name: transfer gilding “Russian standard”.
Price: 3400 rubles.
Specifications: 23 carats, 25 sheets 1.25 mm thick.
Pros: suitable for large, flat surfaces: ceilings, walls; can be cut with scissors.
Cons: Not suitable for small or uneven items.

Not everything that glitters is gold

Gold leaf is difficult to process, and its prices are very high, so today the use of imitation leaf film, the so-called gold leaf, is becoming more and more common. Leaf substitutes consist of various metals or chemical compounds, their task is to imitate the color of gold. For example, it can be an alloy of copper and zinc, or silver and aluminum, painted with colorless varnish after the sheets of these metals are fixed to the product.

The most commonly used is tin disulfide (tin sulfide), which is obtained by passing hydrogen sulfide through a solution of stannous chloride. A similar compound can also be found in gilding paint. Bronze spraying is often used.

The most recent development in this area is gold-plated foil: it is a copper alloy that is coated with 3 microns of nickel and up to five percent cobalt.

An example of gold leaf gilding.

Their cost is three times less than real gold leaf. But who would think of climbing onto the dome of a church and finding out whether the gold on it is fake or not?

Gold leaf Rarity

TM Raritet, unlike previous options, is well suited for painting, as well as decorating small parts and interior items. Let's consider three options offered by the manufacturer:

Name: gold creation from the Raritet brand.
Price: 1 g – 5100 rub.
Characteristics: gold metal powder, suitable for painting icons and paintings.
Pros: it fits with strokes on the picture.
Cons: only for small works or painting books, paintings, icons.

A good option for work is colored gold leaf. Finding it is more difficult than a simple one, the cost of the material is also quite high:

Name: colored gold leaf from the Raritet brand.
Price: the cost is clarified directly with the manufacturer.
Characteristics: reflective effect creates incredible shine, intended for external and internal use.
Pros: resistant to atmospheric agents and weather conditions.
Cons: gold can only be purchased upon order

If you need to cover a large surface, the best option would be transfer gilding, the favorable cost of which makes it possible to decorate three-dimensional objects:

Name: transfer gilding from the Raritet brand.
Price: the cost is clarified directly with the manufacturer.
Characteristics: transfer gold is much easier to work with - it is suitable even for beginners in processing and decorating.
Pros: suitable for both large and small volumes of work.
Cons: more suitable for flat surfaces.

Black Schmidt gold leaf

The Black Schmidt company began its production of the material in 2013. The manufacturer adheres to high standards in gold manufacturing technology and provides a wide selection of products that can be used for large-scale objects and small items:

Name: coating for interior work.
Price: for 1.10 g – 6000 rub.
Characteristics: Suitable for processing large and small decorative works.
Pros: can be used to decorate the interior of the temple, processing domes.
Cons: none.

Finding a good coating for exterior work is not so easy, but Black Schmidt offers an excellent option here too. Gold for external works of this TM is of high quality and durability:

Name: gold for external work.
Price: from 6000 rub.
Characteristics: weight from 1.80 to 4 grams, you can order a color version in the following shades: moonlight, white, red, green.
Pros: fits well on the surface, resistant to natural conditions.
Disadvantages: it is recommended for use only by specialists, and for beginners it is advisable to use a different leaf coating for work.

Gilding technology

The technology of leaf coating stems not only from the practicality of this production (it is one thing to cast a statue from gold and another thing to cover it with a layer of leaf, the ligature weight of which is no more than 5 grams), but gold of such thickness sticks to any smooth surface at the molecular level.

It is thanks to its extraordinary properties that gold firmly holds its position as a way to create luxurious interior items and large-scale projects, such as fountains, baths and statues.

Gold is chemically inert, so it is sometimes used for very exotic purposes, for example, for decorating various food products. In India, expensive sweets are wrapped in it, in Japan you can order “gilded” coffee, and in some European countries you can taste an alcoholic drink (schnaps) with leaf flakes. The legendary Ukrainian vodka “Zoloto Polubotka” also contains microparticles of 23-karat gold (956 purity).

You can find out where else 999 purity gold is used in our article “999 purity gold - what is it used for.”

How to choose gold leaf

Gilding leaf does not differ much between different manufacturers, but some types of material are more suitable for external work (decorating external premises), while others are more suitable for decorating interiors, parts, and furniture. It is recommended that you do not attempt surface finishing with leaf coating unless you have received training. The application technique must be clear and correct so that the result can please you. Here are some recommendations:

If there is a question of covering small and uneven surfaces with leaf material, then it is advisable to take a closer look at the Noris brand. This company offers gold powder. Using a sprayer, the powder covers all folds and small parts of the surface.
To design large-scale works and paint the domes of the temple, it is better to purchase Raritet gold leaf. It is resistant to weather changes and various damages. The material is incredibly reliable and durable, and easy to use. In addition, the brand offers promotions and favorable conditions for customers who purchase products in bulk or in large quantities.
Susalka of the Russian standard is particularly popular and in demand. The brand provides a huge selection of materials. You can order not only gold plated, but also silver and palladium. Susalka will be an excellent option for gold leaf. It can be used to paint icon frames that are made of wood, or to decorate paintings. When purchasing a meter of material or a roll, the company will certainly provide a discount.