Artists' Materials
Gilding Supplies
Iconofile has supplies the Monarch and Manetti brands of metal leaf for use in either oil and water based gilding applications, especially for the the metal leaf requirements of icon gilding.
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Gold Leaf |
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Monarch Gold Leaf 23 Kt Loose
Monarch genuine gold leaf produced using the latest technology and respected traditions of the German gold beating craft. Loose 23 karat gold leaf, 16 grams per 1,000 leaves
85 x 85 mm (3-3/8 x 3-3/8 inches) Book of 25 leaves
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Monarch Gold Leaf 23 Kt Patent
Monarch genuine gold leaf produced using the latest technology and respected traditions of the German gold beating craft. Patent 23 karat gold leaf, 16 grams per 1,000 leaves
85 x 85 mm (3-3/8 x 3-3/8 inches) Book of 25 leaves
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Silver Leaf |
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Manetti Silver Leaf
Manetti genuine pure silver leaf is produced using the latest technology and respected traditions of the Italian gold beating craft. Loose pure silver leaf, 33 grams per 1,000 leaves
86 x 86 mm (3-3/8 x 3-3/8 inches) Book of 25 leaves
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Monarch Silver Leaf
Monarch genuine pure silver leaf produced using the latest technology and respected traditions of the German gold beating craft. Loose pure silver leaf, 29 grams per 1,000 leaves
95 x 95 mm (3-3/4 x 3-3/4 inches) Book of 25 leaves
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Gilder's Clay Base (Bole) |
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Gilders Clay (Red Bole) [1 L tub] (1 L)
LeFranc Charbonnel Extra Fine Gilder's Clay Base
Red Bole Premixed (dissolved in water) 1 L tub
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Gilders Clay (Yellow Bole) (1 L)
LeFranc Charbonnel Extra Fine Gilder's Clay Base
Yellow Bole Premixed (dissolved in water) 750 ml tub
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Gold Leaf Information
Gold leaf is 85 x 85 mm (3-3/8 x 3-3/8 inches) and is available in units called "books," each book containing 25 leaves. It is also available in "packs" containing 20 books or 500 leaves.
How Much Gold Leaf Do I Need?
Each book of 25 leaves covers a surface area of 18.06 square centimeters (1.98 square feet) without waste or overlap. Each pack of 500 leaves covers a surface area of 3.6125 square meters (39.50 square feet) without waste or overlap. You can determine the percentage of waste based on the complexity of the project and your own experience in laying gold leaf. If for example, the surface is very complex with deep crevices, it will certainly take more leaf than the same size area of a flat surface.
Regular Gold Leaf
Regular gold refers to the average thickness that a manufacturer has deemed as the standard for gold leaf. The standard may vary from one manufacturer to another. One gold beater's regular may be thinner than the regular leaf of another brand.
Double Gold Leaf
Double gold does not mean that the leaf is two times thick than regular leaf. Double leaf may be only 10% to 20% thicker than regular gold leaf. Double leaf means that it is heavier than regular leaf.
Glass Gold Leaf
Glass gold applied to gold leaf that is selected for its higher quality having fewer pinholes or other irregularities.
Patent Gold Leaf
Patent gold leaf, also referred to transfer gold leaf, is gold leaf mounted on a special tissue paper by a pressure process. A book of patent gold leaf is assembled by placing each unit of gold leaf between sheets of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf a time without disturbing the remaining leaves.
Patent leaf is removed from the book without the aid of a gilder's tip. The leaf will stay on the tissue until is pressed onto the prepared surface and this tissue backing is removed. This form of gold leaf is necessary for outdoor work or where conditions would make loose leaf unmanageable. Patent gold leaf is not recommended for water gilding is best suited for flat surfaces.
Patent gold leaf is sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity and needs to be stored properly. Store patent leaf in a damp environment of about 80% humidity wrapped in plastic wrap. This help to prevent the moisture content of the tissue from fluctuating.
Patent leaf may become loose on the tissue paper if stored in a dry warm environment. To correct this problem, the book of patent leaf needs to be stored in a humid environment under pressure to "remount" the leaf to the paper. If the leaf was stored in a very hot and humid environment, the leaf may adhere too tightly to the papers. To correct this problem, store the patent leaf in a refrigerator or a dry cool place.
Loose Gold Leaf
A book of Loose gold leaf is assembled by placing each unit of gold leaf between sheets of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf a time without disturbing the remaining leaves. It is removed from the book with a gilder's tip, a flat natural hair brush.
Karats and Alloys
Gold is alloyed with silver, copper and other meals to achieve a variety of colors and shades. A higher gold content and/or greater amount of copper will result in deeper tones of leaf. For example, the German gold beater's brand of Monarch 23 karat gold leaf is composed of 96% gold, 3% silver and 1% copper. The higher karat leaves are also more durable due to the higher gold content. In the lower karats of leaf, such as 18, 16 and 12 karats, gold is alloyed with silver or other metals to achieve lighter colors.
Average Weight
To determine the actual amount of leaf you are buying you must know the average weight of the leaf. This is measured in grams per 1,000 leaves. For example, the German brand of Monarch 23 karat gold leaf on the average weighs 16 grams, including gold and alloys, for 1,000 leaves, while the Italian gold beater's brand of Manetti 23 karat gold leaf also weighs 16 grams. The Double gold leaf of both brands weigh an average of 18 grams per 1,000 leaves.
Silver Leaf
Silver leaf is made from genuine silver containing no gold or other alloys. Silver leaf will tarnish like all objects made from pure silver.
Palladium Leaf
Palladium leaf is a silver color metal leaf. Because it is very resistant to corrosives in the air and to acids (except nitric acid), it is often substituted for silver or white gold for exterior gilding.
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