Gilding: the application of gold, silver, or other, leaf to a surface

• Adhesive is applied to a clean and smooth surface of the item being gilded.

• The gold leaf is then pressed on to the adhesive, and the excess leaf is brushed off.

Surface preparation is important.  A clean smooth surface works best.

• Because the gold leaf is very very thin, any imperfections in the surface will show.

• The surface preparation will differ depending on the base material.  Wood, metal and glass are the most common.

• When gilding a metal object, the surface needs to be clean and smooth.

  • Many gilders use shellac as the base coat, as it is a wonderful sealer.

  • The surface should be lightly sanded and clean to allow the shellac to adhere properly.

  • Once the shellac is applied and dry, you can lightly sand with a very fine sandpaper and then apply the gilding size.

Fire-gilding or Wash-gilding: a process by which an amalgam of gold (gold dissolved in liquid mercurymetal) is applied to metallic surfaces, the mercury being subsequently volatilized, leaving a film of gold or an amalgam containing
13 to 16% mercury.

Preparation of the amalgam: the gold must first be reduced to thin plates or grains, which are heated red-hot, and thrown into previously heated mercury.

• When the mixture is stirred with an iron rod, the gold is totally absorbed by mercury.

• The proportion of mercury to gold is generally six (or eight) to one.

The gold amalgam is equally spread over the prepared surface of the metal, the mercury is then evaporated by a heat.

When the mercury has evaporated, the gilded surface is rubbed with a scratch brush of brass wire, until its surface is smooth.

It is then covered with gilding wax, and again exposed to fire until the wax is burnt off.

This process, when skillfully carried out, produces gilding of great solidity and beauty, but owing to the exposure of the workmen to mercurial fumes, it is very unhealthy.

There is also much loss of mercury to the atmosphere, which brings extremely serious environmental concerns as well.

Sealing will prevent oxidation and color change in leaf that does not have a high gold content.

• Sealing gold or silver will result in some loss of brightness and shininess.