Product Description

European 23 kt Gold Leaf. 23.00 karat Gold and Red Patent Gold is 95.2% pure gold. Each pack of leaf contains 20 books. Each book contains 25 lvs, with a total of 500 leaves. Each leaf is 3 3/8" x 3 3/8" square. Approx. coverage is 39 sqft. We offer a ariety of gram weights to suit the needs of your specific project. Gram weight is determined by the weight of 1000 leaves of 3 3/8 inch square gold leaf. This relates more to 'density' of leaf rather than thickness. Each leaf is beaten to approx. 0.5 microns thick. Whether you purchase European gold leaf or chinese, the size (3 3/8" sqre) and thickness (0.5 microns) is standard. The wieght changes by the amount of gold content per leaf. So a Chinese 23kt gold leaf weighs 15 grams per 1000 lvs, and is therefore less dense than an Italin gold leaf, weighing 16 grams. The European leaf will be firmer, is less likely to tear and may show less wrinlkling in the final product (depending on your gilding technique).

Chinese 23 kt Gold Leaf. 23.00 karat Gold is 95.2% pure gold. Each book contains 25 lvs. Each leaf is 3 1/8" x 3 1/8" (80mm) square. Approx. coverage is 37 sqft.

Loose Gold - A book of loose gold leaf is assembled by placing each piece of gold leaf between pieces of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf at a time without disturbing the remaining leaves. It is removed from the book with a gilder's tip, a flat natural hair brush.

Patent Gold Patent gold leaf, also referred to as transfer leaf, is gold leaf mounted to special tissue paper by a pressure process. A book of patent gold leaf is assembled by placing each unit of gold leaf and tissue paper between pieces of thin rouged paper. The gilder can then remove one leaf at 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 it is pressed onto the prepared surface and the 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 suitable for water gilding and 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 helps to prevent the moisture content of the tissue paper 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 paper. To correct this problem, store patent the patent leaf in a refrigerator or a dry cool place.

Double Gold Double gold does not mean that the leaf is two times thicker than regular leaf. Double leaf may be only 10% to 20% thicker than regular gold leaf. Double means that it is heavier than regular.

Glass Gold This term applies to gold leaf which is selected for it's higher quality having fewer pinholes and irregularities.