Genuine Silver Leaf
Genuine silver leaf is real, pure silver hammered into ultra-thin sheets for gilding — used on picture frames, furniture, sculptures, and restoration work where lasting lustre matters. Unlike imitation silver leaf (usually aluminium), it develops a natural patina over time rather than a flat, dull tarnish, and it’s available in 95mm and 110mm sheets, loose or transfer leaf.
Silver Leaf by Barnabas Gold
Silver leaf, just like genuine gold leaf or any other type of metal leaf is a type of metal sheet variety used for the purposes of gilding various surfaces. Like with other types of metal lead though, silver leaf comes in two varieties: genuine silver or imitation silver leaf.
Here, we’re talking about the real deal: made from genuine silver, with the natural depth and lustre that only real metal can give a gilded surface. Unlike imitation alternatives, genuine silver leaf develops a subtle natural patina over time rather than a dull, flat tarnish — part of why it’s prized for fine art, restoration, and heirloom work.
Silver Leaf Coverage
When it comes to silver our silver leaf will come in both 95mm and 110mm sheet dimensions. For both varieties, twenty-five sheets will be able to cover roughly approximately a 2.2 square foot area. Although, when covering a curved surface you will likely need a larger quantity of silver leaf.
Meanwhile, there are two types of formats that these sheets will be able to come in. These are either loose-leaf/interleaf sheets or transfer/patent sheets. Either way, they will come in booklets of twenty-five.
Silver Loose Leaf/Interleaf Sheets
Loose-leaf silver leaf is a category of the genuine silver leaf that is packaged in booklets. Each sheet contained within having its own tissue paper compartment. Each of these can come in packets of 25. As a result of which, this makes it incredibly easy to remove and use the silver sheets in question.
The result of this is that silver leaf can easily be dropped directly from the booklet onto your gilder’s cushion. An alternative option though is that you could also use your gilder’s knife to gently remove the silver leaf and place it on to your gilder’s cushion.
No matter which option you choose though these types of sheets can then be perfectly suited to subsequently being applied to the prepared surface using a gilder’s tip.
Silver Transfer/Patent Sheets
The alternative option though is to use patent sheets or transfer sheets as they’re also known. With patent leaf booklets though, the sheets will be pressed into the tissue paper in slightly larger booklets than the sheets themselves.
As such, these types of silver sheets make for a fantastic option when you are making a specific shape for the leaf itself. The reason is that these shapes can be shaped on paper. After which they can then easily be extracted and placed onto the prepared surface.
Instead of being able to drop the genuine silver leaf onto the cushion though you must rub the back of tissue paper with a cotton ball. Following which it can then pressed the shaped leaf onto said surface. As a result, this type of silver leaf is often the better option of the two for outside use.
FAQs
Is silver leaf actually silver?
Genuine silver will actually be made using real silver and therefore have that distinctive look and sheen of silver. That said, not all silver leaf is genuine — imitation silver leaf also exists. Typically, imitation silver leaf is made using pure aluminium, which shares a similar appearance. It’s cheaper, but doesn’t have quite the same lustre as genuine silver leaf.
What is silver leafing?
Silver leafing is the practice of applying incredibly thin sheets of silver to a surface to give it a gilded, reflective finish. The sheets themselves can be made from genuine silver or an imitation material such as aluminium — genuine silver offers the true lustre and depth of real metal, while imitation options are more budget-friendly for larger or less permanent projects.
How do you stick silver leaf?
When gilding with genuine silver leaf, or indeed any other type of metal leaf you will require an adhesive size in order to properly stick the leaf to the surface in question. To do so, simply treat the surface in question with the adhesive size and apply the leaf to the surface with your gilder’s equipment. Once dried though, it is recommended to apply a high-quality topcoat in order to help prevent the silver leaf from becoming tarnished. If you are after a more affordable option then an aluminium leaf is a great choice for an imitation silver leaf. However, it is much more prone to tarnishing than noble metals such as genuine silver.
What can you use silver leaf on?
Genuine silver leaf works on almost any prepared surface — wood, glass, ceramic, stone, and fabric among them — but it’s most commonly chosen for projects meant to last: picture frames, furniture detailing, statues and sculptures, jewellery boxes, architectural mouldings, and art restoration work. Because genuine silver ages with a natural patina rather than degrading, it’s the preferred choice wherever the piece is meant to be kept or displayed for years.