Noris and Kolner agent

Noris Blattgold & Kölner Gilding Supplies

We stock Kolner gilding supplies, including Noris Blattgold gold leaf, gilding supplies, gilding size, gold leafing tutorials, restoration plaster for picture frames, frame gilding, and gold leaf adhesive for signwriting.

Gold Leaf

Edible gold, Cosmetic Gold, Genuine Gold, and Imitation Gold Sheets

24K Cosmetic
Gold Flakes

Add a luxury touch of 24k gold flakes to your serum, oil perfume, skin gell and any cosmetic product that you make. Our cosmetic gold flakes are made in Germany. 

All our gold flakes and cosmetic gold leaf contain no chemicals, no vegetal extracts, no anti-oxidants, no bio-additives, no preservatives, and no chelating agents.

Cosmetic Gold Flakes

Arts, Crafts & Resin Supplies

Varnish, Sealer, metallic paint & gilding paste

FAQ About Gold Leaf

What is the difference between real and imitation gold leaf?

Real gold leaf is made from genuine gold and is measured in karats. It does not tarnish and can last for decades, even outdoors. Imitation gold leaf, also called Dutch metal, is thicker and less expensive. It is made from alloys like copper and zinc, so it will tarnish over time unless you seal it.

How do you apply gold leaf without tearing it?

Wait for your size glue to become tacky and slightly dry. Put on cotton gloves to keep fingerprints off the gold. Use tweezers or transfer sheets with tissue paper to handle the gold leaf more easily.

Does gold leaf tarnish or expire?

Gold leaf made from genuine high-karat gold (22k to 24k) does not tarnish or expire because gold does not react with most substances. However, lower-karat gold, imitation metals, or silver leaf can tarnish or oxidise unless they are protected with a varnish.

Can you eat gold leaf?

Yes, you can eat gold leaf, but only if it is certified food-grade 24k gold, which is safe and non-toxic. Craft gold leaf that is not meant for eating may contain harmful metals like copper and should not be consumed.

What adhesive do you use to apply gold leaf?

To apply gold leaf, you need a special glue called size. Craft acrylic size dries in about 15 to 30 minutes and gives a quick bond. Professional oil size takes 5 to 12 hours to dry but creates a smoother finish.

kggg-system-fond-kolner-gilding-size-for-gold-leaf

Kölner Gilding Size

Gold leaf adhesive size
Permacoll Gilding Size

Permacoll Size

Permacoll Size is recommended for use as an adhesive for metal leaf on all non-porous surfaces, whether they are smooth or textured.

Instacoll Gilding Size

Instacoll Size

Instacoll gilding size for genuine gold leaf gilding on porous and non-porous surfaces, indoor and outdoor, with a high gloss finish.

KGGG Fond

Modern water gilding system without the need for warming. Save valuable time while achieving superior adhesion between layers.

Gilder's Supplies

Baroque Gilders Paste NZ

Artist Universal Casein Paint

Go Professional With Classic Caselo Paint

Kölner Classic Caselo is a universal casein paint for restoration and decoration. It is water-based, dries matte, and is lightfast. It is especially suitable for sculptures, figures, and ornaments in historical colours.

Available colours include: white, yellow, light ochre, signal red, vermillion, carmine red, blue, dark blue, green, dark green, brown, black

Kölner Classic Caselo casein paint

What adhesive do you use to apply gold leaf?

To choose the right size, consider whether you are using genuine or imitation gold leaf, whether the surface is porous or non-porous, and whether the application is indoor or outdoor.

10 Year Workmanship Guarantee

Gilding Service

Gold leafing is the process of applying genuine gold leaf to buildings or objects. At Gilding Supplies NZ, we offer gilding services for a diverse range of materials, including wood, stone, plastic, glass, metals, canvas, and paper. Our services cater to both large-scale projects, such as buildings, furniture, and interior decor, as well as smaller objects.

Let's Go!
gilding wooden box Buy at Gilding Supplies NZ

Traditional Water Gilding

This method works best on indoor wood, plaster, or frames when you want a shiny, mirror-like finish.

  1. Surface Preparation, the foundation of the process.
  2. Apply Gesso: mix rabbit skin glue with whiting (calcium carbonate). Brush on 4 to 6 thin coats of warm gesso to bare wood or plaster, letting each coat dry fully.
  3. Sand: Smooth the dried gesso layer with fine sandpaper.
  4. Applying the Bole (Clay Base).
  5. To prepare the bole, mix traditional gesso clay with diluted rabbit skin glue.
  6. Apply three or four coats of smooth clay bole. This creates a flexible base for burnishing and gives the gold a warm undertone, usually in red, yellow, or black.
  7. When the clay is dry, polish it with a stiff-bristled brush or fine 0000 steel wool until it is very smooth.
  8. Laying the Gold Leaf: to make the gilding liquor, mix water with a few drops of high-proof alcohol, such as isopropyl or grain alcohol. This mixture will help wet the surface.
  9. Use a soft mop brush to cover a small area of the clay with the gilding liquor.
  10. Apply the gold leaf with a gilder’s tip and a squirrel-hair comb. Rub it against your hair or skin to create a little static, then use it to pick up the loose gold leaf. Carefully set the leaf onto the wet area. The water will pull the leaf down and make it lie flat right away.
  11. Burnishing (Shining): wait between 4 and 24 hours, depending on how humid the room is. The clay should be dry enough not to tear, but still have enough moisture to compress.

Oil-Based Size Gilding

Recommended for outdoor items, metals, stone, or intricate carvings that do not require burnishing.

  1. Surface preparation: seal the Surface: Ensure the item is properly primed and sealed. Skipping this step allows oil-based paint to penetrate porous materials like raw wood or plaster. Apply shellac, primer, or lacquer to seal it.
  2. Applying the gold size: apply a thin, even layer of oil-based gold size to the area. Make sure there are no puddles in the crevices.
  3. Wait for the “tack” stage: Oil sizes have different open times, such as 3, 12, or 24 hours. Apply the next step once the surface transitions from wet to tacky.
  4. The knuckle test: gently touch the surface with the back of your knuckle. It should feel like sticky tape without transferring residue or appearing wet. If it leaves a fingerprint, it is too wet. If it feels dry, the optimal window has passed.
  5. Laying the leaf
: Apply the gold leaf by placing loose leaf, or transfer/patent leaf for flat surfaces, directly onto the sticky size.
  6. Use a soft camel-hair mop brush to gently press the leaf into the details, then brush away any extra loose pieces, called “skewings.”
  7. Do not burnish oil-gilded items with an agate stone, since this can damage the oil layer. Allow the item to cure completely for several days before handling it.
A more modern gilding size is Kölner Instacoll Size, which replaces the oil-based size.

The gilding technique outlined above is a brief summary. Before beginning your project, we recommend reviewing Choosing The Right Gilding Adhesive.

The benefits of gold for skin care

Glowing Skin: gold improves the blood circulation, and this helps hydrate and maintain the skin’s moisture.

The fine particles of gold is absorbed into the skin imparting a rich glow. This makes the skin healthy and radiant.

Cures allergies: the antioxidant properties in gold helps in increasing blood circulation which leads to a reduction in acne and other skin allergies.

Gold can reduce the dryness of skin and helps in increasing the metabolic rate. This would prevent the skin from premature aging.

Gold reduces wrinkles and spots: Gold can activate the basal cells of the skin, which increases the elasticity of the skin. It thus reduces wrinkles, fine lines, blemishes, and marks on the skin.

Gold can slow down the depletion of collagen level in your skin cells: collagen is naturally produced in your body which keeps the body flexible. It is responsible for giving smooth skin and shining hair. The collagen level in the body starts depleting from the age of 25 and this is when you notice the changes on your skin.

Gold can stimulate the cells and have a healthy skin: the ions present in gold help in stimulating the cells, and veins in your body. This leads to improved blood circulation. This will increase the metabolism of skin cells and secretion of the waste.

Gold can reduce the production of melanin in the body: the production of melanin or black pigment in the skin is responsible for tanning of the skin when exposed to sunlight.

Gold increases the elasticity of the skin, thus making it firm and toned: the skin tends to sag when its elasticity decreases. The use of gold can reduce the breakdown of elastin and restore the elasticity of the tissues. This will further prevent the skin from sagging.

Gold has anti-inflammation properties that help oxygen to enter into the skin to renew the cells. This helps in treating ulcer and other inflammatory disorders of the skin.

View all Cosmetic Gold Flakes

If you need more info about our gold flakes, then please contact us we are more than happy to answer all your questions.

 

Quick Gilding terms

Check out our blog

Gilding

is an ancient decorative technique that applies a thin layer of gold leaf, gold powder, or other metal foils to surfaces such as wood, metal, stone, porcelain, or glass. Objects treated in this way are called gilded or gilt.

Genuine gold leaf

Genuine gold leaf is usually between 22k and 24k, is the traditional standard. However, the term can also refer to using other metals like silver, copper, palladium, aluminium, or imitation gold such as Dutch metal or brass.

Water Gilding

Water gilding is a specialised traditional technique primarily for wood. The surface is prepared with layers of gesso (chalk and glue) and a smooth clay called bole. Water activates the glue in the bole, enabling the gold leaf to adhere. Once dry, the gold can be burnished with an agate stone to achieve a mirror-like shine.

Edible gold leaf

Edible gold leaf is a popular for culinary applications for decorating cakes, desserts, and cocktails.

Imitation / Composition gold leaf

Composition gold leaf is a budget-friendly alternative (such as Dutch metal or brass leaf).

Size / Gold size

The specific adhesive used to bond the delicate leaf sheets to a surface.
Oil/size gilding is a versatile technique suitable for most non-porous surfaces, including outdoor architecture. Apply a sticky oil- or water-based adhesive, known as size, to the surface. Once the size reaches the proper tackiness, the leaf is carefully placed. The finish produces a soft matte glow but cannot be burnished to a mirror shine.

Agate burnisher

Agate stone burnisher is a commonly traditional burnishing tool used to polish and shine gold leaf after application.

Transfer leaf

Refers to leaf attached to tissue paper for easier handling compared to loose leaf.

When to Choose Loose Leaf

Intricate or carved surfaces: It easily conforms into deep grooves, dents, and elaborate ornamentation, making it the top choice for highly detailed antique picture frames, mouldings, and sculptures.

Key Challenges & Application Tools

Handling difficulties: avoid touching loose gold leaf with bare fingers, as skin oils and static electricity may cause tearing or sticking. Even minor drafts can displace the leaf.

The Gilder’s Pad & Knife

Professional gilders use a cushioned pad to hold loose leaf and cut it to size with a Gilder’s Knife.

The Gilder’s Tip

Artists use a very thin brush called a Gilder’s Tip to pick up the sheet. By gently swiping the brush across skin or hair, they create a slight static charge that lifts the loose leaf without causing damage.

 

Gilder's Blog

Gilding Supplies is New Zealand’s first and only store dedicated to gilders. Our blog offers guidance on water gilding, oil-based size, and how to use Kolner gilding products. We cover essential materials such as gesso, clay (bole), gilding tools, shellac, rabbit-skin glue, oxide pigment, gold leaf (genuine and imitation), and metallic paints, and much more..
Goldfinger Gilding Paste Wax Buy at Gilding Supplies NZ

How to Apply Gold Wax Paste on Wood

Metallic gold gilders wax or paste enhances carved details, adds an antique appearance, or creates a metallic edge on wood. Because gilding wax is highly concentrated, you only need a small amount. Follow
Hot Stamping & Holographic Foil For Printing

Hot Stamping & Holographic Foil For Printing

Hot stamping foil is widely used to add premium, metallic, or decorative finishes to products and packaging. Using heat and pressure, it transfers a thin, durable layer that adheres effectively to paper, plastic,
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