Loose Gold Leaf

Loose gold leaf is placed in paper booklets, with each booklet containing 25 compartments—one for each leaf. To cut a leaf, you can either use a gilding knife to take it from the booklet and place it on the gilding cushion or simply drop it directly onto the cushion. Then, use a gilder’s tip to pick up the leaf and put it onto the prepared surface. Loose gold leaf is recommended for indoor gilding only, where there is no draft or wind present.