Agate Stone Burnisher Tool #30 For Burnishing Gold & Silver Leaf

Agate is a semi-precious stone composed of various siliceous materials, each with a unique colour. Our burnishers, with highly polished natural agate tips, work well on all gilded surfaces. As these stones are delicate, please keep them away from hard surfaces to prevent scratches. Agate Burnisher #17is the most popular choice among gilders and works on nearly any gilded surface. We also offer a range of other shapes and sizes. Due to its hardness (6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale), chemical stability, and smoothness, agate is ideal for compressing, smoothing, and polishing materials without scratching or removing the surface layer.

Agate Stone Burnisher is important tool in several different crafts.

1. Agate Stone For Gilding & Calligraphy

• Mirror Finish: Gilders use the agate stone burnisher to press down gold, silver, or copper leaf. The pressure helps the metal leaf stick to its base, such as gilder’s clay bole or gesso, and changes a dull surface into a shiny, mirror-like finish. If you are not using water gilding, use Instacoll Tissue to polish the gilded surface. This extra-smooth and soft cloth is perfect for pressing transfer leaf and polishing both genuine and imitation leaves after gilding. Polishing with Instacoll Tissue removes loose flakes, gives a solid, shiny finish, and helps you spot any areas you may have missed.
• Art & Manuscript Accents: Illuminators and calligraphers use the tool to polish metallic paints and foil on paper, which gives old paintings and manuscripts their bright, reflective details.

2. Agate Stone For Jewellery Making

• A smooth agate stone is gentle and will not scratch or harm precious metals or nearby gemstones, unlike steel tools.
• Bezel & Prong Setting: Jewellers use agate stones to press down and smooth bezels or prongs over stones, making sure they fit securely and look seamless.
• Keum-boo: Agate stones are the standard tool for Keum-boo, an old Korean method where thin gold foil is fused onto fine silver with heat.
• Refining Details: Agate stones are great for polishing engraved lines that are hard to reach and for strengthening delicate metal surfaces to make them last longer.

3. Agate Stone For Bookbinding, Paper Craft, & Leather-Work

• Paper Creasing: Bookbinders and paper crafters use the ultra-smooth edge to fold, score, and crease paper cleanly. It helps prevent shiny marks and fibre tearing.
• Leather Edge Slicking: Leather-workers use it to polish raw leather edges and to apply foil stamping with precision.

Other shapes and sizes are also available on back order.