(Image Courtesy: www.goldleafsupplies.co.uk)
One of the most common questions that we receive is – do you really use real gold leaves in your artwork?
To answer that question, let’s first see what are the types of gold that are commonly available. To name a few, we have All Gold, Imitation Gold, Silver, Aluminium (Imitation silver), Coloured (metal) Silver, Platinum, Palladium, Tin, Copper, and Variegated Leaves.
When we measure the purity of gold, we use the parameter called the ‘Caratage’ or carat, as we commonly call it. The term carat derives from Ancient Greek and comes from the carob seed, which varies slightly in weight as compared to any other seed, which resulted in them being used to measure very small weights.
(Image Courtesy: www.newstechcafe.com)
24k is known to be the purest form of Gold, with no metals mixed in it. (A karat is 1/24 part of pure gold by weight, so 24-karat gold is pure gold.) As we keep mixing alloys, the color of gold gradually changes depending on what alloy or metal we are mixing with it.
The Purest form of gold is usually 99.9% and is yellowish in appearance. Whereas, if you go down a bit and look at a 22k gold leaf, it is about 92% gold, and the color of gold is slightly paler and hence called Moon Gold.
Conversely, a 12k gold leaf would have 50% gold and the rest usually silver, which results in it frequently being called White Gold. Similarly, other metals mixed with the gold change the color or shade of the gold leaf. More silver or palladium makes the leaf whiter. Whereas Copper makes it redder.
Now coming back to the question- Do we use 24k Gold in our artwork? My answer would be yes and no. 24k or 23.7k gold leaves, the purest form available, will not tarnish with time. Silver, 18k, 12k, imitation, and metal leaves will all oxidize(darken) with time.
The choice then lies with you. What are you looking for! Is it the purity of the gold that seals the deal for you, or is it not the carats you calculate but the purity of intention that matters more.
No matter what rules your choice, you would still have gold going home with you.
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