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A gold nugget of 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter (bottom) can be expanded through hammering into a gold foil of about 0.5 m 2 (5.4 sq ft). The Toi gold mine museum, Japan.. Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into thin sheets (usually around 0.1 μm thick [1]) by a process known as goldbeating, [2] for use in gilding.
Gold usually undergoes one of these processes: it could be hammered, or pounded and rolled, or just a leaf or powder. In the first case, the gold needs to reach the measure of about 1/8000 of a millimeter thick, in the second one it could be used as a normal leaf (the measure depends on the purpose) or smashed in powder. [1]
Some metal leaves may look like gold leaf but do not contain any real gold. This type of metal leaf is often referred to as imitation leaf. [3] Metal leaves are usually made of gold (including many alloys), silver, copper, aluminium, brass (sometimes called "Dutch metal" typically 85% Copper and 15% zinc) or palladium, as well as platinum.
For example, aluminium foil is usually about 1 ⁄ 1000 inch (0.025 mm), whereas gold (more malleable than aluminium) can be made into foil only a few atoms thick, called gold leaf. Extremely thin foil is called metal leaf. Leaf tears very easily and must be picked up with special brushes. [citation needed]
Gilded frame ready for burnishing with an agate stone tool Application of gold leaf to a reproduction of a 15th-century panel painting. Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. [1] A gilded object is also described as "gilt".
Lots of gold bugs burrow into the precious metal because it's thought to be the ultimate hedge against inflation. Given that the U.S. national debt just passed the $13 trillion mark (or about 90% ...
It is also known by other names such as "composition gold leaf", "Dutch gold", "Schlagmetal" and "Schlag leaf". [1] It is very malleable and ductile and so can be beaten into very thin sheets. These sheets are sold for use as metal leaf or imitation gold leaf. [2] The addition of arsenic produces an alloy with similar properties but coloured white.
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