Gold leaf - is this the kind we can use?

[Dee]

Totally inspired by Julie's gorgeous necklace I'd like to make some beads with gold leaf  Is this any good, or as I suspect by the price, it's not the one we can use?
http://www.artandgold.co.uk/epages/es110577.sf/en_GB/?ViewAction=View&ObjectID=2032091

[littlegiggles]

looks like it

[glassworks]

i am not so sure.. the gold content is low enough that this may the "plastic" type gold leaf for decorating etc... the international gold price is higher than this by the ounce, which can't be right?.. can it?...

edited to add - might be real leaf as i am not sure i have done my sums right?.. i bought some cheap leaf which turned to ash so i am very cautious now... they have a great range though if it is!...

[Dee]

Mmm....I started off by searching old forum posts and I saw that some of you had bought some which wasn't very good. I'd have probably jumped right in and bought this otherwise 

[julieHB]

Totally inspired by Julie's gorgeous necklace I'd like to make some beads with gold leaf 

Oooh, thanks, Dee! 

I thought 22ct gold leaf was good enough to use, but I cannot remember which carat mine is, it's so long ago (way before i started lampworking last spring). I know there are false gold leaf on the market, but I think people have experienced this when buying from dubious ebay sellers. I also got mine off ebay, from Asia somewhere, but in their listing they went to great lengths explaining the difference between the false and the real, so I took a chance and was lucky.

Hopefully there'll be someone a lot more knowledgeable than me being able to answer your question, Dee!!

[TiaraHelen]

The 24ct "pure" gold leaf on your website costs just under £16 for just under 1/2 a gram.  Gold price thingy website quotes £17,000/kilo-ish.  That's £17 a gram. So I reckon that sounds about right given they've got to slice it up!

But, I've read that it's almost impossible to use gold leaf because it's so flimsy, and you need to use Gold Foil which is thicker.  I can "do the math" but I'll leave the experts to tell you about actually using the stuff.

[Mary]

I have used gold leaf, the thin stuff. If you dampen your marver, or put it on several layers of wet kitchen towel, it sticks so it doesn't fly away. The paper towel will burn when you roll the bead on it, you just keep it wet. I bought tiny squares, I find I waste less that way!

[julieHB]

That's a good tip, Mary! I've only used leaf, and I only use little squares as well, or cut into triangles.

I had some beads where the gold leaf disappeared/melted into the glass, and since then I've done the following, which seems to work:

Shape the bead, and let it cool until not glowing.

Roll it lightly in the foil, and burnish very gently.

Introduce the bead back into the upper part of the flame and heat until glowing and you can see the gold leaf cracking.

Flame anneal as normal and put in the kiln.

[Diane]

Ditto to what Julie has just posted.  I would tend to go for the highest carat I could afford.
I like the look of the white gold - might give that a go.

Diane x

[Kaz]

You lot have got expensive taste! But having seen Julie's beads and Diane's Klimt one - I can see the attraction!
Kaz

[Dee]

Righto then.....I'll try it! Thanks everyone, watch this space 

[Lush!]

Nice one, Dee!

I bought the crappy ebay stuff before, so I've just treated myself to a book of the 24 carat gold leaf from your link.  What fun 

[Shirley]

I remember that crappy stuff, still got it somewhere. Should see if a card or cake maker would like it really

[Trudi]

I've came across these on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=160300989994

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=190268304758

Any thoughts??

Or I also saw foil  -
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=280269739325

[Lush!]

I tried offering mine to a card maker - even she didn't want it