Goldbeating

Refers to the process of making gold leaf, which has changed little since antiquity. A small ingot, of gold alloyed with small amounts of silver and copper is rolled into a long ribbon having a thickness of about 0.025 mm (0.001 inch). The ribbon is then cut up into pieces about 3 x 3 cm (1.3 inches) square; the pieces are placed between sheets of heavy paper and enclosed in a sheepskin. They are then hammered until they are 10 x 10 cm (4 inches) square. Each square is then cut into four equal parts, packed between parchment, and beaten again; the process is repeated until the leaves of gold have been reduced to a thickness of about 0.001 mm. They are then trimmed to about 8.5 x 8.5 cm (3.4 inches) squares, and are put into a book between sheets of tissue paper. Each book contains 25 gold leaves, which are so delicate that they can be moved or straightened with a light breath.