silver leaf
A thin sheet of silver (Ag) metal used in lieu of
gold leaf for tooling books. Because silver is
somewhat less malleable than gold, silver leaf is
usually about three times as thick as gold leaf
and is, therefore, easier to handle. Unlike gold,
however, it requires lacquering or varnishing to
prevent tarnishing. Because of this, palladium or
platinum leaf is often used instead of silver when
a silvery effect is desired.
Silver was used in the very early days of tooling
with metal, and its use in England has been
recorded as early as 1550. Silver paint was used
occasionally in the 17th century, although the
silver was not painted into blind impressions to
simulate tooling, but was used to supplement the
tooled areas so as to provide a more solid effect
of the tooling. (83
, 236 )
![[CoOL]](/icons/sm_cool.gif){kind=icon}