Traditional water- gilding, hand made frames
Hand made frames may have many different types of finish treatments but amongst the most beautiful are frames that have been water gilded with silver, palladium or any of the Karet weights of Gold Leaf. Once the frame has been properly joined and detailed, which may include carving, the surfaces are carefully prepared with Gilders Gesso and clay (bole). the process prior to applying the leaf includes the build up of no less than 13 layers of the gesso and clay. The surfaces are carefully sanded and polished. The Leaf is applied and the final finishing is done.

Furniture Gilding
Through out history, the making and finishing of fine furniture has often included gilding. Depending on the style, the region of the world and the appearance of the finished work dictates whether the gilding will be applied with traditional water gilding methods or by mordant (oil gilding).