Discovering the Chic Appeal of Paper Items: An Explanation of "Fake Gold Leaf"

Actually, it might not be gold leaf...!

"Gold leaf" that lavishly decorates paper items and wedding cakes.

Gold leaf soft-serve ice cream was also a hot topic for a while, right?

Gold leaf is made by thinly stretching gold (and traces of silver or copper), and its history dates back to around 1200 BC when it was first produced in ancient Egypt.

Even today, it is commonly used in cooking and interior design, so I think it's a familiar material, but…

In reality, even if it is called "gold leaf," it is not necessarily 100% gold, and there are also "fake gold leaf" varieties that contain no gold!

What types of gold leaf are there?

Generally, what is referred to as "gold leaf" can be divided into three main types.

The ones that contain gold are these two.

✅ Pure gold leaf (24K)

(Made exclusively from gold with a purity of 99% or higher)

✅ Gold leaf that is not pure gold

(Made by mixing pure gold with pure silver or pure copper. Those with at least 58.824% pure gold are called "gold leaf".)

The most common type of gold leaf on the market contains "fourth color" (22.66K), which has silver and copper mixed in. (Pure gold 94.438%, pure silver 4.901%, pure copper 0.661%).

It seems that gold leaf with more silver is easier to stretch thinner, so it is used more frequently than pure gold leaf.*

(To the average person, it looks just like regular gold leaf!)

Furthermore, there is also a type that contains no gold at all.

✅ Fake gold leaf

Though it is called "gold leaf," it is made from an alloy of copper and zinc and contains no real gold.

Despite not containing genuine gold, its appearance is indistinguishable from real gold leaf to the untrained eye.

It is also referred to as "brass leaf," "Western leaf," or "Western gold leaf."*

Because it does not contain gold, it can be obtained cheaply and is used for various purposes.

Is there a difference in appearance? What about the price difference?

✅ Pure gold leaf (made with gold of 99% purity or higher)

✅ Gold leaf that is not pure gold (made with gold, silver, and copper)

✅ Fake gold leaf (made with copper and zinc)

The items referred to as "gold leaf" can be broadly divided into three types, but…

To be honest, they don’t look that different from each other.

So, unless you have a specific desire for "authenticity and absolutely want to use 24K pure gold leaf” while making wedding items by hand, I feel like it’s perfectly fine to choose the cheaper options.*

When comparing prices,

✅ Pure gold leaf: 10.9cm × 10.9cm [1 sheet] for 451 yen

✅ Gold leaf that is not pure gold (mainstream fourth color): 10.9cm × 10.9cm [1 sheet] for 275 yen

✅ Fake gold leaf: 9cm × 9cm [100 sheets for] 1,305 yen

It is clear that fake gold leaf is overwhelmingly cheap at 1,300 yen for 100 sheets (13 yen each!).

It might be good to utilize fake gold leaf too.*

Even if we simply refer to it as "gold leaf," there are various types ranging from pure gold with a purity of 99% or higher to "fake gold leaf" that uses no gold at all.*

Most amateurs cannot distinguish the visual differences, and I'd think fake gold leaf would be fine for me??

However, pure gold leaf is not extremely expensive, so for things like a marriage certificate where you would "use a little" or "want it to last," it might be good to use pure gold leaf,

while for items like menu cards, which you would "use a lot" or "only on the day," you could use fake gold leaf. I think it might be good to apply them based on their use.*

Remember the differences between "gold leaf" and "fake gold leaf" and find various ways to utilize them!♩