Gold Leaf Karat & Color Guide

Gold content

22k

91.7% gold

Remaining alloy

8.3%

Common leaf varieties

24k Genuine Gold Leaf — 100% gold

Deep reddish yellow

Pure, unalloyed gold leaf — the softest and most malleable, traditional for water gilding and interior work.

23k Genuine Gold Leaf — 95.8% gold

Rich yellow

A small silver/copper addition for slightly more durability; a common choice for exterior and weather-exposed gilding.

22k Genuine Gold Leaf — 91.7% gold

Warm yellow

A common furniture- and frame-gilding grade, a touch firmer to work than 23k or 24k.

18k Lemon Gold Leaf — 75% gold

Pale lemon yellow

Higher silver content lightens the color toward lemon; popular where a cooler gold tone is wanted.

16k Green Gold Leaf — 66.7% gold

Pale greenish yellow

Still more silver in the alloy pushes the color toward a subtle green cast.

12k White Gold Leaf (Moon Gold) — 50% gold

Pale silvery yellow

An even silver-gold split, often sold as “moon gold”; lighter and cooler than lemon gold but not a true white.

Palladium Leaf (White Gold Alternative) — 0% gold

Bright cool white

A platinum-group metal leaf used in place of white gold where a genuinely tarnish-resistant white finish is wanted.

Silver Leaf — 0% gold

Bright white

Pure silver leaf, brighter than any gold alloy but prone to tarnishing over time unless sealed.

Composition Gold Leaf (Dutch Metal / Schlag) — 0% gold

Brassy yellow

An imitation leaf made from a copper-zinc alloy (brass) — no gold at all. Far cheaper than genuine leaf, but it tarnishes and is usually sealed or used for temporary or large-scale work.

How karat purity works

Karat is a simple fraction: it counts parts of gold out of 24 total parts by mass, so karat ÷ 24 × 100 gives the exact percentage of gold in an alloy. 24k is undiluted gold by definition; 18k is exactly 75% gold with the remaining quarter made up of other metals, almost always silver and/or copper for leaf.

The alloy composition below karat purity is where color comes from, and it varies by manufacturer, so treat the percentages and color names here as typical figures rather than a certified assay — always check the specific product’s own spec sheet for restoration or color-matching work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't gold leaf just 24k?

Pure 24k gold is very soft, which is exactly why it beats out into leaf so thin, but that softness also makes it wear faster once it's exposed. Alloying in silver or copper firms it up and shifts its color, so gilders choose a karat based on where the piece will live and how it needs to hold up, not just on cost.

What makes leaf look "green" or "lemon" instead of yellow?

It's the alloy, not a dye. Adding proportionally more silver to the gold pushes the color cooler and paler — toward lemon at moderate silver content, and toward a subtle green at higher silver content. More copper does the opposite, warming the color toward rose.

Is white gold leaf actually white?

Not really — a roughly 50/50 gold-silver alloy (sometimes sold as "moon gold") is pale and cool, but it still carries a faint yellow cast from the gold in it. A genuinely white, tarnish-resistant leaf is palladium leaf, which contains no gold at all.

Is composition leaf "fake gold"?

It's an honest, much cheaper imitation: a brass alloy of copper and zinc with no gold content whatsoever. It looks convincingly gold when freshly laid, which is why it's popular for large-scale, temporary, or practice work, but it tarnishes over time unless sealed — genuine gold leaf does not tarnish at all.

Educational reference only — a general guide, not a certified assay. Alloy content varies by manufacturer; confirm with the product’s own specification for anything that matters.