Thanks for all the replies and ideas
I gilded three samples last night so I will try applying some different patinations some time today and post some photos of what happens (as long as they don't go disastrously wrong!), I made a mistake in my original posting, I don't have hydrogen sulphide which is severely toxic it is potassium sulphide I have which is only moderately toxic. There is definitely a lot of different things to experiment with to add different effects to the leaf.
Not your average framer wrote:Liberon produce various patinating fluids. It might be worth phoning their help line to see if they can offer any advice.
If I remember this right, I think household bleach or ammonia will form a dark oxide on silver. If so you might need to experiment to find the correct concentration in water to get the right amount of darkening.
Thanks NYAF, I have ordered some of Liberons cold patination treatments for metal, I have also heard of using ammonia and also remember reading somewhere that vinegar could be used to add patina to silver...
Roboframer wrote:I use gold leaf quite a bit - mainly for calligraphy but also for mount decoration. I've never gilded a frame, bar the odd sight edge.
Because silver tarnishes I use white gold leaf instead, there is also platinum leaf but I've never used that - don't see the point!
But because real silver leaf DOES tarnish naturally, would it maybe be better to oxidise white gold leaf? Otherwise the silver leaf would tarnish naturally and you'd lose your effect? Or would sealing prevent that?
I'd love a guided tour of their place - to follow on from one I've already had from the UK's only vellum/parchment manufacturer in Newport Pagnell - William Cowley.
Roboframer, a tour of Habberley Meadows would be great! I also use them for leaf, and use a fair bit of the 12ct white gold (and the moon, what a great colour!)
Once I get the silver leaf the tarnished colour I am looking for I would then seal it to stop the colour changing over time naturally, that is why I was wondering if the chemical process that I apply would need to be stopped or neutralised (thanks JFeig for suggesting rinsing with purified water) somehow before the surface is sealed.
I have never used platinum but have used palladium, I think these are the only two white metals that will not tarnish at all, but they are very expensive. Because white gold is 50:50 gold and silver it will start to change colour and tarnish eventually, although not as easily as pure silver, so when I use it I always apply some renaissance wax to slow this process down.
Will post some photos of the results soon, thanks again for the tips.