1000+ questions about gold, silver, and metal leaf; gilding supplies, tools, techniques; edibles; craftwork; and troubleshooting.
Silver gilding is usually called silver leafing or silver leaf gilding.
Silver gilding called is a silver or silver-colored material that must be identified by exact product type.
Genuine silver leaf is real silver beaten into thin sheets for decorative gilding. Silver foil may mean edible silver, thicker decorative foil, craft foil, or a silver-colored material, so the product category matters.
Genuine silver leaf, edible silver, aluminum leaf, palladium leaf, silver foil, and silver-colored craft materials are not interchangeable. Silver can tarnish, while palladium and aluminum behave differently.
Foils • Glossary • Products • Silver leaf
Silver leaf is decorative metal leaf. Silver foil may mean decorative foil, edible silver, craft foil, or silver-colored material.
Decorative silver choices include genuine silver leaf packs, silver ribbon leaf, oxidized silver, colored silver, decorative foils, and palladium alternatives. Silver can tarnish, so sealer, handling, environment, and after-care matter.
Do not use decorative silver leaf on sweets unless it is sold for edible use.