It all started when…
Seeing the need in the fine art supply market for a high caliber 24k shell gold, combined with the repeated requests from colleagues and other fine artists, Karena has now made this rare, labour-intensive, ultra-fine particulate, pure 24k shell gold (Au:99.999%), now available in exclusive hand-ground limited monthly batches! Purchase or reserve yours today by clicking the SHOP HERE button below!
“After countless hours of intensive study and many years refining my process, I am humbly honoured to be able to offer this beautiful, master-crafted resource to help fine artisans around the world adorn their work with the brilliance of this precious pigment! May the beauty and light of pure gold fill your heart with sparkling joy! ” 💛 Karena
NOTE: Handcrafted from pure 24k gold, NO mica or mixed metals - not intended for bodily or internal use.
PURE 24K ROYAL SHELL GOLD
- Skillfully Hand-Refined Using Traditional Techniques
- Pure 24k Gold Precious Metal Element Au 79 (Tested 99.999% fine)
- Ultra-Fine Particulates the size of golden pollen
- Non-Toxic
- Not Tested On Animals
- Responsibly & Ethically Sourced Raw Elemental Gold
- No Mica or Mixed Metals
Visit our online gold boutique at https://thegildedhart.etsy.com to shop or click the button above for our hand-ground pure 24k shell gold & pure 24k ultra fine dust
INFO & USE:
ABOUT:
Few around the world know of the secrets of the proper techniques for hand-refining gold into the most luminescent pure golden paint! Our Ultra-Fine particulate pure 24K Royal Shell Gold is beautifully hand-crafted exclusively by our Artisan Goldsmith Karena, using the finest materials and utmost care over several days in an extensive, highly-guarded process with special recipes and skilled techniques! Your pure 24K Royal Shell gold is of the highest caliber available in the industry, carefully prepared by hand custom to your order!
The 24k gold leaf is patiently and finely ground by fingertips for several hours with a precise blend of natural ingredients, then washed and processed over many days through an exclusive method to produce the most brilliant ultra-fine particulate 24k shell gold available. Only this exclusive system of gentle melting and grinding of the gold with the delicate touch and warmth of fingertips and a pure blend of high-quality ingredients is ever used.
Because of its ultra-fine particulates and minimal binder, this Persian-style 24k shell gold is densely pigmented and will offer a brilliant burnish, and will offer much more coverage than traditional heavily gum-bound tablets, and will last longer!
(Alternatively, commonly found mass-produced shell gold is ground with a machine or in large batches using a muller/pestle of granite or glass. Using any of these commercial processes will inevitably leave microparticles from the glass/metal/stone in the gold leading to dullness and an inferior final grind on the final product. These common methods using machines or the side of a hand to make large batches also lead to oversized and rough particles that may be sparse and difficult to burnish to a high shine and are suitable for mural or frame restoration but not for fine art or restoration application.)
After the gold is finished processing, it is carefully decanted into the highest quality European UV light-resistant Violet Glass Jars for conservatory storage of your precious shell gold for years to come.
This beautiful pure golden bound pigment is also referred to as painter's gold, brush gold, godet gold, muschel gold, echtgold, oroinconchiglia, kindei, or tvoryoniye among others over the centuries.
It is most used for highlighting, accents, deep inlays, and repairs - and is perfect for gilding, calligraphy, conservators, heraldry, illumination, adorning manuscripts, royal certificates and decrees, tezhip, iconography, mandalas, frame touch-ups, restoration projects, chrysography, and embellishing any fine art where the glittering warmth and light of refined gold is needed!
INSTRUCTIONS:
IMPORTANT: * Always use a clean natural hair brush dedicated only for your shell gold. Never contaminate your shell gold jar with any other binders, oils or pigments! (*Visit our YouTube channel for a tutorial on how to care for your shell gold). Dedicate one new paintbrush or thoroughly washed and rinsed brush for your goldwork. If you are unsure if your brush is perfectly clean, get a new one or wash your brush in distilled water before dipping - use a new clean brush always! Never attempt to use an acrylic or oil paintbrush with residue still on it.
It is imperative to remember to only do one dip of your paintbrush and then wash in distilled water in a dedicated container or use a new clean brush each time! It is like chip dip… NEVER EVER double dip! Your shell gold will remain gloriously pure and shiny!
USE: Dampen a small completely clean natural bristled finely tipped brush with distilled water and use similarly to pan watercolours. The dampness of the brush should be enough to activate your gold. ONLY use distilled water. Tap and bottled water have impurities that will dull your gold. Dedicate this brush for goldwork only. Keep a separate small rescue jar of distilled water to rinse your paintbrush, any fall out of the 24k gold can be resourced for later after the water dries down! Simply cover with a thin layer of cheesecloth for airflow but will prevent dust from gathering, once it is dry cover with the lid and store out of direct heat or sunlight!
Once completely dry, this fine particle shell gold may appear as a soft gold but CAN be gently burnished with an agate burnisher to bring out the beautiful gleaming shine! Be sure your surface is completely dry before burnishing, especially if using watercolor paper! Unevenly dry watercolor paper fibers will lend to grainy skips and streaks in your final burnish since some fibers are plump with water and others are more firm from being partially dry, remember gold shows everything!
- NOTE: 'DO NOT FLOOD THE JAR WITH WATER'! Only use a finely bristled paintbrush dampened first with distilled water. The water in the bristles should be all that you need to activate your shell gold!
The addition of one tiny drop of water, possibly two at most should be all you need. If you added too much water it’s ok to let it just dry down, conversely, if it dries in the jar and you need more, simply start again with a dampened brush or 1 or two drops of distilled water.
TROUBLESHOOTING:
- Is your shell gold cracking? It could be it has been layered on too thickly, try thinner layers.
Is your shell gold cracking or flaking and you have been using thin layers? Altitude, humidity and temperature can also have an effect on your shell, you may need to add a tiny drop of pure gum arabic or a tiny drop of thin translucent filtered honey to your shell on your paint pallet (never ever in the main shell gold jar) to help with your binder. Our shell is made with minimal binder so you can adapt up if needed. Add one TINY DROP (tiny drop meaning a drop that forms from the end of a pointed toothpick dipped into your gum arabic or honey) and place onto your pallet to mix with your shell gold you are working with, no more than this tiny drop or it will dull your finish. Use this while you work with your shell and your consistency and dried finish should improve and dry down for stable gentle burnishing. (* for clarification on ‘TINY drop’ visit our YouTube channel shell gold product tutorial for more information.)
- Is it dull and flaky or clumping in your jar? It likely it has been too diluted with water overuse. If necessary, keep a small 4oz (118ml) jar half full with 2 oz (59ml) of distilled water on standby mixed with one drop of liquid gum arabic dissolved in it. One small drop is all that is needed as too much gum arabic can also lend to dullness! This should help with further binding if you find your shell gold has gotten too loose or there is flaking due to overuse of water.
- TIP: Keep the drop of water on your paintbrush concentrated to one spot in your jar, tipping the jar slightly on its side in an inkwell holder is helpful. If your gold has been oversaturated and you find it is flaking, do not add more than one or two TINY drops of gum arabic to your 2 oz(59ml) of distilled water mixture to revive the binder, as too much gum arabic will dull your shell gold when it dries.
- To use for patchwork on frames or other items needing gilding repair, a solution of 2oz of distilled water and one drop of pure raw honey, glair, or prepared technical gelatin can be used with a brush dampened in gilders liquor to help with deep inlays, holidays, or repairs.
HELPFUL HINTS:
CALLIGRAPHY USE: If you need an inklike consistency for a calligraphy nib or liner, you can use simply another drop of distilled water to thin your shell gold a bit more but if you prefer the flow more like a thin cream you can adapt this technique to your own needs but will need the following:
Your jar of pure 24k Royal Shell Gold
a small dish or jar (like a condiment dish, watercolor pan, small seashell, or tiny 5ml jar with lid to keep out dust)
a small 2 or 4 oz jar with lid also known as your ‘rescue jar’
distilled water (pure with no minerals added)
glycerin (can be found at the pharmacy)
2 paintbrushes with a fine tip (size 2 works well)
pipette
clean measuring teaspoon dedicated to art
First get a separate container such as a small condiment dish, small seashell, clean watercolor pan, dappen dish, or small 5ml jar with lid, this will work as your tiny paint pan. Mix a teaspoon of distilled water with a drop of glycerine into your little pan.
Next, dampen your paintbrush with distilled water, and then go back to your shell gold jar and add one to two drops of distilled water to one spot of the shell gold, gently mix just that area until you find your desired consistency. (wetting your paintbrush with distilled water first is important. If you use a dry brush and dip it into the shell gold your bristles will draw the gold too far up into your brush! A damp brush helps to fill the hairs of the brush and minimize this.)
Once your spot of shell gold is activated, add your liquid gold by drops or full paintbrush to the water/glycerine jar and mix well. If you need another load of gold you must rinse your brush well, use preferably use a new brush or pipette to add more gold. Do not dip your brush back into your shell gold pot as your brush has glycerine mix in it and will get into your shell gold and alter the formula and will make it dull.
Tip your dish or jar to help with pooling for dipping your nib into, or for best results paint your gold directly onto your nib or liner with your golden brush. Keep a separate container with distilled water to rinse your brush or nib to salvage the gold that is left behind. Let the water in your rescue jar dry down and use for your next ink project.
CAUTION: If you chose to use glycerin for a creamier feel instead of just thinning the shell gold with plain distilled water, then LABEL your rescue jar with a G so as not to confuse with your regular pure shell gold rescue jar! Your regular shell gold rescue jar will be pure shell gold and distilled water, when it dries down it will be still workable shell gold perfect for painting. Remember the rescue jar for your ink/calligraphy projects now has glycerine dried down into it. Labeling your rescue jars helps so you always know which is which!
NOTE: *Do not add glycerine directly to your original shell gold jar! Always mix separately! Add or subtract water to desired consistency, it should be like a coffee cream consistency, thicker than water or milk but still thin enough to flow off of your nib or liner.
If you find it easier to make your own shell gold so you can control different consistencies, please see our “ultra-fine dust” available in both 24k gold and pure platinum. The particulates are very small, about 2 - 10 microns, and is what we use in our shell gold - keep a jar of each ultra-fine dust on hand so you can make your own shell paint or calligraphy ink with your own special binder recipe as needed for different projects!
INFO:
- PROCESSING: The magic of turning pure gold into a beautiful luxurious pigment requires highly attentive experienced master artisan crafting. Please allow 7-10 days processing time plus shipping.
- Please note shell gold remains water-soluble even after dry, if your project may be exposed to moisture, water or consistent wear, please consider using a sealant.
- Price subject to change
*DISCLAIMER: Not intended for internal or external use. Artist is not responsible for misuse. Please note this product is produced with pure domestic 24k gold and the finest all-natural products but the recipe contains raw organic products and is not recommended for use by anyone with bee product allergies.
If you require vegan 24k Royal Shell Gold or have a bee product allergy, the recipe can be adapted without bee or animal products by using a different blend of the other natural binders; please make note of this when ordering and acquire both written and verbal confirmation.
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