Hierarchy classification:

1. top of the aat hierarchies
2. Materials Facet
3. Materials (hierarchy name)
4. materials (substances)
5. [materials by composition]
6. inorganic material
7. metal
8. [metal by form]
9. leaf (metal)

Anotations

Scope note:

Silver beaten out into thin leaf for use in gilding. Silver leaf is about three times as thick as gold leaf because silver is less malleable but the resulting leaf is easier to handle. It requires lacquering or varnishing to prevent tarnishing; for this reason it is often replaced by palladium leaf. In the commerical arts inexpensive aluminum leaf is used to achieve the effect of silver leaf. Silver leaf can also be covered with a golden yellow transparent coating as a substitute for gold.