The
23Kt Gold Option |
Any
Personalized Diploma may have the 23kt gold option
added to it for $14.25. This means that the initial
letter of the school name and the printed seal of your
choice are both "gilded," or "illuminated"
with gold.
Exclusive
DIplomas offer the 23 kt gold as a "per letter"
option -- up to five initial letters in the school name
may be gilded at a cost of $7.00 each.
Gilding is an art
that dates from medieval times, one which requires specialized
tools and a steady hand. We apply 23.5 carat gold over
a base of artist's gouache. It is burnished to
a reflective finish, is completely opaque, will never
lose its shine, and adds a touch of unmistakable importance.
The photo below shows a Personalized Diploma #4 with
the 23kt gold option. The gold-colored corner-ribbons
are part of the diploma cover.
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A close up view
of the enlarged and gilded letter, left, and of the
gilded "Soli Deo Gloria" seal, right. Height
of capital letter is 3/4", seal diameter 1 3/4".
Paper color is not true; it is very difficult to
get accurate photos of gilding.
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Some
of the tools and supplies we use to produce your diploma
-- left to right:
Sumi permanent ink, 0000 brush, Brause calligraphy dip
nib with marbled nib holder, and a pan of 23.5 carat shell
gold. The gold comes from Germany, in a tablet about
the size of half an aspirin. |
More
about Gilding:
Beautiful
illuminated and gilded manuscripts that date from the
Middle Ages are a testimony to the permanence of real
gold. There are a number of different techniques for
applying gold to paper, and some of them are very temperamental,
especially those involving the use of gold leaf. The
application of gold leaf is extremely sensitive to atmospheric
humidity and also creates quite a bit of waste.
The method we
use is the application of "shell gold." Shell
gold is pure, 24kt gold that has a tiny amount of binder
added to it (hence, it is actually sold as 23.5 carat)
so that it will adhere to the paper. It does not
have an extremely "bright" or "tinny"
look like foil, but has a richer and more subtle appearance.
The "flash" of shell gold when the light hits
it is a very warm gold color. It is absolutely
permanent, and very beautiful.
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