Metal leaves, such as gold and silver, are thinner than a human hair and are simply too fragile to handle by hand. The delicate leaves will simply stick to skin, bound by oils and moisture, and tear themselves to pieces. The only way to correctly handle this leaf is through the use of a gilders tip, a specialised brush for picking up leaf. These leaves are charged by running them over skin or hair to pick up a little oil, then can be used to lift leaf simply by touching the bristles to them.
This tip is made for use with loose silver and imitation gold and silver leaves and consists of soft, golden synthetic bristles attached to a high-quality card handle.