The Tamara Childs Studio Glass Gilding Process

At the family-owned Childs Studio, “handcrafted” genuinely describes the process used to create timeless and lustrous beauty using the ancient art of gilding. Before it leaves the studio, a single item is handled an average of five times by the artist and craftsmen, and each piece of resplendent glass truly becomes “one of a kind.”

Our Steps:

• First, the glass is cleaned, polished and checked for imperfections.
• Next, an adhesive sizing is brushed onto the glass in one of seven unique patterns.
• Then, tissue-thin sheets of metal leaf, selected from a variety of solid or variegated colored alloys, are laid onto the sized areas.
• The leaf is then carefully buffed and polished, revealing the pattern.
• Lastly, a water based varnish is applied to seal the surface and protect from wear and tarnish.

After a final inspection, the glass is carefully packed for shipping—across the continent or across the globe —to shine on the shelves of the finest gift stores or grace the table of a Saudi Princess.