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verre églomisé

n. /ˌvɛː ˌeɪɡlɒmiˈzeɪ/

Placing gold leaf with tweezers.

The technique of verre églomisé is named after Jean Baptiste Glomy, a Parisian picture-framer to Louis XV. (The phrase verre églomisé literally means ‘Glomy-ised glass’ but, although he popularised the art form in the 18th century, Glomy lent his name to a far older technique, examples of which predate the Roman era.

The production of verre églomisé involves many stages; the reverse side of glass is gilded with gold or silver leaf, fixed with a gelatine-based liquid adhesive. Once dried, the leaf is burnished, resulting in a highly mirrored surface.

We use these age old methods combined with painting and other techniques to create richly layered designs. 


Tools of verre églomisé - gilders pad, tip, brush, size, knife.

The tools of verre églomisé – gilder’s pad, knife, tip, size.

Gelatine size for gilding on glass for verre églomisé technique.

The size, or adhesive, is a gelatine dissolved in water.

Gold leaf on the pad preparing for verre églomisé.

Gold leaf on the pad.

Lifting gold leaf on the pad for verre églomisé.

Lifting gold leaf with the gilder’s knife.

Cutting gold leaf with the knife for verre églomisé.

Cutting gold leaf on the pad.

Lifting gold leaf with the tip for verre églomisé.

Lifting gold leaf with the gilder’s tip.

Emma Peascod's gilder's tip in Hole & Corner magazine.

The gilder’s tip in Hole & Corner.

Verre Eglomisé Commissions