Long story short-this is research for a piece of fiction. Is there any chemical or reaction, even if otherwise pointless, that would achieve this, besides just painting the gold?
In: 2
Plating it. White gold, gray gold, etc is just Rhodium plating.
For your fiction, leafing/gilding is probably a better solution than plating. Leaf transfers with adhesive (gilding) are a fairly easy/inexpensive process. And the leaf thickness could add to the idea that the gold is lead, because lead scratches with a fingernail. You would t want a minor scratch to show gold.
Latest Answers