Am currently restoring two beautiful 19th century consoles. The gilding is in superb condition as it was protected by a coat of shellac. Unfortunately, the shellac had discoloured and the gold looked very dull, but I've cleaned the shellac off and underneath the water gilding is gorgeous. There is lots of damage; missing gesso and chips to the carving. It's important to restore the gold to match the original colour. Gold doesn't tarnish, but it can change colour over time with handling and dust. It's very difficult to antique gold so this is taking me ages. But. Will be worth it when it's finished.
