(pronounced OR-meh-loo)

Say this word in a breathy voice and you sound quite enticing because it’s French. But of course it is. Oui oui. This sexy word means “ground gold” or, more specifically, the paste formed from crushing gold with mercury. More commonly it is used to describe the decorative appliqué of gold paste on bronze or the item itself. The article is first coated with the paste and then heated to evaporate the mercury, which leave the gold deposited evenly and securely on the surface. Voila!