Certain noble metals (mostly silver but occasionally gold) are available in edible form that are used for garnishing the sweets. The metal is pounded into a thin sheet (also called silver leaf) and packed with paper for support. During decorating the sweet, the paper is peeled off. According to the 'Environmental Protection Agency of Prevention and Toxic Substances', silver can be harmful when consumed more than 0.005 mg per day. This could be tolerable limit but intake of false metal (aluminum that resembles silver) is at consumers risk. Silver foils are less expensive and are sold by weight. Now a days, foods, dry fruits and few medicines are wrapped in silver foils.

Process: Small balls (pieces) of metal is placed between sheets of soft paper laid in a soft material like leather pouch. This is beaten carefully with a heavy hammer to flatten the balls into soft paper as thin sheets. It can also be made by hammering thin metal pieces placed in the middle of booklets. It is hammered hard until the metal turns into wafers (tiny sheet that gets damaged by touch).