Gold leaf has very little direct application in metal jewelry but has been used at times as a precious covering for wood or metal objects, to which it is applied by beating while hot or by use of various adhesives. Thicker sheet gold lends itself handily to jewelry work. Gold chasing and repousse, using gold sheet, offer the craftsman considerable opportunity to express himself in a yielding medium. Chasing is done with small, rod-like hand tools—these days they are made of steel—which are used to press the desired design into the sheet. The sheet is held against a lead block or against a specially prepared pitch, and the shaping or ornamentation is produced by tapping the hard chasing tool against the gold with a light hammer. The process requires artistic ability, skill, and patience. Repousse is the same process except that the work is done from the back of the object rather than by chasing against its face. Gold is used in diamond stud earrings or diamond bracelets.