Gold leaf
Gold leaf is possible due to gold's malleability. In materials science, ductility is a solid material's ability to deform under tensile stress; this is often characterized by the material's ability to be stretched into a wire. Malleability, a similar property, is a material's ability to deform under compressive stress; this is often characterized by the material's ability to form a thin sheet by hammering or rolling. Why most metals have malleability or ductility?
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In metallic bonds, the electrons are delocalized over a large area of metal surface, which give metals some interesting properties likelustre, reflectivity, malleability and ductility.