One of the traditional handicrafts of Mandalay, Myanmar, is gold leaf production. Gold will be hammered and beaten until it reaches a thickness of less than the thickness of human hair. The resulting gold squares are sold at 4-6$ per piece (depending on the size) to pilgrims who will gild them on Buddha statues and images. With time, some statues are covered with a thick layer of gold.
Some articles I found: Gold foil making
Gold leaf: a look behind the scenes
Gold leaf making in Myanmar
Mandalay’s Handmade Gold Leaf Industry Under Threat
Myanmar is one of the poorest countries of our planet. Average salary is a little less than 100$ per month, minimum day wage is 4.8$, approximately the cost for one gold leaf. Still, masses of pilgrims will fulfill their religious obligation and will exchange a day’s work for a gold leaf.
And the resulting gold covered Buddha statue:
