“Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”
Roman Payne
Gold has held a special status in society throughout history, from its origins as a sacred material with spiritual powers to its high material worth today. Now, the ancient alchemical metal is making its way back into the modern home.
Mixed metals is one of the standout design trends for 2019, highlighted by a number leading design publications and authorities, with gold being a key ingredient within the trend. It’s true that gold is having a moment in jewellery over recent years with pieces inspired by ancient mythology crafted from solid gold firmly part of the zeitgeist, see Cleopatra’s Bling, Alighieri and Noor Fares for the most sublime examples.
The seven alchemical metals.
Gold has played an important role throughout human history and is arguably the most precious of the seven alchemical metals. In ancient times, each classical planet (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) was associated with one of the seven known metals (silver, mercury/quicksilver, copper, gold, iron, tin and lead respectively).
I recently explored copper and its connection to Venus and now, as we are in solar-powered Leo season, it is the turn of gold, the alchemical metal connected to the sun, symbolised by ☉ or ☼.
Gold – the perfect metal.
For the classical alchemist, gold represented the perfection of all matter, including that of the mind, spirit, and soul. The precious metal is also associated with illumination, purity, strength, wealth, prosperity and wisdom, as well as being the ultimate in prestige and high glamour.
Gold was highly valued by ancient civilisations and cultures all over the world from Egypt, to Rome and Central America. Due to the belief that it represented purity, gold was often used for love charms, as offerings for the gods, for ceremonial purposes to create protective amulets such as the Evil Eye, and for the adornment of royal courts and temples. As well as its physical presence throughout history, gold has also appeared in storytelling throughout time, such as the myth of King Midas whose magic touch turned everything into gold.
Kintsugi – golden joinery.
Despite its glamorous connotations, gold used in small measures creates a subtle yet exquisite appearance. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of ‘golden joinery’, repairing broken pottery with a lacquer made from powdered gold, silver or platinum. More than purely for aesthetics, as a philosophy Kintsugi treats the breakage as a part of the history of the object, finding beauty in a flaw or imperfection, rather than something to disguise.
Gold & the Sun.
In astrology, the sun represents masculine principles, including imagery of ‘the king’ or Apollo, outward-looking energy and a person’s sense of self. In Sanskrit too, the sun (or Surya) was linked to authority, regal status, a fatherly presence, the ego and personal growth.
Despite its masculine connotations, the Latin word for gold, aurum, is derived from the Greek word Aurora, the same name as the revered goddess of the dawn. Aura comes from the same word root, undoubtedly referring to the metal’s radiance.
Gold & the mixed metal trend.
It is no surprise then that, we are layering burnished gold with other warm metals, with gold the key anchor to create an evolved look that is timeless and grounded in sacred history. Pair with neutral tones including beige, warm earthy hues and dusky pinks to soften the material whilst allowing it to shine.
