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Gold
Title: Parentesi Necklace
Starting in the 1970s, Bulgari began unveiling a collection of jewelry featuring a
double horseshoe-like pattern inspired by elements of Roman architecture.
This 18-karat-gold necklace, part of the “Parentesi” Collection, was created in 1982.
© Bulgari Vintage Collection
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
Gold is one of the most prized minerals in the world. The mineral in all its dazzling glory is the heart of an exciting exhibit at American's Museum of Natural History (AMNH).
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Title: Cartier Necklace
The 1800s and 1900s saw many of the finest designers apply their artistry to jewelry for the elite.
This 1959 18-karat-gold-and-diamond necklace by jeweler Cartier of Paris features detachable palmette clip brooches.
© Nick Welsh/Cartier Collection 2006
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
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As previous visitors to AMNH are aware the museum has an incredible knack for
organizing some of the finest exhibitions ever seen and they do not disappoint with Gold.
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Among the numerous highlights will be gold associated with Hollywood's Royalty and Gold collectors: Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Pickford and Marilyn Monroe to name a few.
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Title: Elizabeth Taylor’s Wristwatch
Purchased by Elizabeth Taylor in 1959,
this gold tank wristwatch features sapphire-colored hands and a crystal face.
© Nick Welsh/Cartier Collection 2006
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
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Gold features enormous nuggets of gold such as the “Boot of Cortez,” at more than 26 pounds,
the largest nugget ever found in the Western hemisphere, and the 108-pound Summitville Boulder, volcanic rock
flecked and veined with over 22 pounds of crystalline gold. The treasures on display include examples of the first
gold coins minted in ancient Lydia and Ionia (now Turkey); gleaming pre-Columbian jewelry and other objects from the Museum’s own
collection; rare doubloons retrieved from sunken Spanish galleons; and gold bars.
Title: Mary Pickford’s Vanity Case
Whether furnishing the home or accessorizing the person,
gold objects signaled the owner’s high social status as well as high income.
Douglas Fairbanks purchased this gold vanity case as a gift for his wife Mary Pickford.
©Nick Welsh/Cartier Collection 2006
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
“Throughout human history, gold has been synonymous with wealth, beauty, and status,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History.
“Because of its allure, rarity, and natural properties, gold has been valued, hoarded, and fashioned into objects of great artistry and cultural significance.
The Museum’s broad scope of work gives it the unique capacity both to explain the fascinating and rare scientific properties of the mineral gold—what it is and
what makes it so special—and to explore the connection between science and culture.”
Title: Picasso Gold Brooch
This 18-karat-gold “Gold” brooch, designed by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co. in 1988,
was an extension of the original Scribble collection,
a component of the Graffiti line commissioned by Tiffany in the 1980s.
Artist: Paloma Picasso (b. 1949)
Medium: Gold
©Tiffany & Co. Archives
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
“The public generally thinks of gold as beautiful, appealing, and valuable for its monetary or ornamental uses,”
said James D. Webster, Chair and Curator in the Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, American Museum of Natural History,
and lead curator for Gold. “But this exhibition illustrates that there is much more to gold than that.
It is a great opportunity to show the history of gold—where it can be found, what its uses are, and the cultural aspects of this extremely versatile mineral.”
Gold Facts
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Title: Tiffany Coffee Pot
This 18-karat gold-and-ivory coffee pot created for the 1900 Paris Exposition by
Tiffany & Co., was acquired by the gold millionaire Thomas F. Walsh (father of
Evelyn Walsh Maclean, owner of the Hope diamond); the full set was later given
to King Leopold II of Belgium, a family friend.
Medium: Gold
© Tiffany & Co. Archives
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
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The quest for gold has led to two famous rushes in the Klondike and in California. More than 90 percent of all gold ever used has been mined
since 1848. That was when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, California and it sparked what was the greatest gold rush ever.
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Just one ounce of the malleable mineral can be beaten into a thin continuous sheet measuring roughly 100 square feet.
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Title: Mixtec Bell
This elaborate gold bell was crafted with the lost-wax process more than 500
years ago and possibly depicts the patron of fire known as Xiutecuhtili to the
Aztecs and Iha Ndikandii to the Mixtecs of Oaxaca. The Mixtecs probably
manufactured this object, which was found in the state of Veracruz near the
Oaxaca border. Bearded, with two fangs, the depicted deity wears an elaborate
headdress and carries a shield and atlatl (spear thrower).
Medium: Gold
© Craig Chesek/AMNH
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
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History of Gold
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Title: Keris Handle
The peoples of South and Southeast Asia have mined and worked gold for thousands of years.
This keris (pronounced “crease”) handle found in Bali, Indonesia (c. late 1800s to early 1900s),
is an example of the traditional dagger of Southeast Asia.
The keris originated in Java as far back as 1400 B.C.E.
© C. Chesek/AMNH, AMNH Division of Anthropology
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
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The oldest worked-gold objects dating from 4000 BC were the products of the ancient Thracian civilization.
They were discovered at a burial site in Varna, Bulgaria.
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Title: Chavin Stirrup Spout Bottle
This hammered gold vessel with its distinctive stirrup-shaped neck
was made by the goldsmiths of the Chavin culture of Peru
that flourished between 900 and 200 B.C.E.
Chavin goldsmiths excelled in working gold sheets to make fine ritual objects.
Photo by John Bigelow Taylor
© American Museum of Natural History
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
AMNH takes a look at the historical fascination with this symbol of wealth, beauty, and power. The exhibit includes
700 geological specimens and cultural objects from around the world.
Title: Inka Necklace
An Inka necklace of 13 hollow gold beads, each made of two hemispheres, found in Cajamarca, Peru.
© Craig Chesek/AMNH
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is known for organizing some of the finest exhibitions such as
Pearls and
Petra.
Title: California Gold Specimen
Over 150 million years ago, magma, or molten rock, ascended towards Earth’s
surface drove superheated, gold-bearing water into cracks in the surrounding
rocks, which deposited the veins of quartz and gold. This crystallized specimen
was found in Eagle’s Nest, California
© Jackie Beckett/AMNH
Image Courtesy: The American Museum of Natural History
Don't miss Gold at the American Museum of Natural History.
Gold
American Museum of Natural History:
November 18, 2006 - August 19, 2007
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