Considerations on the Real and the Symbolic Value of Gold

Abstract

The glint and glitter of gold have an eternal fascination. It has inspired admiration and amazement as much as the desire to win it. It appears in the myths and fairy tales and has an important place in the stories of the Bible. It could be seen equally as a blessing and a curse, it could be considered as an expression of the power of the sun, or as a sacred possession of the gods, always it has a place in human fantasy. On a human scale it was a symbol of power and wealth and then a precious material for the most sublime creations of artists and craftsmen. Beyond that, even, it was the ultimate symbol of perfection and incorruptibility, the goal of the transformations of the alchemists.