As Good As Gold
Just in time for the holidays, a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History celebrates our long love affair with the shiny yellow metal. The blockbuster exhibit Gold is especially strong on gold’s geological occurrences. Case after case of nuggets, crystalline gold, and fantastical naturally occurring shapes really demonstrate how this love affair got started. No one who came across one of these gleaming miracles of nature could help but treasure it. The exhibit also has impressively displayed gold bars and coins, including some sunken treasure. And the examples of pre-Columbian gold artifacts from Panama are particularly nice. All told there is a ton of gold on display: none as impressively as three ounces that are pounded into gold leaf that covers the walls and ceilings of a 144 sq. ft. room. But the exhibition is a little disappointing when it comes to modern-day artistry in gold. The gold jewelry on display is limited to a few pieces. For more modern gold, you have to go to the gift shop, which has some nice gold souvenirs. Styles available include hammered designs by Toby Pomeroy, LiveWire hoops by Dana*David, high-karat styles by Yossi Harari, charms by Tracey Zabar, and a selection of vermeil looks. The exhibit runs until August 19, 2007.
