View source for Gold

{{short description|Precious metal and color}}
[[File:Jeff Reitz - Precious Gold Ring.png|thumb|''Precious Gold Ring'' by Jeff Reitz]]
'''Gold''' refers to both a valuable mineral in [[Middle-earth]] and golden colour or golden light.  
==History==
Gold was present in the deeps of [[Arda]] since its creation and [[Aulë]], the great smith was the first to make use of it. Afterwards, it was to be used by all speaking peoples of earth particularly the [[Dwarves]] who mastered it and by the [[Noldor]].

One of the [[Seven Gates of Gondolin]] was the [[Gate of Gold]].

Although valuable, the metal was not nearly as valuable as ''[[mithril]]''. [[Gimli]] stated that when the [[Dwarves]] mined ''mithril'' in [[Moria]] it was worth ten times the value of gold and that after the coming of [[Durin's Bane]] mithril was beyond price).<ref>{{FR|II4}}</ref> The [[Teleri]] also prized [[silver]] (which they called ''[[telpe]]'') above gold.<ref>{{UT|6e}}</ref>

[[The One Ring]] was made of gold,<ref>{{FR|I2}}</ref> as was [[Vilya]], the Elven Ring of [[Elrond]].<ref>{{RK|VI9}}</ref>  The treasure of [[Smaug]] also contained gold, wrought and unwrought.<ref>{{H|Inside}}</ref>

Sometimes, gold was a prerequisite for such '[[magic]]' and other evils as [[Sauron]] practised with it and upon it. It was said that the power of [[Morgoth]] was disseminated throughout this element in the matter of [[Arda]]; however, his sway over it was not absolute, since Morgoth did not create gold in the first place.<ref>{{MR|P5VII}}, p. 400</ref>

==Other names==
<!-- I suggest only referencing those words which don't have an article of their own (User:Morgan) -->

*[[Quenya]]: ''[[malta]]'', ''[[laurë]]'' (the colour, not the metal), ''[[KUL|culu-]]''
*[[Sindarin]]/[[Noldorin]]: ''[[malt]]''
*[[Adûnaic]]: ''[[pharaz]]''

==Other versions of the legendarium==
In [[The Book of Lost Tales]] a portion of gold was used in the creation of [[Tilkal]], to construct [[Angainor]].<ref>{{LT1|IV}}, p. 100</ref>

In [[Gnomish]], the word for "gold" is ''glôr'' (''glôriol'' means "golden, like gold", and ''glôrin'' means "golden, of  gold"). The poetic word for "gold" is ''Culu''.<ref>{{PE|11}}, pp. 27, 40</ref>
==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1994: ''[[Middle-earth Role Playing]]—[[Treasures of Middle-earth (2nd edition)|Treasures of Middle-earth]]''''' 
:Gold is given the [[Sindarin]] name ''Mal'' in the book, and it was said to be valued by the Dwarves above all other metals, save mithril. Elves, who appreciated its beauty more than its value, used it in alloys, something Dwarves would be able to do if they were willing. It can be mixed with [[Metals_in_Middle-earth_Role_Playing#Other_metals|platinum]] to become white-gold.<ref>{{ICE|2010}}, p. 188</ref>
'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Gold ore can be mined by expert prospectors in the [[Lone-lands]], [[North Downs]], [[Evendim]], [[Bree-land]], and [[The Yondershire|the Yondershire]].<ref>{{LOTROW|Gold Deposit|22 August 2025}}</ref>
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[[Category:Materials]]