Good as gold: a glittering exhibition reveals the dazzling art and intriguing science behind this icon of wealth.

• Position: Science & Technology

ONE OF THE RAREST and most highly prized minerals in the world is on display in the dazzling exhibition "Gold," which explores the historical fascination with this enduring symbol of wealth, beauty, and power. "Gold" features a dramatic array of 700 extraordinary geological specimens and cultural objects from around the world--100 natural specimens, 150 cultural objects, and 450 coins and gold bars--and presents the intriguing scientific and cultural story behind this cherished metal. It follows the path of gold from the molten depths of Earth to glittering examples of jewelry and artifacts that captivated ancient civilizations, from gold rushes that shaped the world to the modern pop-culture baubles that continue to mesmerize us today.

Visitors experience firsthand the attraction and splendor of the finest gold specimens on Earth and learn how gold has been located, mined, processed, and turned into objects both beautiful and useful.

Highlights include enormous nuggets such as the "Boot of Cortez," at more than 26 pounds, the largest ever found in the Western Hemisphere, and the 108-pound Summit-ville Boulder, volcanic rock flecked and veined with more than 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 collection of the American Museum of Natural History; rare doubloons retrieved from sunken Spanish galleons; and gold bars. Compelling modern objects on view include an Academy Award, two Emmy awards, and a Grammy, illustrating the powerful hold that gold continues to have on our imagination.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors discover that gold has amazing physical properties such as extreme malleability, reflectivity, and conductivity that make it invaluable for technological uses from telephones and televisions to satellite circuitry and astronauts' visors. They can walk through a 300-square-toot room completely covered in three ounces of gold flattened to exquisite thinness and determine the value of their own weight in gold.

"Throughout human history, gold has been synonymous with wealth, beauty, and status," notes 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...