shinin’ guyana gold
Shinin’ Guyana Gold is a series that celebrates the beauty and diversity of Guyana, Guyanese people and our culture, all told through the lens of gold. Gold and specifically, gold jewelry, is an important element of Guyanese culture and identity.
Guyana’s national motto, “One Nation. One People. One Destiny” is emblazoned on its coat of arms. There are numerous references to the mining industry which signifies its importance to the country. Two diamonds sit at the side of Cacique’s Crown, the headdress symbolizing the indigenous Ameridian people of Guyana. The two jaguars on each side are holding sugar cane, stalks of rice and a pickaxe, historically used to mine gold.
The brightness and intensity of gold's color is often influenced by factors such as the presence of impurities or alloying elements. Guyanese Gold has a distinct, bright yellow appearance that often makes people who are not familiar double take and ask if its real. The shine is a result of the high purity of the gold found in the region due to the rich alluvial gold deposits which run in, around and under our natural rainforests. Alluvial gold tends to have a high purity, meaning it contains a minimal amount of impurities or other metals.
The gold jewelry present in most Guyanese households is extremely unique. Rings and pendants are inscribed with letters, initials, symbols and graphics that denote family meaning. Intricate designs of flowers, fruit and animals appear on earrings and pendants. While no two designs are exactly alike, there are common shapes and patterns that Guyanese people recognize on sight.
No matter the wearer, the same earring or piece of jewelry is brought to life.
Gold is an essential part of our shared cultural language.
As with any community, Guyanese people add a personal touch and sense of style to our jewelry to bring our personal shine to it.
To Guyanese families, gold represents so much more than an item you might gift someone. It is one of the primary forms of heirlooms in families and provides a way for generations to leave wealth to their family outside of bank books.
Even if a Guyanese person has never been home, wearing these pieces reinforces the connection to something much more, much bigger than any of us individually.
It’s home, it is family, known and unknown.
Guyana is a country known for the beauty and diversity of its people. It is a melting pot of Indo-Guyanese, Afro Guyanese, Indigenous Amerindians and almost everything else in between. Its cultural diversity is a reflection of the various colonization and migration efforts throughout the country’s history. Today, you can find Guyanese all over the world, proudly rocking their golds.
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