Definition

1. Noun:
   • Flake gold / gold dust: A form of gold that appears as very small, thin, flat pieces or particles, often found naturally in placer deposits or produced by hammering and processing.
   • Gold leaf in small pieces: Refers specifically to gold that has been beaten into extremely thin sheets and then broken or cut into tiny, glittering flakes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Các thợ mỏ đãi cát tìm vàng cốm trong dòng suối. (The miners panned for flake gold in the stream.)
  • Nghệ nhân dùng vàng cốm để dát lên tượng Phật. (The artisan used small pieces of gold leaf to gild the Buddha statue.)
  • Vàng cốm lấp lánh dưới ánh đèn. (The gold flakes sparkled under the light.)

Advanced Usage

• In traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship, "vàng cốm" is a crucial material for gilding and inlaying on religious statues, temple decorations, and fine art objects, valued for its ability to create detailed, luminous effects.
• Historically, it was a traded commodity, measured in weight units like or .

Variants and Related Words

• Vàng lá (n): Gold leaf, typically referring to larger, uncut sheets of beaten gold.
  • Vàng lá mỏng hơn tờ giấy. (Gold leaf is thinner than a sheet of paper.)
• Vàng tây (n): Gold alloy (e.g., 18K gold), distinguished from pure gold forms like flake gold.
• Cát vàng (n): Gold-bearing sand, the source material from which flake gold is often panned.

Synonyms

• Flake gold
• Gold dust
• Gold paillette (from the French-derived term)

Related Idioms

• While there is no direct idiom with "vàng cốm", the concept is related to the broader theme of value and meticulous work:
  • Kiếm như vàng: Literally "as rare as gold"; used to describe something extremely scarce and valuable.

    • Nhân tài ấy kiếm như vàng. (Talent like that is as rare as gold.)