vàng cốm
Definition
- 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.)