Secrets of Anglo-Saxon Gold - Revealed in exciting new study at British Museum

A unique scientific study conducted at the British Museum has revealed insights into the world of Anglo Saxon goldsmiths. For the first time researchers have shown that these unknown craftsmen used sophisticated techniques to improve the colour of the gold by removing alloyed metals such as copper and silver from the surface of these objects in a process called “depletion”. This was a highly skilled task and scientists are unsure how it was achieved. It also seems that items made for warriors had a higher gold content than women’s items such as jewellery.