The Museum of Gold in Bogotá is a sight to behold: the metal workings of pre- and post-Columbian South America are on display there. Most of the gold-workings are pre-Columbian since the Spanish weren't especially interested in the local art, they just wanted the gold.
In the second floor, there is a fascinating display that shows how early goldsmiths were able to use as little as 10% gold mixed with copper to create gilded jewelry, decorative armaments and crowns for their leaders. When the Spaniards saw these, they assumed that
the natives were swimming in gold and this led them to employ all their energies to find these non-existent fountains. The rest of the displays show the different modes of metal-working used throughout Colombia.
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