All that glitters is not gold

Cultural  

1. Things that appear on the surface to be of great value may be quite worthless.

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all that glitters is not gold Idioms  

1. Something attractive is not always what it seems, as in This house is really beautiful, but a close look will show dry rot near the foundation—all that glitters is not gold. Aesop stated the same idea in two of his fables (c. 600 b.c.), and a version close to the current wording appeared in 1175.

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Example Sentences

Adams acknowledged that while all that glitters is not gold, the Rams’ foundation under McVay and their personnel and mindset give them an opportunity to be a championship-caliber team.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

While you may not always see them strike a deal, you’re always guaranteed a chuckle and a reminder that all that glitters is not gold.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2024

In the Hollywood world of make-believe all that glitters is not gold.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

"But all that glitters is not gold," our narrator Rosamund Pike warns, as our American television star embarks on an alliance with a family that "will do whatever it takes to survive."

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2020

Moralizing, I observed, then, that "all that glitters is not gold."

From Roughing It, Part 3. by Twain, Mark