All that glitters is not gold... (2025)

Hello,

I am looking for a continuation of the proverb "all that glitters is not gold" (or "glisters", if you prefer) that inverts the meaning to suggest that just like not all that is beautiful is valuable, not all that is ugly (or cacophonous or malodorous) is worthless or contemptible. The obvious inversion would be "all that is gold does not glitter", which occurs in a poem by Tolkien, but I was wondering if there isn't an idiomatic inversion with a substance other than gold, for example "all that glitters is not gold, *but all that is opaque is not mud". I wish to use the extended aphorism in a nutritional context to say that not everything that looks healthy is healthy and that likewise, not everything that looks oily or industrial is junk food. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance

The standard version (and its origins) is discussed here:
All that glitters is not gold - Wikipedia

"All that glitters is not gold.". In English, it seems to have a different meaning than this saying has in other languages.
In fact, some things that glitter might be gold.

In Russian, it's actually, "Not everything that glitters is gold."

EDIT: I just found that this saying has been discussed already several times: All that glitters is not gold - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

Vronsky said:

In Russian, it's actually, "Not everything that glitters is gold."

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This is exactly the same meaning. "All that glitters is not gold" is an archaic construction which we would probably not use in modern English if Shakespeare hadn't popularised the expression in The Merchant of Venice (1605) [it is "glisters" here, of course, but that is an obsolete word and is usually replaced with "glitters" or "glistens" in modern English].

This is not a fixed phrase but might work:

There is gold, and then there is fools' gold. (Note: Fools' gold is "pyrite".)

And here is a quote:

“There’s fool’s gold—pyrite—and then there’s fool’s gold—gold owned by idiots willing to trade it for worthless dollars.
”

― Jarod Kintz, This Book Has No Title

Uncle Jack said:

This is exactly the same meaning.

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"All that glitters is not gold."
"Not all that glitters is gold."
"Not everything that glitters is gold."

Thank you for the suggestion "don't judge a book by its cover". For some reason, it had not occurred to me that it conveys a kindred idea about false appearances, though I am very familiar with it otherwise.

GreenWhiteBlue said:

The standard version (and its origins) is discussed here:
All that glitters is not gold - Wikipedia

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I do not believe that the information provided therein answers my query.

kentix said:

"All that glitters is not gold."
"Not all that glitters is gold."
"Not everything that glitters is gold."

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The entire discussion about the syntax of "all that glitters is not gold" is very much off topic, especially given that it has already been discussed elsewhere.

I'm answering a specific question related to the topic. If someone doesn't understand the phrase, they can't understand what's different and what's the same and what's equivalent and the meaning of any of it.

Have a good day.

123xyz said:

I do not believe that the information provided therein answers my query.

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Nevertheless, I thought you might find it informative; I certainly did, but then, I am always happy to admit that I don't know everything. You are welcome anyway.