Confused about what to do with the Golden Idol in Path of Exile 2? You'll likely happen upon at least one of these idols while exploring Utzaal in act three, though it's most probable you'll discover the Golden Idol first, since it's found in a fixed location in Napuatzi's quarters.
There are actually six idols overall scattered across the ancient city, including the Golden Idol, Grand Idol, Glorious Idol, Exquisite Idol, Elegant Idol, and Exceptional Idol. Some are located on altars in the city itself, guarded by enemies, while others are hidden in smaller rooms you can enter through doorways, such as Napuatzi's quarters.
Similar to the Sacrificial Heart you also find in Utzaal, what you actually do with these items is a little confusing, so here's how to use the Golden Idol and its counterparts in act three of PoE 2.
How to use the Golden Idol and others
If you inspect the Golden Idol—or any of the others you find in Utzaal—it mentions that you can exchange it with Oswald in the Ziggurat Encampment. However, when you head on over to see him, you'll find there's no new dialogue option related to the idol you can choose. What you need to do is sell the Golden Idol to Oswald using the regular vendor menu. This is true for all the other idols you find in Utzaal as well.
It's a little confusing. Though each of these idols is labelled as a 'Quest Item' in its description, they are actually just loot that you can sell to Oswald for gold, and not even that much gold to be honest. Depending on which idol you sell, you'll get around either 500 or 1,000 gold. Still, if you're exploring Utzaal thoroughly, you may as well grab every idol you find, hawk them to Oswald, and get some extra currency for when you next need to respec or something.