We have prepared digold(I) complexes with the rigid-backbone diphosphane ligands PhanePhos, xyl-PhanePhos, and Ph 2 -GemPhos. All complexes were characterized by singlecrystal X-ray diffraction, NMR, IR, Raman, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. [PhanePhos(AuCl) 2 ] and [Gem-Phos(AuCl) 2 ] show a very similar ligand scaffold, but different (aurophilic vs. nonaurophilic) intramolecular Au-Au distances. Absorption and PL spectra of both compounds are quite similar. Theoretical investigations reveal that the excited states are of different character (i.e., influenced by the Au-Au contacts). The respective transition energies, however, lie close to each other, thus resulting in similar experi-