Gold relic shaped so it looks like an ear (7)
I believe the answer is:
auricle
'ear' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'gold relic shaped' is the wordplay.
'gold' becomes 'Au' (Au is the chemical symbol for gold).
'shaped' indicates anagramming the letters.
'relic' with letters rearranged gives 'ricle'.
'au'+'ricle'='AURICLE'
'so it looks like an' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may be part of another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for auricle that I've seen before include "External part of the ear" , "External part of the year." , "atrium" , "Upper chamber of the heart" , "Something of a heart" .)