Among the coinage metal complexes displaying luminescent properties, those bearing C-donor aryl ligands have an increasing part in the chemistry of these metals. These types of ligands confer a high kinetic and thermodynamic stability on the complexes, but they can also be involved in the photoluminescent behaviour of the complexes. The development of new aryl-containing complexes of group eleven metals, the study of their photoluminescent properties and their related properties and applications are discussed in this perspective. Among these, luminescent gold(i) and gold(iii) compounds are being intensively used for the development of new properties with potential applications such as, for instance, electroluminescence, triboluminescence, mechanochromism, aggregated induced emissions, quenching, luminescent liquid crystals, low molecular weight gelators and photocatalysts, among others.