Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
EditorsAug 22, 2016
4 Cool Facts About The Olympics and Their Medals
In the spirit of the 2016 Olympic Games, which closed Sunday evening, Senior Editor and Olympics super-fan Brecken Branstrator shares some interesting tidbits.
I can trace my love for the Olympics back to a very specific start.
It was 1996 and the Magnificent Seven was heading to the Olympics in Atlanta.
At the same time, I was taking gymnastics. I basically thought I was Dominique Moceanu. I remember my parents buying me a brand new white crushed velvet leotard with rhinestones on it (because what’s a gymnastics outfit without some bling) and thinking, This is it. Here I am. I swear, it made me tumble harder and run faster at that vault.
During the 1996 Olympics, those seven gymnasts were shining.
And there was one special moment that always sticks out. Kerri Strug. The vault. An injured ankle. I know you know what I’m talking about. Seeing her stick that landing and then watching coach Béla Károlyi carry her to get her medal. Have you ever seen anything so inspiring? That year is when it all started happening for USA women’s gymnastics.
Though I gave up the sport within just a couple of years to return to my first love, soccer, gymnastics continues to be my hands-down favorite sport to watch. And between the Final Five we had this year, our amazing swim team and so many other great athletes representing our country, athletics-wise, I thought it was a pretty great Olympics.
In the spirit of the closing of this year’s games, which officially happened last night, here are some interesting facts about the Games and their medals.
It was 1996 and the Magnificent Seven was heading to the Olympics in Atlanta.
At the same time, I was taking gymnastics. I basically thought I was Dominique Moceanu. I remember my parents buying me a brand new white crushed velvet leotard with rhinestones on it (because what’s a gymnastics outfit without some bling) and thinking, This is it. Here I am. I swear, it made me tumble harder and run faster at that vault.
During the 1996 Olympics, those seven gymnasts were shining.
And there was one special moment that always sticks out. Kerri Strug. The vault. An injured ankle. I know you know what I’m talking about. Seeing her stick that landing and then watching coach Béla Károlyi carry her to get her medal. Have you ever seen anything so inspiring? That year is when it all started happening for USA women’s gymnastics.
Though I gave up the sport within just a couple of years to return to my first love, soccer, gymnastics continues to be my hands-down favorite sport to watch. And between the Final Five we had this year, our amazing swim team and so many other great athletes representing our country, athletics-wise, I thought it was a pretty great Olympics.
In the spirit of the closing of this year’s games, which officially happened last night, here are some interesting facts about the Games and their medals.
The medals of the 2016 Games in Rio. (Image courtesy Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)
1. One of our own designed the medals. With the 2004 Olympic Games returning to their starting place, the Committee decided there should be a redesign of the medals, marking the first time they had seen any significant change since 1928.
Organizers asked designers to submit designs that included two specific Greek elements: a depiction of Nike, the goddess of victory, and the Panathinaikos, the stadium in Athens where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.
The winning design was by none other than Greek jewelry designer Elena Votsi. Her medal featured a winged Nike in the Panathinaikos stadium with the Acropolis in the background.
(Check out The Adventurine’s recent Q&A with Votsi about the medals. It’s a great read.)
On the back of that first medal was Greek writing, the Olympic flame and the Athens 2004 logo. Now, each host city puts their own design on the reverse side.
2. This year, the U.S. was dominant in its lust for gold. What a great year for the U.S. Olympic athletes. Records were being set everywhere, and it helped the U.S. end up on top, with 121 total medals, almost double the figure for second place China, which ended up with 70.
The U.S.’s breakdown also led them to the most of each individual medal--46 golds, 37 silvers and 38 bronze medals.
3. The whole “bite the medal” thing actually started for a valid reason. And no, it’s not because they’re seeing if it’s made of chocolate (just me?). Historically, the athletes were biting down on their medals to ensure that they were made of real gold and not pyrite.
Today, they’re plated with just six grams of gold. The remaining is comprised of 92.5 percent silver and 6.16 percent copper. The World Gold Council estimated in late July that the gold medal’s “podium value” was about $700, based on metal prices at the time.
(Interestingly, the World Gold Council estimated that if the medals at the 2012 London Olympic Games had been made out of solid gold, the cost would have reached nearly $40 million.)
The last Olympic Games in which medals were made of solid gold was in 1912.
The gold medals now also meet sustainability criteria from extraction to refining, and meet strict environmental and labor laws, the WGD reports. For the silver and bronze medals, meanwhile, approximately 30 percent of the material used is recycled.
This year, the medals used for the Paralympic games have a cool innovation--they have a small device that makes a noise when the medal is shaken to allow visually impaired athletes to know which medal they have.
Image courtesy of SCP Auctions
4. Many Olympic gold medals are worth more than their weight, and some have proved it. The highest price ever paid for an Olympic gold medal was that won by Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics, according to ESPN. Pittsburgh Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle purchased it for nearly $1.5 million in 2013.
Owens was, of course, known at that particular Olympics games for winning four gold medals in Germany, where Hitler was serving as host.
The price Burkle paid for this particular gold shattered the previous record for highest price ever paid for a piece of Olympic memorabilia, which was $865,000, set in April 2013, when a buyer paid that amount for a silver cup from the winner of the first modern-day Olympic marathon in 1896.
Owen’s medal also went for five times the previous highest price paid for an Olympic gold medal won by the U.S. team--Mark Wells’ gold from the 1980 ice hockey team sold for $310,700 about six years ago.
More on Editors
The Latest
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
Policies & IssuesOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
Events & AwardsOct 06, 2026
JIS Fall Returns to MiamiThe 2026 edition will feature presentations on alternative materials and design trends, as well as pop-up activations on the show floor.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
De Beers to Take Full Ownership of Gahcho KuéIt is the last fully operational diamond mine in Canada following the recent closures of Ekati and Diavik.
AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
Bruce Bridges Joins CIBJO BoardThe AGTA president was elected for a two-year term on the board of directors.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
CrimeOct 01, 2026
Police Looking for 4 Suspects in $600K Smash-and-Grab RobberyDubai Jewelers in Springfield, Virginia, was once again the target of an armed robbery.
SurveysOct 01, 2026
Rolex Ranks Among Most Recommended Brands in US, Survey Says YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands report’s out, and a fast-fashion giant is sitting at No. 1 while Rolex is just shy of the top 5.
