SourcingJul 30, 2026
De Beers Sale in ‘Final, Most Challenging’ Phase, Anglo CEO SaysThe goal is for the De Beers sale to be finished by the second half of 2026, with the subsequent approvals process expected to take a year.
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
Policies & IssuesJul 30, 2026
JA Heads Back to Washington as New Wave of Tariffs Takes Effect David Bonaparte, along with Tim Haake and Ronnie VanderLinden, continue to lobby for tariff exemptions for diamonds, gemstones, and pearls.
SurveysJul 30, 2026
Consumer Confidence Slips in JulySurvey respondents were concerned about the rising prices of food and groceries as well as unemployment.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Vicenzaoro Releases 2026 Education LineupThe trade show, slated for Sept. 4-8 in Vicenza, Italy, will feature sessions on trends, AI, gemology, and manufacturing.
Weekly QuizJul 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsJul 30, 2026
Hillsborough Show Moves to New Location for 2026The public shopping event featuring art, jewelry, watches, and rare collectibles, will take place in Santa Clara, California, this fall.
MajorsJul 29, 2026
Kevin Reilly Retires After 39 Years in the Jewelry Industry Reilly has been with PGI USA for the last 20 years, leading partnership development and professional education.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
FinancialsJul 29, 2026
Kering’s H1 Jewelry Sales Up 14%Boucheron reached record sales while Pomellato found success in its signature collections.
Events & AwardsJul 29, 2026
Lauren Harwell Godfrey Designs a Flag for ArkansasShe was one of more than 120 American designers who created flags for the “United Flags of Fashion” project led by CFDA and Vogue.
ColumnistsJul 28, 2026
Peter Smith: Why Your Job Postings May Be Working Against You Smith reveals the method The Retail Smiths use to help retailers and vendors write better job postings.
FinancialsJul 28, 2026
Tiffany & Co., Bulgari Lead the Way for LVMH in H1LVMH’s jewelry and watch brands outperformed the company’s other divisions in an environment the company described as “disrupted.”
CollectionsJul 28, 2026
Lionheart’s New Collection Unites Spiritual Iconography“Sacred Heart” features symbols like crosses, angel wings, the Star of David, and the evil eye as a representation of coexistence.
Events & AwardsJul 28, 2026
The Edge Funding 2 Scholarships Via 24 Karat Club SEUS The scholarships will go to early-career professionals looking to study gemology, bench work and jewelry design, or store operations.
SurveysJul 27, 2026
Jewelry Leads Luxury Market Amid Stabilization, Bain SaysBain & Company delved into the trends shaping the luxury market, the impact of AI, and more in its recent study.
SourcingJul 27, 2026
‘Rubies’ Goes on Display at Harvard MuseumThe exhibition reveals the gemology, geology, and cultural history of the iconic red gemstone.
Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
CollectionsJul 23, 2026
Silvia Furmanovich’s New Collection Travels Back to the 1920s“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.
IndependentsJul 23, 2026
Sissy's Log Cabin Opens Casino StoreThe jeweler’s newest store is inside Arkansas’ Saracen Casino Resort.
WatchesJul 23, 2026
Movado Inks Licensing Deal With Kate Spade New YorkThe watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2026
Trump to Put 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.
CollectionsJul 22, 2026
Monica Rich Kosann’s High Jewelry Is FruitfulThe “Enchanted Garden” series features a cherry, lemon, and pear that each hold a little secret inside.
IndependentsJul 22, 2026
Liljenquist Beckstead Opens Rolex New BoutiqueIt’s located in Tysons Galleria, an upscale shopping center in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
