Supplier BulletinAug 28, 2025
Clientbook Is Helping Jewelers Turn Clienteling Challenges into Wins with Hands-On Training and CoachingSponsored by Clientbook
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.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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.
The Latest
GradingAug 28, 2025
GIA’s New ‘Quality Assessment’ for Lab-Grown Diamonds Is Coming It will classify lab-grown stones into one of two categories, “premium” or “standard,” in lieu of giving specific color and clarity grades.
SourcingAug 28, 2025
Botswana Declares Public Health Emergency Amid Diamond Sales SlumpPresident Duma Boko addressed the country’s medical supply chain crisis in a recent televised address.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 28, 2025
Borsheims Names New Jewelry BuyerFormer Free People buyer Afton Robertson-Kanne recently joined the retailer.
Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsAug 28, 2025
Sissy’s Log Cabin Donates School Supplies to Memphis StudentsThe jeweler teamed up with two local organizations for its inaugural “Back to School and Bling” event.
SourcingAug 27, 2025
11,685-Carat Emerald Recovered From Zambia’s Kagem MineDubbed the “Imboo,” or “buffalo,” emerald, the rough gemstone is part of Gemfields’ latest emerald auction, which is taking place now.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
SurveysAug 27, 2025
Consumer Confidence Slips in August Amid Job, Income WorriesPlans for dining out, booking vacations, and buying big-ticket items were down.
CollectionsAug 27, 2025
Mined + Found’s New Collection Gets Playful The “Play” collection centers on nostalgic toys that have kinetic elements to carry playfulness and wonder into adulthood.
CollectionsAug 26, 2025
Does Your Jewelry Stack Need a Snack?Designer Christina Puchi, the creative force behind CCWW Designs, has created charms and pendants based on iconic candies and crackers.
WatchesAug 26, 2025
Nick Jonas Gets Nostalgic in New Fossil CampaignThe Jonas Brothers star showed off new timepieces against the backdrop of his favorite spots in his home state of New Jersey.
IndependentsAug 26, 2025
Hinkamp Jewelers Celebrates 70 YearsThe family-owned jeweler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in the hands of the second generation.
ColumnistsAug 26, 2025
Back to School, Back to Style: Why August is Prime Time for Self-GiftingIn his latest column, Emmanuel Raheb shares tips for encouraging customers to treat themselves to new jewelry.
WatchesAug 25, 2025
London Jewelers Brings Rolex to Historic Hamptons HomeThe new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.
CollectionsAug 25, 2025
Tennis Star Madison Keys Has the Perfect Necklace for the US OpenThe Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.
TrendsAug 25, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: That’s a WrapWrap jewelry is more than just a trend; it’s the perfect motif for the coming season of layering, scarves, and pumpkin spice.
WatchesAug 25, 2025
WatchTime NY Show Returns for 10th Anniversary EditionThe three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.
GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ CollarThe one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry EmpireThree C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
