There is nothing more valuable than holding an Olympic medal and standing on the top of the podium, as athletes tirelessly put in all their efforts to achieve that moment. There is no question that any athlete would deny the value of a gold medal. However, did you know there is a subtle twist when it comes to that Olympic gold? Despite its prestigious ‘gold’ name, the medal is not entirely made of gold.
How an Olympic gold medal is made
Made predominantly of silver, with only a small amount of gold, the Olympic gold medal has been crafted this way since the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Typically, it contains about 6 grams of pure gold, which is used to coat the surface of the medal. The core is made of at least 92.5% pure silver, ensuring the medal maintains both durability and value.
Weight of an Olympic Medal
It is really interesting that the gold medal’s weight varies depending on the particular Games but usually falls within the range of 500 to 600 grams. For example, the medals awarded at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics weighed around 556 grams.
This means that while the gold content is relatively small in terms of actual weight, the majority of the medal’s mass comes from silver. At the Paris Olympics, the gold medal weighs 529 grams, the silver medal weighs 525 grams, and the bronze medal weighs around 425 grams.
