All About the Sochi Olympic Medals
While the athletics featured in the winter Olympics are truly spectacular to behold, our eyes are on those Sochi medals (and we can’t help but think that we’re not the only ones). The Sochi medals, in fact, are some of the largest in Olympic history (though not the most expensive), so it makes sense that they would draw attention!
Just the Fact: Sochi Medal Statistics
The Sochi medals weigh between 460 to 531 grams (depending on the silver content of the individual medal). They are each 10 mm thick with a diameter of 100 mm.
The gold medals consist mainly of silver (525 grams of it to be precise; the silver has a hallmark of 960) and 6 grams of gold (hallmark: 999).
The silver medal also consists of 525 grams of silver (hallmark: 960).
The bronze medals are crafted of bronze with a hallmark of 460.
There will be 1300 medals produced in total with a combined weight of 700 kg. That means a total of 2.5 kg of gold, 490 kg of silver, and 210 kg of bronze will be used to make them.
It’s all in the Design
To craft the medal, a design competition was held amongst Russia’s leading jewelers, licensees, advertising agencies, and clockmakers. Eleven total designs were brought forward to an expert panel who selected the concept which corresponded most closely with the Sochi 2013 brand.
Since that brand is primarily aimed at displaying the multifaceted character of Russia and the contrasts which this creates, the patchwork design depicted on the Sochi medal’s obverse is perfect. This patchwork is also meant to remind a viewer of where Europe meets Asia; where nature meets megacities; and where rich cultural heritage meets with innovation. The jagged diamond pieces are reminiscent of snowy mountains with a still, calm, sea and an icy landscape stretching below.
The medals are also designed utilizing a combination of glass and metal, which lends lustrous beauty to the pieces.
The Value
The Olympic committee sets strict standards to ensure that the value of medals is equal from one game to the next. These standards range from ensuring that the medals are circular and attached to a ribbon/chain, to specifying precise dimensions that the medals must (at minimum) meet.
Olympic guidelines proclaim that the gold medal must be crafted of sterling silver which is at least 92.5% pure, then be plated with at minimum six grams of pure gold. Doing the math on the Sochi medals (on February 3, 2014 silver was worth $0.63 a gram and gold $40.59 a gram), the Sochi gold medal is worth approximately $550 on today’s market.
The silver medal must be crafted of sterling silver of at minimum 92.5% purity. The Sochi silver medal is worth approximately $300.
The bronze medal must consist of bronze (an alloy which consists of copper, zinc, and tin). The bronze medal from Sochi is, thus, worth about $5.
While this is a 20% decline from the podium value of the London 2012 summer Olympics, this drop has rather to do with a decrease in the value of gold and silver.
So go, team USA! Bring home those beautiful Sochi medals!