Olympic Heavy “Medal”

The 2018 Winter Olympics are in full force. Athletes from around the world are looking for that new piece of jewelry for their collection. Bronze, silver, and gold are the favorites of these stellar athletes, but exactly what are these Olympic trinkets really made of?

Although nothing can change what the medals represent, the metallurgy of the medals changes with each Olympic host.

The gold and silver medals this year are actually composed of mostly silver, 99.9% pure silver to be exact. Meaning 1st and 2nd place have a lot more in common than you'd think. Speaking of gold, the amount of gold in the 1st place prize only has 6 grams of gold in it, an average gold wedding band contains roughly 70 grams.

The bronze medal this year is actually made of copper. The medals are different than years past because they are some of the heaviest, by weight, medals ever made for any Olympic Games.

Don't worry, the athletes are still rewarded for their place on the platform. It will probably never make up for the amount of time, effort, and money already invested in their Olympic journey, but at least it's something, right? Bronze medalists will receiver $15,000, Silver $22,500, and gold $37,500. Not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things, but the next step would be to pick up endorsements and sponsorship after a win.