Olympic Gold Is Mostly Silver

The gleam of an Olympic gold medal is an iconic symbol of athletic achievement, but its composition holds a surprising secret. Beneath a thin layer of pure gold lies a core made almost entirely of silver. This practice began after the 1912 Stockholm Games, the last time solid gold medals were awarded to champions. As the number of events and athletes grew over the decades, the sheer cost of producing solid gold medals became prohibitive for host nations. Today, the International Olympic Committee mandates that each "gold" medal must be at least 92.5% silver and contain a minimum of 6 grams of pure gold for plating.

The remaining composition offers host cities a chance to innovate and tell a story. A small amount of copper is typically included in the silver alloy for durability, but the creative possibilities don't end there. For instance, the medals for the Tokyo 2020 Games were famously crafted from precious metals extracted from millions of recycled electronic devices donated by the Japanese public. This approach not only makes each Games' medals unique in their specific metallic makeup but also allows them to reflect the values of the host nation, adding another layer of meaning beyond their raw material worth.