Unique Paris 2024 medals unveiled
Medallists at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics will be rewarded with possibly the most remarkable souvenir in the history of the two Games. Paris 2024 unveiled its unique medals on 8 February with the announcement that a piece of original iron from the Eiffel Tower will be at the heart of each medal. The iron, which was removed during renovation work on the elevator last century, was carefully preserved and is now being recycled in the most innovative way. Designed by the Paris-based luxury jewellery and watch house Chaumet – owned by LVMH – these are the first ever Olympic and Paralympic medals designed by a jeweller.
Hôtel de la Monnaie – the Paris Mint – will produce the 5,084 medals needed for the Games: 2,618 for the Olympics, and 2,466 for the Paralympics. Each medal has a diameter of 85mm and a thickness of 9.2mm and the weight varies depending on the metal used – gold is the heaviest at 529 grams. The Eiffel Tower insert weighs 18 grams.
The medal ribbons – blue for the Olympics and red for the Paralympics – are adorned with the crosspieces of Gustave Eiffel’s iconic Dame de fer, with the Paralympic color created from a blend of the Eiffel Tower’s first two coatings of paint, “Venice red” and “red brown”. Universal Braille is used on the face of the Paralympic medals, and to allow the color to be distinguished by touch, the edge of each has special markers to denote whether it is gold, silver or bronze. Discover more about the medals on the Paris 2024 website here. It’s well worth the read!
The medals for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, revealed by the Organising Committee on 8 February, each contain a unique hexagon of iron from the Eiffel Tower.