The 2026 Winter Olympics have finally arrived, which means a bunch of people are about to walk away with some verrrrry fancy medals. Obviously, the International Olympic Committee gives out three types of medals: gold, silver, and bronze. And judging from how heavy they look, they’re definitely very solid. I mean, there’s a reason why Breezy Johnson’s gold medal broke right off its ribbon while she was jumping up and down celebrating her victory!
But, like, how solid (and how expensive) are we talking? Because I’m going to need answers to the following questions before I pivot my life from couch to curling.
Are Olympic Medals Made From Real Gold?
Kinda. Sorta. In the way that the necklace your ex gave you is made from “real gold” plus a bunch of other metals lurking beneath the surface. Turns out Olympic gold medals are actually, ironically, mostly made from silver. Specifically, they’re 92.5 percent silver. However, they are plated with six grams of gold, so at least there’s that.
Back in 2021, an International Olympic Committee spokesperson confirmed as much to Newsweek, explaining, “The medals for first and second places shall be of silver of at least 925 to 1000 grade; the medal for first place shall be gilded with at least 6 grams of pure gold.”
Obviously, this means silver medals are basically just gold medals without the extra gilding. Meanwhile, bronze medals (bless them!) are made from 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc. Huh!
So, How Much Are Olympic Medals Worth?
Honestly, Olympic medals generally tend not to be worth that much when it comes to the literal materials they’re made of. This year's medals are crafted from recycled metal by the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute—and, as mentioned, only six grams out of a total of 506 grams in a gold medal is pure gold, while the rest is made with silver.
Silver isn’t a particularly valuable metal, but due to the surging price of metals, CNN reports that the gold medals (which, again, are mostly made up of silver) at the Milano Cortina 2026 are worth around $2,300, which is more than double their value at the Paris Olympics. A silver medal, meanwhile, is worth almost $1,400, which means it has tripled its value from two years ago.
Of course, Olympic medals have enormous historical and sentimental value and are therefore priceless, so their actual material worth is kinda irrelevant!
’Kay, But What’s Up With Olympians Biting Their Medals?
Nary a year goes by without photos circulating of Olympians biting their gold medals. Why? Because biting gold is a classic way of verifying its authenticity. Gold is a super-soft and malleable metal that can be marked, apparently even by teeth. As the Olympics website puts it, “History says that, during the early days, traders bit their gold coins to check its authenticity when the precious metal was used as a form of currency. Gold is a soft metal which dents under slight stress and leaves a mark when gnawed.”
Cute, but if you’re thinking about biting a medal in the near future, please be advised that German luger David Moeller broke a tooth while biting his silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, so…
