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So What Are Gold Medals from the Rio Olympics Really Worth?

Published

9 years ago

August 22, 2016

In case you wondered, they’re not solid gold.

All those medals that got handed out at the Rio Olympics have patriotic and sentimental value — but what about their cash value? This year, one gold medal (like the one shown, with swimmer Michael Phelps) is worth about $564, Forbes estimates, based on the price of gold and silver. Each 500-gram gold medal from Rio is plated with six grams of 99.9 percent pure gold, the article says, and the rest is silver of at least 92.5 percent purity. That dollar amount is down from the $708 “podium value” of gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012, when gold and silver prices were higher. A silver medal from Rio is worth about $305, and bronze medals, which are made of copper and zinc, have no intrinsic value. In keeping with the Rio games’ environmentally themed opening ceremonies, the medals were produced using eco-friendly methods, right down to the cases made from sustainably sourced wood.

Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration

After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years." Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations. The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.