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Alice Rochester
28th April 2011 12:14

Fairly traded 18ct gold in medal designs

 

I read recently that the Nobel Peace prize that Obama has just been given was made in 18ct gold, which caught my attention - now that fairly traded 18ct gold is available (well, we can get hold of it anyway!!) Wouldn't it make sense to use this for something as prominent as the Nobel prize? And what about the Olympic Games? I went to a meeting in Stevenage only last month where I spoke to a lady from the Fairtrade Foundation about exactly that dream... it's certainly something that the Fairtrade Foundation were hoping to happen, particularly because they are already so involved in the 2012 Olympics.

We talked about how perhaps the Olympic medals are usually made in a lower alloy of gold and since fairly traded gold needs to be 18ct or higher then maybe the fairly traded gold medals would need to be smaller to account for the cost difference, but it would be such a fantastic symbol that reflects the Olympic ethos so well, we decided that wouldn't matter! Sadly, as it turns out, the Olympic medals are in fact made in silver, and are heavily plated with at least 6g of gold, so perhaps this is all rather unlikely. (The last truly gold Olympic medals were awarded in 1912).

Anyway, this led me to look into medal design, which I thought might interest other people too...

The medal for the Nobel Prize used to be made in 23ct gold but is now made in 18ct green gold (generally 75% gold and 25% silver) and plated with 24ct gold. Unlike the design of the Olympic medals, the Nobel medals have been the same since 1902 when the designs were finalised. Interestingly, this is after the first Nobel Prize was awarded since the actual medals weren't finished in time for the first presentation! The only difference between the medals awarded to different people is the inscription of their names, which for the Peace Laureate is engraved on the edge.

Nobel Medal

The gold, silver and bronze Olympic Medals were first awarded at the 1904 Games. Although the designs on the back of the medals have changed over the years, the front remained the same for a long time - it wasn't until the 2004 Olympics in Athens that it was pointed out that a more Greek design for the medals might be more appropriate - the original showed a Roman amphitheatre and the Games originated in Greece, after all. Since then, the designs have changed dramatically, with years of planning going into the designs. They always need to follow the same criteria of minimum size and amount of gold used, and the front should follow guidelines set out by the Olympic Committee, but there is much more freedom in how they actually look.

The medals for the Games last year in Beijing were 70mm wide, 6mm thick, and were inlaid with a circle of jade which surrounded the Beijing Olympic symbol. The design is highly symbolic of Chinese culture.

This article makes a few interesting comments about the designs, including that the value of the medals is more than their weight in gold. Aside from the fact that to most athletes the cost of the medal is absolutely irrelevant because of what they actually represent, with the amount of time and skill that has gone into making them, I can't say I'm entirely surprised!

Next year's Winter Games in Vancouver also has some exciting medal designs, and incorporate some really modern making techniques. Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver based artist with Komoyue and Tlingit heritage has come up with Aboriginal inspired designs with the orca for the Olympic medals, and the raven for the Paralympics. The original artworks have been cropped into many smaller designs which are then being laser etched onto a plate which has been shaped to give the whole medal a three dimensional ripple representative of British Columbia’s mountains, oceans and snow. For the first time in Olympic history, each medal is unique because it contains a different section of the original artwork. What's nearly as exciting (to me anyway!!) is that the medals will be partially made from recycled gadgets like TVs and computers. Hurrah! It might not be fairly traded, but they're going in the right direction!

There's also a really interesting video about the design and construction process of the Vancouver medals

Vancouver Medals

The first ever Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore next year and you can currently vote for the best medal design. The voting runs until the 22nd January so get involved and choose your favourite now! Actually, I've just noticed that there's a 'medals' section of the Goldsmith's Craftsmanship and Design Awards...I'll have to make a point of going to see them at the exhibition in March rather than just focusing on the sparkly things!

Alice

Alice Rochester
 
Tim Alban
28th April 2011 09:57

Business Matters Article

 

Harriet's latest article for Business Matters website is now live. Its at http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/Should-small-businesses-be-exempt-from-paying-for-parental-leave.1352 if you want to have a read.

In the article she discusses the implications for small businesses on parental leave.

Tim

Tim Alban
 

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  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, North Barn, Fairclough Hall Farm, Halls Green, Weston, Hertfordshire, SG4 7DP, England
    Phone: +44 (0)1462 790565 Fax: +44 (0)1462 790140 enquiries@hkjewellery.co.uk
  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, 6/7 Green Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3JU, England.
    Phone: +44 (0)1223 461333 Fax: +44 (0)1223 365269 cambridge@hkjewellery.co.uk

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