To the athletes, they are priceless, but when compared to other jewelry designs, you actually can figure out how much they’re worth in dollars. Each metal is made in a specific fashion that can include several metals. By analyzing the corresponding weights and metals, one can easily put a price tag on each of these Olympic beauties, just like you would figure out how much a piece of expensive jewelry might be worth based on its weight in gold or platinum.

The Gold

With gold at a spot price of over $1,000 per ounce, you’d think that the gold medal would be equally as pricey. However, the gold medal really only has 6 grams of gold over all. It is composed mostly of 550 grams of silver, which is subsequently covered in gold. The price tag is approximately $494.

The Silver

The silver medal is mostly silver, holding 509 grams of silver in all. Included in that mix is 41 grams of copper too. The price tag for the silver medal is approximately $260.

The Bronze

The bronze medal is a mixture of copper, tin, and zinc. While it is very noteworthy to even get an Olympic bronze medal, the actual dollar value is only a paltry $3.

Prices Can Change

As the value of each metal goes up or down in the open market, so too would the actual dollar value of each medal go up or down. There are some people still hoping for $2,000 an ounce gold, which if it were to happen, would mean the value of the gold medal will double also. With jewelry, you do want to know the type of metal and value of your precious pieces. With Olympic medals, they really are priceless, no matter what the commodity price of gold happens to be that year.

Gold jewelry doesn’t just come in yellow gold. Yellow gold may have been very popular in the past, but ounce per ounce, gold has become very expensive for jewelry. It is also very soft, if not alloyed with another metal, making 24 karat gold, the pure gold, jewelry easily damaged. These don’t work that well with the latest designs – open setting jewelry – as they are too soft. You can get different karat weights for gold, and that will lower the price and raise the strength, but many people want to opt for different color choices, not just yellow gold to match the modern settings. That’s why many other alloys can be used in conjunction with yellow gold to produce golds in other colors. While they’re not going to be as valuable as the yellow gold, they will allow for designs and tastes that are more modern. They will also help you to add a little gold to your jewelry box, without breaking the bank. Continue reading »

Not all jewelry has to be “traditional”. A unique individual can really establish their own personal style and statement by pairing unique metals with classic gemstones. Consider how many different metals are now used in diamond jewelry. Today’s jewelers are using silver and gold, but they have also added stainless steel, tungsten, titanium, palladium, zirconium, rhodium, niobium, platinum and other alloys to their repertoire. Continue reading »

An amethyst stone is a gorgeous violet color that is a perfect choice for antique, traditional, or contemporary style jewelry. To enhance the stone’s appearance, jewelers can use any cut but one that stands out from the others is the princess cut. In fact, a princess cut amethyst is without doubt one of the most gorgeous stones for rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants. Continue reading »

Each gemstone has a range of colors and each color lends a different meaning to each gemstone. Many people forget to take a gemstone’s color into account when offering one as a gift, and this is a missed opportunity. The color of a gemstone offers yet one more means by which to personalize a gemstone, as the mix of the gemstone’s natural attributes and its color meld together to create particular traits. Continue reading »

There’s never a wrong time to give our special someone a gift to show our continuing affection, appreciation and love. One of the most popular gifts we give to our loved ones is jewelry. Diamonds are an incredibly popular choice for jewelry at this time of the year, but so are other jewels, such as emeralds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and moonstones. While any of them can offer a message of love and affection, have you ever given thought to what the traits offered by the various gemstones can add to the gift? Let’s look at a few popular gemstones and what their color can bring to the character and meaning of the gift. Continue reading »

Famous precious gems usually have a history of intrigue, and the Bahia Emerald is no exception. The gems are actually embedded in a 4 foot by 4 foot by 4 foot granite cube. It weighs 840 pounds with emerald crystals encrusted within the granite. While uncut, and not likely to be cut for jewelry, the emerald, as a work of art or curiosity, has led a mad caper across country and state lines since it was first discovered in Brazil in 2001. Continue reading »

In many cases, when a person searches for the perfect diamond they distinctly look for one that lacks color. In fact, those that lack color are often referred to as flawless and are considered to be some of the best diamonds possible. However, as more and more celebrities and wealthy socialites debut their colored diamonds, those in the general population want to find out all about the ins and outs of colored diamonds. Here are just a few of the things you should know about colored diamonds, as well as some basic information about each of the unique colors that area associated with colored diamonds. Associated on the opposite end of the spectrum from white diamonds are colored diamonds. Called fancy colored diamonds, these gems exist in a rainbow of yellows, reds, pinks, blues, greens, purples and all shades in-between, providing a rainbow of options. Many diamonds get their color from trace amounts of other elements, which produce a change in their appearance. Some diamonds, like green diamonds, get their color as a result of the radiation caused during the creation of the diamond. Furthermore, a main difference between colored diamonds and colorless diamonds is that inclusions in a colored diamond can often increase its appeal by providing unique shades and enhancing its existing color. Continue reading »

When most people hear the word “diamond”, they immediately think of a clear stone, one with brilliance and shine. However, in addition to the traditional diamond, the type that is most often seen in engagement rings, pendants, and earrings, there are also colored diamonds. These diamonds are also stunning but because they are rarer, the price is typically higher. Continue reading »

On April 1st, 2008, Namdeb, the Namibian mining company that represents a diamond mining partnership between the Namibian government and the DeBeers Diamond Company, discovered something other than diamonds. While searching the seabed off of Namibia’s desert coastal region, they stumbled upon some copper ingots. Momentarily halting their search for diamonds in the diamond-rich Namibian seabed area, the mining operation discovered cannons and ivory tusks along with a large quantity of gold and silver coins. Continue reading »