Jade Olympic medals

For the first time in Olympic history, the Olympic medals blend metal and jade. The technique of inlaying jade into metal can be dated back to the Han Dynasty 2000 years ago. And in Chinese culture, jade is a symbol of class and elegance.

According to Games officials, the medals combined western and eastern elements. For example, 13 kilograms of gold and 1.3 tons of silver were sourced from Australia, and nearly seven tons of bronze were sourced from Chile. While jade were collected from west China's Kunlun moutain.