Athletes who win a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics will also carry a little piece of the city with them. Each prize that will be handed out is made from a unique and rare piece of metal—the original iron used to construct the Eiffel Tower.
When 20th century modernization efforts necessitated additions to the iconic building, certain sections of it needed to be permanently removed. These iron segments were safeguarded by the Societe d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, who allowed the French National Olympic and Sports Committee to incorporate parts of the original material into the design of the 2024 Olympic medals.
French luxury jewellery and watch house Chaumet was entrusted with the unique job of merging the symbol of the nation with the Olympic medal—a historic symbol of victory. The choice of jeweller was also a nod to Gustave Eiffel, the engineer behind the Eiffel Tower, who gifted his daughter a Chaumet pearl necklace when she got married at the end of the 19th century.
Cast iron pieces from the tower, originally manufactured in Pompeii—a city in France’s Lorraine region—have been integrated into the centre of the medals and held together with a claw setting. Clementine Massonnat, Chaumet’s creative director, says, “We’ve decided to add this hexagon [which represents the shape of France] in the way we would a gemstone—in the centre and placed as the most precious element of the medal.”
