Winning moments are forever etched in memory, and the winner immortalized with a shining, deserving medal. With Paris 2024 approaching, it is time to create timeless mementos of victory with Chaumet and parent company LVMH, the Olympic medal. One of the most anticipated events of the year will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, along with the Paralympic Games from August 28 to September 8. The medals, designed by Chaumet and crafted by the Monnaie de Paris, will each contain 18g of iron sourced from the Eiffel Tower.
“We approached Chaumet with a daring idea,” said Joachim Roncin, Director of Design at Paris 2024. “Why not incorporate a piece of the Eiffel Tower into the medals? The Chaumet team embraced the challenge, and we are immensely proud of the outcome.” What better way to commemorate a victory and its venue? Each of the 5,084 medals produced is the result of close collaboration between the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, led by Tony Estanguet, and the first jeweler in the history of the games to have the honor of designing these medals.
The medals, made of gold, silver, or bronze, feature a hexagonal piece of iron set at the center of each medal, employing techniques akin to those used for setting gemstones. The design is embossed with the Olympic flame and rings, while the jeweler’s touch is evident in the incorporation of its signature sunburst pattern—the Chaumet motif.
“The sunburst symbolizes shining sporting achievements, French pride in hosting the Games, and Paris as the City of Light,” said Benoît Verhulle, Head of Atelier at Chaumet. “When the light hits the medals, they truly come alive.” The reverse side depicts the modern Olympic Games in Greece, with Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, set against the backdrop of the Acropolis leaving the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Modern Olympics were held in 1896, according to LVMH. As the 2024 games will be held in France’s capital, the Paris 2024 medals will feature the Eiffel Tower in addition to the Acropolis.
The ribbons, crafted by Meyret, are inserted directly into the medals and are specially designed and woven in France. This first-ever Olympic medal created by a jeweler is emblematic of LVMH’s role as a creative partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.
“In a close creative dialogue between Paris 2024 and Chaumet, the artisans of the Maison delved into their archives and explored powerful symbols of Olympism to envision a medal inspired by high jewelry creations,” stated Antoine Arnault, LVMH Image & Environment. “Building on its centuries of rich history, Chaumet is writing a new page that will remain engraved in the heritage of the Maison for eternity.”
“With this magnificent medal design, LVMH and its Maison Chaumet perfectly and concretely illustrate the raison d’être of their partnership with Paris 2024, truly expressing ‘The Art of Crafting Dreams’. More than a medal, this is a combination of the most coveted object of the Games and the most iconic symbol of Paris and France, the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to Chaumet, the medal for the Paris 2024 Games becomes a veritable objet d’art, a jewel that brings together the radiance of Paris and the crowning achievement of all those who will ascend the podiums during the Olympics and Paralympics,” shared Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024.
