Parts of Eiffel Tower embedded in the Paris Olympics medals

With the Olympics now fully under way, medals are now being awarded. But what do we know about these, some of the world's most sought-after objects?

For a start, they couldn't be much more French. The medals' ribbons were specially woven in France, and the world's biggest luxury company LVMH designed the medals, which were cast in the Paris Mint. And - in a unique move - the Paris 2024 medals also feature pieces of the Eiffel Tower embedded in them.

There are 329 medal events in 32 sports at the Paris Games, and all of this year's medals were made at the Paris Mint, which is running a special exhibition during the Olympics.

"The Paris Mint is in the center of the capital, right in the middle of the Games, and it makes sense that the body that strikes the medals should tell the story of the Olympic medals," said collection curator Dominique Anterion.

"It's based on our collection because notably here we have made a great number of medals, for Paris but also for Athens, so the first modern Olympic Games, in 1896. So the logic is there, to tell this story from 1896 to 2024."

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The jeweler Chaumet, owned by the French luxury giant LVMH, tapped into the country's history of refinement and haute couture, as the lead designer of the Paris medals.

"It was a great honor for us," said Benoit Verhule, the head of the jeweler's workshop. "We are the oldest jeweler here in the renowned Vendome Square, with 244 years of history.

"So it seemed to us clear that it would be Chaumet that would take charge of the medal design."

On July 24, as part of the build-up to the Games, the host of the 2030 Winter Olympics was announced. The Games were conditionally awarded to the French Alps - subject to the IOC receiving a financial guarantee from the government. And it could mean more medals from the Mint. 

"There would be a certain logic if the Paris Mint were to strike the medals for the 2030 Games," said Dominic Anterion. "The Mint previously made the first-ever Winter Olympics medals for Chamonix 1924, and we also made the medals for the 1968 Games in Grenoble."

There's a lot of history behind the medals - and the Mint, which was founded in the year 864.

But there is a modern side as well - the use of recycled metals.

That adds an environmentally-conscious element to the golds, silvers and bronzes being handed out at this year's Summer Games.

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