Chinese Olympic Committee Prepares Jade-Encrusted Medals

January 3, 2008 5:23 a.m. EST

Beijing, China (AHN) - The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games has announced on Wednesday that medals for the Olympics will be encrusted with the mineral jade distinctly found from China's province of Qinghai. This would be the first time that Olympic medals will be made with other materials other than metal.

Qinghai vice governor Jidi Majia said the organizers had formally confirmed Qinghai jade will be used on Olympic medals.

The Olympic committee revealed in a news conference a unique medal design in which the gold, silver and bronze medals will be laid with a distinctive band of jade.

Majia said: "Qinghai will donate a great deal of manufactured jade bands to the committee. The jade will come from a Kunlun Mountain area which locates in Ge'ermu City."

The province, the official noted has an abundant reserve of jade and would select a very good manufacturer for the medals. According to Majia, the gold medal will see the lighter finer jade set in its back while the silver has the white-greenish jade, the bronze, the darker green jade.