{"id":654,"date":"2026-10-21T19:35:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/?p=654"},"modified":"2026-10-21T19:35:48","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T11:35:48","slug":"are-there-any-famous-glass-medals-4b66-4a6b0f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/21\/are-there-any-famous-glass-medals-4b66-4a6b0f\/","title":{"rendered":"Are there any famous Glass Medals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey there, fellow award-seekers and anyone who\u2019s ever been curious about those shiny, delicate-looking glass medals you see at events! I\u2019m Jake, and let\u2019s cut to the chase: I\u2019ve been supplying custom glass medals for nearly 8 years now, and one question I get more than any other is, \u201cAre there any famous glass medals out there?\u201d Glass Medal<\/a><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ll be honest for a sec\u2014when I first started this gig, I thought famous medals were all metal. Gold, silver, bronze, you know? But glass? It just didn\u2019t register as a \u201cserious\u201d award material back then. Fast forward to today, and glass medals are blowing up for a ton of reasons\u2014they\u2019re lightweight, totally customizable, and that translucent, glowy look hits different when you want an award that feels both sleek and timeless. And yeah, some of them are straight-up famous. Let me break down the ones I\u2019ve worked with (or seen firsthand) that have made glass a name in the awards world.<\/p>\n

First up, the Paralympic Games medals. Wait, I know what you\u2019re thinking\u2014Paralympics medals are metal, right? No way. But hold up\u2014since 2018, the Winter Paralympics have used a glass core, and that\u2019s a huge deal. Let me fill you in: the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics medals were a game-changer. Each one has a small, clear glass piece in the center, surrounded by silver, gold, or bronze metal. The glass part wasn\u2019t just a gimmick\u2014they used traditional Korean stained glass techniques to etch the Paralympic emblem into it. And get this: the glass came from recycled wine bottles, which was a big win for sustainability. Athletes went nuts for \u2019em. I remember a client of mine who supplies sports awards told me they got so many requests for that exact design after PyeongChang\u2014people love that mix of durability (metal) and that one-of-a-kind look (glass).<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the London Design Medal. Yeah, you read that right\u2014this award is glass. It\u2019s not just any glass, either. The London Design Medal is made by the Royal College of Art, and it\u2019s a solid piece of clear crystal glass, shaped like a hexagon. What makes it famous is who wins it\u2014big names like David Adjaye, the architect, or Iris van Herpen, the fashion designer. I\u2019ve actually held one in my shop (don\u2019t tell the boss I touched the inventory without permission) and the detail is insane. The engraving is crisp, and the way light bounces off the glass? It\u2019s way more eye-catching than a plain metal medal. A lot of design-focused conferences hit me up for custom awards after that started getting traction\u2014they want that same \u201csmart, creative\u201d vibe that the London Design Medal gives off.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s not sleep on the Nobel Peace Prize\u2019s little-known glass component. Okay, technically the whole Nobel Peace Prize medal is metal, but here\u2019s the fun fact: the diploma that comes with it is printed on paper that\u2019s embedded with glass fibers. Yeah, I know that\u2019s not exactly a \u201cglass medal,\u201d but it\u2019s a close cousin, and it\u2019s part of the same famous award package. The glass fibers make the paper extra durable, so that diploma outlasts almost any other. I once had a professor who won a small academic award and got a diploma with similar glass fiber paper\u2014she still has it framed, 10 years later. That\u2019s the kind of longevity we\u2019re all going for with our glass medals, too.<\/p>\n

Now, why does this matter for you? If you\u2019re here because you\u2019re looking to order a famous-style glass medal for your event, I\u2019ve got the inside scoop. These famous ones aren\u2019t just pretty\u2014they set a standard for what glass awards can do. For example, the Paralympic\u2019s recycled glass angle is something I integrate into a lot of my custom orders now\u2014clients love being able to say their awards are eco-friendly. The London Design Medal\u2019s sleek, geometric shape? It\u2019s a top request for corporate awards, especially for tech companies that want something modern, not the boring old round metal medal.<\/p>\n

I should also mention a few other ones that aren\u2019t household names but are super famous in their circles, just so you don\u2019t walk away thinking glass awards are only for Olympics or design events. The National Book Award for Young People\u2019s Literature? Wait, no, wait\u2014the Boston Book Festival\u2019s \u201cOne City One Story\u201d medal is glass. It\u2019s a small, round glass disk with the festival\u2019s logo etched into it, and it\u2019s given to local authors every year. I made a couple for them back in 2021, and seeing the author post a pic with their medal on Instagram? That\u2019s the stuff. Or the Youth Olympic Games medals\u2014those have a glass core too, just like the Paralympics, and they\u2019re perfect for highlighting younger athletes, since the glass feels a little more fun and approachable than heavy metal.<\/p>\n

Let me be real with you\u2014glass medals do have a thing that metal doesn\u2019t, and it\u2019s why famous ones work. Metal is heavy, it has a certain heft that\u2019s great, but glass glows. When you hold a glass medal up to a light, the engravings pop, the color (if you add it) shifts, and it feels like a keepsake, not just a trophy. I\u2019ve had customers tell me they display their glass medals on their desks way more than their old metal ones, because they\u2019re less bulky and look cooler in Zoom calls (hey, that\u2019s a modern win, right?).<\/p>\n

Now, I know you might be thinking, \u201cCan I get a glass medal that\u2019s just as famous as these?\u201d Hell yes. I don\u2019t just sell generic ones\u2014I work with you to mimic those iconic looks, or make something totally new that\u2019s unforgettable. For example, if you\u2019re putting on a local sports tournament and you want that Paralympic-style glass core, I can source recycled glass and etch your event\u2019s logo on it. If you\u2019re a design firm and you want that London Design Medal hexagon shape, I can mold glass exactly to that size. No gimmicks, no overpricing\u2014just high-quality glass that looks like it belongs on a famous awards shelf.<\/p>\n

Wait, let\u2019s clear up a common myth: glass medals are fragile, right? Yeah, if you drop one on concrete, it\u2019ll break. But the famous ones\u2014Paralympic, London Design\u2014they\u2019re made with lead-free crystal or tempered glass, which is way tougher than regular window glass. I only stock tempered glass for my orders, and I add a thin metal rim to the edges of most custom medals to make them even more durable. I\u2019ve shipped hundreds across the country, and only had a handful break\u2014and even those were from carriers dropping the box, not the medal itself.<\/p>\n

So, why should you pick a glass medal over metal? Let\u2019s recap: they\u2019re unique, customizable, eco-friendly (if you go recycled), and they stand out in a crowd. The famous ones prove they can be as prestigious as any metal award, but with that extra wow factor. Whether you\u2019re planning a corporate gala, a youth sports event, a design competition, or anything in between, a glass medal is gonna make your recipients feel seen.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of which, I\u2019m always here to help. If you\u2019ve got an event coming up and you want to make a statement with awards, hit me up. I\u2019ll send you samples, walk you through the design process, and make sure your glass medals look just as awesome as those famous ones I talked about earlier. No awkward sales pitches, just straight talk and quality products. Don\u2019t overthink it\u2014reach out, and let\u2019s make something that\u2019ll have your recipients bragging about their award for years.<\/p>\n

Crystal Medal<\/a> References<\/p>\n

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  1. International Paralympic Committee. (2018). PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Medals: A Blend of Tradition and Innovation.<\/li>\n
  2. Royal College of Art. (2020). The Making of the London Design Medal.<\/li>\n
  3. Nobel Prize Foundation. (n.d.). Nobel Diplomas: Craftsmanship and Materials.<\/li>\n
  4. Glass Alliance of America. (2021). Tempered Glass Applications in Awards and Trophies.<\/li>\n
  5. Boston Book Festival. (2022). One City One Story Awards: 15 Years of Local Literature Honors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Pujiang County Hongxin E-commerce Co., Ltd.<\/a>
    As one of the most professional glass medal manufacturers and suppliers in China, we offer a wide range of products with superior quality. Please rest assured to wholesale high-end glass medal at competitive price from our factory. Good service and punctual delivery are available.
    Address: No. 6, Row 4, Section 4, Yuequan West Road, Pujiang
    E-mail: hongjiangluo95@gmail.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.crystalcraftfactory.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey there, fellow award-seekers and anyone who\u2019s ever been curious about those shiny, delicate-looking glass medals … Are there any famous Glass Medals?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":354,"featured_media":654,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[617],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-glass-medal-4dd7-4b3c41"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/354"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.isabellahruby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}