Arbel: Our winning design proposal for the 2010 Olympic Medals began with an iconographic jewelry archetype, the locket. In this first iteration of the design, the medal was comprised of two halves which housed an internal cavity into which the athlete could insert a sentimental object such as a photograph or lucky charm.  We developed a manufacturing technique so that each medal had a cavity of differing shape and proportion, so that every single medal was completely unique. Photograph by Robert Keziere.  Photo 2 of 10 in Omer Arbel

Omer Arbel

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"Our winning design proposal for the 2010 Olympic Medals began with an iconographic jewelry archetype, the locket," says Omer Arbel. "In this first iteration of the design, the medal was comprised of two halves which housed an internal cavity into which the athlete could insert a sentimental object such as a photograph or lucky charm. We developed a manufacturing technique so that each medal had a cavity of differing shape and proportion, so that every single medal was completely unique."