WHAT IS GOLD WORTH?

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are now history. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals have been handed out to the top performers in various categories. I have watch a few varied events and have been impressed by the passion, sacrifice, and daring of the competitors.

I can ice skate just a little, though it pains my legs tremendously. Snow skiing is not much easier for me. My first time to put snow skis on I thought I was looking down Mt. Everest even though is was a tiny mogul.

What compels the entrants to compete for the Gold? Fame? Glory? Honor? The possibly of lots of money? I guess there are even more reasons to compete. The award ceremonies for the different events are always exciting and sometimes tug at the heart.

What are the metals worth?

According to the Olympic Charter, the gold and silver medals must each be made of at least 92.5 percent pure silver and the gold medal must be gilded with at least six grams of gold.

The price of gold changes daily. Assuming there's six grams of gold in each medal, each one would be worth about $500 at 2010 prices.

The remainder of the gold medal is made out of silver. The price of silver also fluctuates, but at an average of $14.50 per troy ounce, the remaining silver in the gold medal hovers around $60.

Obviously the honor of winning is far greater than the actual dollar value of the metals. I will never win a metal at the Olympics, but I am shooting for gold in heaven. The metals and honor of heaven will be priceless.

Let's go for the gold in heaven.