Jade from China’s plateau province of Qinghai will be used to make Beijing Olympic Games medals, a Qinghai official said Wednesday.

Qinghai vice governor Jidi Majia said the Organizing Committee of the Beijing Olympic Games had formally confirmed Qinghai jade will be used on Olympic medals, the publication reports.

BOCOG unveiled a medal design in March, 2007, that the gold, silver, and bronze medals incorporate a distinctive band of jade. It’s the first time in Olympic history that medals are made of material other than metal.

Jade to Be Used for Olympic Medals