The Gold® and Platinum® awards have undergone many design changes since their beginnings in 1964. Whether they be plain wood and white or fine lead crystal, the awards have become true collector's items.

"White Matte" (start of program-1975) The plaques were an off-white linen material displayed in an unpainted, finished wood frame. The dedication on the plate was engraved with an etched RIAA® seal and a mini-cover of the LP was mounted separately from the plate.

"Floater" (1975-1981) The award background was usually black matte enclosed in a wood frame painted either gold or white. The disc and plate appeared to "float" between the background and a layer of Plexiglass. The mini-cover of the LP was mounted separately from the presentation plate.

"Strip-Plate" (1982-1984) The award background was dark. Unlike previous awards, the mini-cover of the LP was included on the presentation strip plate. These awards were also the first to contain either a gold- or silver-plated cassette, acknowledging the increasing contribution of cassette tapes toward sales. The cassettes were located either directly beneath the album disc or on the LP itself.

"Hologram" (1985 to present) An RIAA® holographic seal incorporating the RIAA® logo has appeared on all RIAA® plaques since March 1985. The hologram is used to prevent unauthorized duplication of awards, and usually appears on the presentation plate along with the dedication and mini-album cover.

Protecting the use of the Gold® and Platinum® marks is essential to maintaining the integrity of the program. In 1997, the RIAA® developed a new hologram to combat the increasing number of counterfeit awards. These security-enhanced seals feature sequential numbering and are embedded with covert anti-counterfeiting information. (These numbers do not correspond to any limited editions or manufacturing for any particular award and should not be perceived as holding added value.)

After the hologram style of awards was introduced, the traditional size and style restrictions for awards were relaxed, giving record companies more freedom in choosing a design for a particular award. Customized awards and impressive designs, which now include the CD configuration, are a collaborative effort on the part of the record label and the licensed plaque manufacturer. The collectible value of these awards depends on a number of factors including the artist, title, presenter, format and condition of each award.

Diamond Awards (1999 to present) Renowned crystal designer Peter Wayne Yenawine has designed the Diamond® Award especially for the RIAA®. Yenawine was a master designer at Steuben Glass, and has been commissioned by the past five presidential administrations to create personal gifts. Crystal Signatures, using the world’s finest lead crystal, produce the awards under Yenawine’s direction.

The Diamond® Award is adorned with a 728-ct. crystal diamond placed in a faceted sterling silver setting. Each setting is engraved with the RIAA® logo and the initials of the designer. The 12" high award sits atop a black tapered, 3 1/2" high base, engraved with artist presentation text.