What is the Oscar statue made out of?

HOLLYWOOD, California -- Anyone who is fortunate to hold an Oscar usually has the same reaction the first time you pick one up - it's heavy and built to last. Each one costs about a thousand dollars to make, and that won't seem too costly when you heard the story behind the statue.

When it comes to the world's most famous trophy, all that glitters is not solid gold. 'Oscar' is made of bronze, and is cleaned and coated with copper, nickel and then 24K gold that is so hard and so pure that it is used by NASA in outer space.

"This Oscar coating will take anything you can give it, and it will outlast your lifetime and mine," says President of Epner Technology, Dave Epner.

The journey of the iconic trophy to the stage at the Dolby Theater begins at a foundry in Upstate New York where the Oscars are cast. Before coming to Epner Technology, where a serious of tanks apply the various metals, 'Oscar' takes a bath next to a top secret part for the Defense Department.

The factory gives new meaning to 'Going for Gold.' The company may have bigger contracts than this one, but none have quite as much prestige.

The Oscars come with blank name plates, and the Academy offers the winners onsite engraving at the Governor's Ball after the show.