Being a patron of the arts, Darth Sidious designed his original weapon with a high level of craftsmanship, clearly influenced by the Sith Lord’s love of antiquity. The body of the lightsaber was fashioned from nigh-indestructible phrik alloy while the flat emitter was composed of aurodium. The whole of the weapon possessed a refined and elegant electrum finish. The weapon utilized a synth-crystal as the focusing crystal.
Ever the pragmatist, Sidious already had prepared a backup lightsaber. This weapon was initially identical to his first lightsaber with the electrum and phrik finish of his original weapon, but it was later retrofitted with an unknown black alloy.
In truth, the Sith normally wielded enough powers to fight without a lightsaber, but every apprentice still learned to use one as part of his or her training. Sidious himself felt that he and his peers had outgrown the use of lightsabers, and only continued carrying them to mock the Jedi. He ultimately viewed his own lightsabers as little more than an affectation, and rarely wielded them in combat.