The Ravens Finally Get Their Bling. A Look At The 2013 NFL Championship Ring.

Earlier this month the Baltimore Ravens presented players and staff with their Super Bowl XLVII Championship Ravens Rings during a private ceremony today at The Under Armour Performance Center. Created by Jostens, the leading national custom jewelry designer and producer, the World Championship Ring commemorates the Ravens remarkable 2012 season and marks the second time the Ravens have brought the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore.



"Emotions ran high as players, coaches and staff were presented with their rings, which symbolize the determination required to win the Super Bowl," said Ravens President, Dick Cass. "The rings are beautiful visual representations of what it means to be a Raven – physical, tough-minded, hardworking and resilient."




The truly one-of-a-kind ring pays tribute to the rich history and tradition of one of football’s most successful franchises. The design, hand-crafted by Jostens Championship Design team and led by Master Jeweler Miran Armutlu, is fashioned in white and yellow gold and with 243 round cut diamonds. In the center of the ring, the Baltimore Ravens logo is outlined with 40 round brilliant cut diamonds sitting atop a dazzling custom-cut amethyst stone. Behind the logo are two Vince Lombardi Trophies set with 32 round brilliant cut diamonds and two stunning marquise diamonds weighing approximately .75 carats, representing the team’s two World Championship titles.





"Jostens is proud to be a partner with the Baltimore Ravens and to collaborate with them on the creation of a ring that celebrates the team’s inclusive culture, winning traditions and their achieving professional football’s pinnacle triumph, the forty-seventh Super Bowl title," said Chris Poitras, Director, Sports Sales and Marketing, Jostens. "Every element of the ring was designed specifically to highlight the best qualities of each of the materials featured. It’s a singularly beautiful piece of fine jewelry that reflects the ultimate unity of the team."

To celebrate the enduring support of Ravens fans during this championship season, the team collaborated again with the Championship Design team at Jostens to create a custom selection of personalized jewelry and collectibles with designs inspired by the Super Bowl XLVII Championship Rings.


above: Josten's collection of Raven's jewelry inspired by the Super Bowl XLVII Championship Rings

The collection offers every Baltimore Ravens fan the chance to own a piece of Ravens history and, beginning June 7th, can be ordered online at Jostens. 

See and learn more about all the Super Bowl rings to date here

Super Serious Super Bowl Ring Bling Info. New Details, Pics and Facts About All The NFL Championship Rings.

Each year I run this post, updated to include the latest NFL Championship Ring. This year, I've also updated several of the specific jewelry design facts and added new images.

One of the most recognizable pieces of bling are given to the players of the National Football League's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Who makes them? Who gets them? What are they worth?

What's On Each Ring?

The rings almost always include the team's name, logo, and Super Bowl number (usually in Roman numerals), the final game score and the names of the particular player. Several include inscriptions of team's mantras or mission statements such as the Baltimore Raven's "Set the Standard."

Most of the rings also have larger diamonds or diamonds made into the shape of the Lombardi trophy, that represent the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won.

For example, Pittsburgh's 2008 ring has six trophies and six large diamonds, representing the six Super Bowls they have won to date:

above: The Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII ring weighs 104 grams and incorporates 63 round, brilliant cut diamonds totaling 3.61 carats. The colored gems appear to be citrine, pink tourmaline and blue topaz.

What Are The Rings Made Of?

Gold:
The rings are predominantly crafted of 10k or 14k yellow or white gold (in some cases, both). The varying degrees of yellowness in the gold depends both upon its purity and the other ores with which it is mixed (brass adds yellow, copper adds red, silver adds  white).

Diamonds:
Earth-mined white diamonds are clearly the stone of choice for the Championship rings. Many feature Marquis cut stones because of their resemblance to the shape of a football. Brilliant cut (round) stones in many sizes from solitaires to pave (chips) cover the majority of the rings. Some feature tapered baguettes and still others square or princess cut stones.


above: The Super Bowl XXIX San Francisco Forty Niners ring (by Balfour) shown above features 5 large Marquis cut diamonds and 5 tapered baguettes along with pave diamonds.

Enamel:
Many of the rings, especially the earlier ones, feature accents of single colored enamel such as the examples shown below:


All three New England Patriots rings featured 2 colors of enamel:


Colored Diamonds:
The Denver Broncos seem to favor colored diamonds as an accent. You can see the use of the cognac, brown or yellow diamonds found in their two consecutive Championship rings for Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, made by Diamond Cutters Int'l and Jostens, respectively:


The Baltimore Ravens Championship Ring from Super Bowl XXXV, made by Jostens, has enamel, cognac or yellow diamonds and a ruby for the eye:


Rubies:
The Washington Redskins Championship Ring from Super Bowl XXII was the first to feature rubies along with diamonds and the first ring made by Tiffany & Co.:


Sapphires:
Adding some blue to the bling, there are 37 sapphires (and some blue enamel) in the most recent ring for the NY Giants from Super Bowl XLVI by Tiffany & Co.:


I don't know how much the total carat weight varies from year to year or the actual market value, but here are some facts about the rings:

Who Pays For Them?

•The NFL pays up to $5,000* per ring, with up to 150 rings per team. The NFL pays for the cost of 150 rings to the winning team, at roughly $5,000 apiece, depending upon the fluctuating cost of gold and diamonds. If the rings are over the $5,000 limit, the team owners must make up the difference.

* I suspect, with the increase in the price of gold over the past five years, this number is now higher

•Recent rings have been appraised in excess of $20,000, with some valued at $45,000. but manufacturers keep this information confidential.

Who Makes Them?

•The rings are made by the company of the winning team's choosing. The majority of the Championship Super Bowl rings have been manufactured by Jostens in Denton, Texas. They've made 30 of the past 46 rings.

•The Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLI) rings were manufactured by Herff Jones (based in Indianapolis), at their Warwick, Rhode Island ring plant.

•Austin, TX based Balfour Company has manufactured nine Super Bowl rings to date.

• Diamond Cutters International of Houston, Texas has manufactured two of the rings thus far; for the Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl XXX)  and the Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII)

• Tiffany & Co. has now made five of the rings; Washington Redskins (Super Bowl XXII),  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Super Bowl XXXVII), New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII), New Orleans Saints (Super Bowl XLIV) and the most recent for the New York Giants (Super Bowl XLVI).

Tasteful? No.
Impressive? Yep.

The rings are made after the game for obvious reasons, so this years' ring is not included among the images below, shown in chronological order.

Rings from 1966-1974:


Rings from 1975-1983:


Rings from 1984-1992:


Rings from 1993-2001:


Rings from 2002-2010:


The 46th Super Bowl ring:


And now, added on June of 2013, The 47th Super Bowl Ring:

Light The Way For The 49ers With This Candlestick Park Prayer Candle

The San Francisco Heritage Preservation Society cordially invites you to partake in its inaugural celebratory offering. Upper Playground and Botanica Yoruba present for the first time in 49er franchise history, the Candlestick Park Prayer Candle.




The candle commemorates one of the oldest and most notorious stadiums in NFL history and the home to 5 Super Bowl rings and counting.


above: Candlestick Park

Kick off each game with the ultimate omen. Light the candle and summon 49er greatness. Santa Clara, Shmanta Clara, the history and tradition will forever burn at Candlestick. 49er football is a ritual and Candlestick is a tradition.




The candle includes a special prayer on the back in English/ Spanish courtesy of Botanica Yoruba, the oldest most historic botanica in town:


Botanica Yoruba specializes in prayer candles, magic soap, ointments and other spiritual effects to help bring guidance and peace to your life. All are welcome, no matter your affiliation, denomination, ailment, or woe. Since 1978, it has been a staple in the Mission District and the home for city dwellers spiritual accoutrements.

Botanica Yoruba is located at 3423 19th Street in San Francisco's Mission District.

$12 Buy the Candlestick Park Prayer Candle here

All 46 Superbowl Rings To Date And Some Fun Facts About Them.

Don't fret, further in this post, each of the above rings are shown enlarged for detail.

A NEW MORE DETAILED POST WITH BIGGER PICS AND MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND HERE

One of the most recognizable pieces of bling are given to the players of the National Football League's annual championship game, the Super Bowl. Who makes them? Who gets them? What are they worth?

The rings almost always include the team's name, logo, and Super Bowl number (usually in Roman numerals). Most of the rings also have larger diamonds or diamonds made into the shape of the trophy, that represent the number of Super Bowls that franchise has won.

For example, Pittsburgh's 2008 ring has six trophies and six large diamonds, representing the six Super Bowls they have won to date:

above: The Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII ring weighs 104 grams and incorporates 63 round, brilliant cut diamonds totaling 3.61 carats.

I don't know how much the total carat weight varies year to year or the actual market value, but here are some facts about the rings, courtesy of Wikipedia:

•The NFL pays up to $5,000.00 per ring, with up to 150 rings per team. The NFL pays for the cost of 150 rings to the winning team, at roughly $5,000 apiece, depending upon the fluctuating cost of gold and diamonds. If the rings are over the $5,000 limit, the team owners must make up the difference.

•Recent rings have been appraised in excess of $20,000, with some valued at $45,000. but manufacturers keep this information confidential

•The rings are made by the company of the winning team's choosing. The majority of the Championship Super Bowl rings have been manufactured by Jostens in Denton, Texas. They've made 28 of the past 43 rings.

•The Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl rings were manufactured by Herff Jones (based in Indianapolis), at their Warwick, Rhode Island ring plant.

•Austin, TX based Balfour Company has manufactured numerous Super Bowl Rings

Tasteful? No.
Impressive? Yep.

The rings are made after the game for obvious reasons, so this years' ring is not included among the images below, shown in chronological order.

Rings from 1966-1974:

Rings from 1975-1983:

Rings from 1984-1992:

Rings from 1993-2001:

Rings from 2002-2009:


UPDATE: Here are the 45th (2010) and 46th (2011) Super Bowl rings:

SuperBowl XLIV: Cheerleaders, The Program, Tweets, Half Time Show, Commercial Sneak Peeks & More

This year's Superbowl XLIV (that's 44 for those of you who don't read Roman numerals) between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints in South Florida has embraced technology with an online digital program, live chats and tweets and streaming video. Nice to see that the NFL is on their game, so to speak.

But that's not all, here's a few of the more fun bits about today's game.

In the opening festivities, Queen Latfah will sing America The Beautiful.
Carrie Underwood will be singing the National Anthem to open the game:


Live Chats
5:30 PM - 10:00 PM ETSuper Bowl XLIV
As Super Bowl XLIV unfolds at Sun Life Stadium in South Florida, NFL.com's Gil Brandt, Bucky Brooks and Pat Kirwan will be chatting live. Join Pat and Gil starting at 5:30 p.m. ET as they take your questions and discuss the Colts and Saints live from Super Bowl XLIV.

Superbowl XLIV Twitter
You can follow see featured tweets and pics. To add yours tag it #SB44.




Ad critic Barbara Lippert from Adweek gives us a sneak peek at some of the ads:

A sneak peek of the commercials from Adweek on YouTube

The Program:
The entire game program for Superbowl XLIV is in digital format online here, all 244 pages of player stats, pics, article and ads.

Flip through it here.

Program print ads:
The scariest ad in the program (the Huddler)
 
and the most clever ad in the program (Bridgestone):
The most clever print ad in the program is subtle, if you don't get it, look again.

The Who
The half time show brough to you by Bridgestone (who coincidentally had that clever ad in the program shown above right): The Who



Click below to enlarge and see info about the team players:


Can't forget the cheerleaders!

The Colts Cheerleaders:


learn more about the Colts cheerleaders here.

The Saints Cheerleaders (known as the Saintsations):


the Saintsations official site


The game airs on CBS at 6pm Eastern Time


See the official site here.

And, of course the Bling. All the Superbowl rings ever made.

The Rings:

above: Last year's Pittsburgh Steelers Superbowl Ring



Unfortunately, we don't get to see the winning team's ring until after the game, but to see images of every single Superbowl ring to date and details about them, go here.