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:
