ATLANTA — The Super Bowl ring is awarded to the players of the winning Super Bowl team.
Visitors to Atlanta during Super Bowl Week are able to get a free look at each of the Super Bowl rings. Images of the rings are posted along fencing between the Georgia World Congress Center and Centennial Olympic Park on Andrew Young International Boulevard.
Originally, the Super Bowl ring was provided as a collectible memento for the team's players to symbolize their victory, since the Vince Lombardi Trophy was given to the team's ownership.
The ring is usually made of white or yellow gold with diamonds. They usually include the team's name, logo, the phrase "World Champions" and the Super Bowl number.
Many of the rings feature diamonds in the shape of the Lombardi Trophy or a football. Other customizations are added by the team.
The NFL generally contributes up to $5,000 per ring for up to 150 rings for the winning team. Any additional costs are taken on by the team. Most years, the rings are manufactured by memorabilia company Jostens.
The winning team can present rings to whomever they choose, including players, coaches, trainers, executives, personnel and general staff. Some teams have even presented them to some fans.
The first Super Bowl ring that the Green Bay Packers gave to players was a simple affair, with a single diamond over a golden globe. the words "World Champions", "Green Bay Packers" and the year 1966 were on the outer edge of the globe.
In the years since, the rings have become far more elaborate.
The ring given to each of the players of the Philadelphia Eagles for winning Super Bowl LII last year included a total of 219 diamonds and 17 rare green sapphires. The ring itself is made of 10-karat white gold.
Symbolism abounds in the ring. A Lombardi Trophy on the ring contains 16 diamonds -- one for each of the team's 16 victories during the season. Four green sapphires represent the team's four NFL championships, 1948, 1949, 1960 and Super Bowl LII. Other elements are included in the ring.
The New England Patriots' Super Bowl LI ring is reportedly the largest Super Bowl ring made to date and contains 283 diamonds -- to commemorate the comeback from the 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons to win their fifth championship in 2017.
According to a New York Times Magazine article quoted by NFL.com, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was unhappy with New England owner Robert Kraft's 28-3 nudge in the ring.
"I said to Robert, 'You didn't have to do the 28-3 in the ring,'" Blank divulged to The Times' Mark Leibovich. "It kind of pissed me off."
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