Monday, July 21, 2014

Tiffany & Co Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Ring

Seahawks Championship Super Bowl Ring 2014. Photo Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic.


Seahawks Championship Super Bowl Ring 2014. Photo Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic.

by Angela Magnotti Andrews

 On June 19, 2014, a special presentation ceremony took place in downtown Seattle to commemorate the landmark victory attained by the Seahawks at Super Bowl XLVIII. As mentioned in a previous article, these rings are given not only to the playing team members, but also to all the folks behind the scenes that make the season possible, including managers, scouts, financial supporters, and more.

 The rings are subsidized to the tune of $5,000 per ring by the NFL, with a limit of 150 distributed at the NFL's expense. Teams can spend more than the allotted NFL budget and have more rings made, but the terms the NFL sets are firm. These rings are specially designed, typically by a high-end designer chosen by the winning team, with the input of the team's owners, coaches, and other key leaders within the team's organizational structure.

 These rings are meant to capture the essence, not only of the game but of the team's entire season--no small feat on the canvas of a jewel the size of a small rock. Speaking of rocks, the Seahawks wisely chose to commission Tiffany & Co., the decided leader in the artful display of all manner of rocks, to design their Championship Ring. True to their collaborative nature, the Seahawks have painted a story on each ring that "represents a distinctive tribute to this team, our fans, the Pacific Northwest and the Seahawks victory in Super Bowl XLVIII," said Peter McLoughlin, the team's president {3}. On the face of the ring, 64 round diamonds fill in the white gold outline of the team's bird-head logo. A second outline of blue enamel further distinguishes the logo. A single fancy-cut, prong-set, green tsavorite serves as the bird's eye. Above the bird, a marquise-cut diamond is bezel-set in the form of stylized version of the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and these two iconic symbols are surrounded by an ocean of 107 round diamonds.

The ring's border reads "WORLD CHAMPIONS," and is further framed by two sets of six round brilliant diamonds on either side. In profile, the ring's head is rimmed by a single row of 40 blue sapphires, and from it hang two "12" flags etched in blue enamel. The shanks of the ring tell the story of the season. Etched on the side boasting the player's name is a long view of the south-facing aspect of Century Field. A "12" flag flies in relief against Mt. Rainier in the distance, a solid tribute to the 12th "player" for the Seahawks, the team's loyal fans.

 The player's number stands in relief upon the playing field, and just below, their final record of 16-3 is etched just above the 12 feathers engraved into the bottom portion of the band. These feathers are stylized to mimic the feathers featured on the team's uniforms. The opposite shank features a view of Seattle's skyline in the background, with the Space Needle taking prominence. In relief one sees the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the words "Super Bowl XLVIII", and the NFL Logo, etched against the background.

The year 2013 is engraved into the band just above the stylized feathers. The inside of each ring is etched with the following phrases: "LEAVE NO DOUBT", "24/7", "SEA 43-DEN 8", and "WHAT'S NEXT?" Tiffany & Co. expressed their pleasure in working with the team to design their special rings. "Having crafted the Vince Lombardi Trophy since its inception in 1969, we are proud to have now also crafted the first Seattle Seahawks Championship ring--both being the purest symbols of hard work and perseverance," said Tiffany's representative, Victoria Reynolds {3}. In the many images and videos floating about on the Web, the indelible mark of Tiffany's impeccable quality is unparalleled in the structure and design of these rings. They truly are beautiful jewels, and the story they tell is a story well loved by everyone in the Pacific Northwest. We applaud the hard work and dedication set forth by the best football team in the world and the best of the best in diamonds.

Notes

  1. Crabtree, Curtis. "Seahawks Get thier Super Bowl Rings," NBC Sports, June 20, 2014. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/20/seahawks-get-their-super-bowl-rings/.
  2. Eaton, Nick. "See the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVII Champs Ring," Seattle PI, June 19, 2014. http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2014/06/19/see-the-seattle-seahawks-super-bowl-xlviii-championship-ring/#24457101=3.
  3. Seahawks News. "Seahawks Receive Super Bowl Rings," posted June 19, 2014. http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/Seahawks-Receive-Super-Bowl-Rings/b40ff317-235c-4f40-aac5-45f255b62c5e.