Trends

5 Fun Facts about This Year’s Stanley Cup Rings

TrendsOct 04, 2017

5 Fun Facts about This Year’s Stanley Cup Rings

It’s the second championship in a row for the Pittsburgh Penguins but, hey, who’s counting.

20171004_Penguins-header.jpg
The Penguins 2017 Stanley Cup rings are set with about 400 diamonds totaling more than 9 carats. The blinged-out bird in the team’s logo featured on the top of the ring has a 0.75-carat pear-shaped diamond set into his torso, a tapered baguette on his stick and 10 yellow diamonds set into the 14-karat yellow gold triangle behind him. (Photo © 2017 Jostens)

Pittsburgh--For the second year in a row, the Jostens team is paying an early fall visit to the Steel City to present the Pittsburgh Penguins with championship rings.

The Pens defeated the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Final back in June to become the first team in nearly 20 years to be repeat NHL champions.

On Tuesday, the Jostens team was doing events throughout the Steel City after unveiling the diamond-studded rings in a private ceremony held the day prior at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Included among Jostens’s stops was Pittsburgh retailer Louis Anthony Jewelers, where employees tried on the ring and shared the results on Instagram.

Jostens, a Minneapolis-based company known in the jewelry world for making class and championship rings, created last year’s Stanley Cup bauble, as well as the 2017 Super Bowl rings for the New England Patriots and the 2016 Super Bowl rings for the Denver Broncos.

Here are 5 things know to about the company’s latest championship creation.

1. There’s a number 5 in the penguin’s eye.
The top of the ring features the words “Stanley Cup Champions” with the team’s logo in the center.

In the logo, which features a skating penguin atop a golden triangle, the number 5 makes the bird’s eye, a nod to the total number of Stanley Cup championships won by the team.

2. The ring has a total of seven little diamond-set Stanley Cups.
There are five on one side, denoting the total number of championships for the team and the year for each: 1991, 1992, 2009, 20016 and 2017. On the opposite side, there are two more with the words “Back 2 Back” between them.

Pittsburgh is the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 19 years. (The last team to do so was the Detroit Red Wings in 1998.)



3. The ring is two-tone.
The Penguins’ 2017 Stanley Cup ring is awash in white, thanks to 14-karat white gold and the nearly 400 hand-set diamonds totaling more than 9 carats.

But Jostens also incorporated yellow gold for the team, which, like all sports teams in the Steel City, wears black and gold. In what the company said is a first for a championship ring, it created a technique that enabled it to insert independent, solid 14-karat yellow gold panels on either side of the ring.

4. “Play the Right Way” is engraved on the interior arbor of each ring.
It is one of the many
mantras, or “Sullivan-isms,” employed by the team’s coach, Mike Sullivan, who led them to last year’s Stanley Cup victory too.

The rings also have the logos of the four teams the Penguins defeated in the playoffs--the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators--and the final standings from each of those series.



(Photo © 2017 Jostens)

5. Some players’ rings have a few extra diamonds.
Here’s an interesting fact that came via the Pittsburgh Penguins official Twitter feed.

The players with three Cup wins (those who were on the Penguins team when they won last, in 2009) got three extra diamonds on the back side of their rings. They are: team captain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz, who now plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who got drafted by the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.

Penguins owner and NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemeiux has five extra diamonds, marking the two Cups he won as a player and the three he’s won as owner.
Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

London Jewelers Rolex East Hampton Boutique Exterior
WatchesAug 25, 2025
London Jewelers Brings Rolex to Historic Hamptons Home

The new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.

Madison Keys
CollectionsAug 25, 2025
Tennis Star Madison Keys Has the Perfect Necklace for the US Open

The Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.

WatchTime New York
WatchesAug 25, 2025
WatchTime NY Show Returns for 10th Anniversary Edition

The three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.

japac-btyb.png
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key Issues

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Sriram “Ram” Natarajan
GradingAug 22, 2025
Former Head of GIA India Promoted to Oversee Global Operations

Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.

Weekly QuizAug 22, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Retrouvaí Diamond Vein Bond Collar
CollectionsAug 22, 2025
Piece of the Week: Retrouvaí’s ‘Diamond Vein Bond’ Collar

The one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.

Kendra Scott
MajorsAug 22, 2025
Kendra Scott Returns as CEO of Her Jewelry Empire

Three C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”

rio-article photo-diamond.jpg
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine Jewelry

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Claire’s storefront
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 Stores

The retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.

Target CEO Brian Cornell and COO Michael Fiddelke
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag

Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.

Jewelers of America in Washington DC
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC

The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.

Tiffany & Co. Pop Up at U.S. Open
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US Open

The pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.

Bellman’s Jewelers The Truthful Jeweler Alex Bellman
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes Off

The New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”

Stock image of police cars with lights flashing
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, Robbed

The latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.

Oris New York Harbor Limited Edition II Watch
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster Restoration

The new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.

Jewelers for Children logo
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ Challenge

Participants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.

Lulo Rose pink diamond
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner Lucapa

The investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.

National Jeweler columnist and jewelry sales expert Peter Smith
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry Retail

Smith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.

Fake Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra earrings
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ Earrings

The counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.

MJSA Logo
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally Recognized

The MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Masaki Obu
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division Manager

Casio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.

Michael Barabash and husband Raymond Cuadrado
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58

Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.

John Hardy Dot Coil Necklace and Dot Hoop Earrings
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on Point

Originally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.

IJO Vendor of the Year Allison-Kaufman
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the Year

Allison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.

Image of Winona Ryder and Iman from Pandora’s Be Love marketing campaign
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans

The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.

Taylor Swift Etho Maria ruby earrings The Life of a Showgirl TS12
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings

Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.

Audemars Piguet Starwheel Watch
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in Manufacturer

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy