AuctionsFeb 26, 2026
Noonans to Auction Lady Wardington’s JewelryThe jewelry collection belonged to “one of society's most glamorous and beautiful women of the mid-20th century,” said the auction house.
MajorsOct 14, 2016
5 Fun Facts about the Penguins’ Stanley Cup Rings
Fans of the San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers can skip this story.
Crafted in 14-karat gold and set with yellow and white diamonds, the Stanley Cup rings given to the Pittsburgh Penguins have each players’ name and number on one shank. On the other are four diamond-set Stanley cups, representing the team’s four NHL championships.
Pittsburgh—Members of one of Pittsburgh’s three beloved black-and-gold teams received their championship rings at a private ceremony held earlier this week in the Steel City.
Players, coaches and staff of the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered at the city’s Heinz History Center Tuesday to collect the diamond and gold rings made for them by Jostens, the Minneapolis-based company best known for making class and championship rings.
The Penguins won the NHL championship back in June, when they defeated the San Jose Sharks 3 to 1 in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final.
Now, they have a ring to go with what is the club’s fourth Cup.
Jostens’ Chris Poitras, who talked with National Jeweler about the Denver Broncos Super Bowl rings earlier this year, divulged a few fun facts about the rings his company just made for the ‘Guins.
1. Yellow gold was used, again. The mixed-metals trend apparently has found its way into the wide world of sports.
Poitras, who is the vice president of Jostens’ sports and college division, said after years of making championship rings almost exclusively in white gold, Jostens is starting to see a shift toward the incorporation of yellow.
On the Penguins’ rings, the words “Stanley Cup Champions” are cast in 14-karat yellow gold, and the frame around the triangle on the team’s logo is as well.
While that might seem fitting for a black-and-gold team, Poitras said they also used yellow gold in the Broncos’ rings, as well as the World Series rings made for the Kansas City Royals.
He said when they made the Royals rings last year, it marked the first time in a long time that the company had used any yellow gold in championship ring.
2. There are some unique stones in the Penguin logo. The penguin himself is made of natural black onyx and his white belly is set with a pear-shaped diamond.
Players, coaches and staff of the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered at the city’s Heinz History Center Tuesday to collect the diamond and gold rings made for them by Jostens, the Minneapolis-based company best known for making class and championship rings.
The Penguins won the NHL championship back in June, when they defeated the San Jose Sharks 3 to 1 in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final.
Now, they have a ring to go with what is the club’s fourth Cup.
Jostens’ Chris Poitras, who talked with National Jeweler about the Denver Broncos Super Bowl rings earlier this year, divulged a few fun facts about the rings his company just made for the ‘Guins.
1. Yellow gold was used, again. The mixed-metals trend apparently has found its way into the wide world of sports.
Poitras, who is the vice president of Jostens’ sports and college division, said after years of making championship rings almost exclusively in white gold, Jostens is starting to see a shift toward the incorporation of yellow.
On the Penguins’ rings, the words “Stanley Cup Champions” are cast in 14-karat yellow gold, and the frame around the triangle on the team’s logo is as well.
While that might seem fitting for a black-and-gold team, Poitras said they also used yellow gold in the Broncos’ rings, as well as the World Series rings made for the Kansas City Royals.
He said when they made the Royals rings last year, it marked the first time in a long time that the company had used any yellow gold in championship ring.
2. There are some unique stones in the Penguin logo. The penguin himself is made of natural black onyx and his white belly is set with a pear-shaped diamond.
On the blade of his hockey stick is a single baguette, and the triangle that forms the logo’s background is set with yellow diamonds. That triangle is meant to symbolize downtown Pittsburgh, which comes to a point (of sorts) where the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers meet to form the Ohio.
3. It’s one of the biggest championship rings Jostens has ever made. The weight of the gold used for this ring is 104 grams, which makes it one of the heavier rings they’ve ever done, Poitras said.
The heaviest of all time ever produced by Jostens was for the New England Patriots when they beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl after the 2014 season. The weight of gold in that monster was 115 grams.
Just to put the size of these rings in perspective: The average engagement ring is around 4.5 to 6.5 grams and class rings are about 6 to 10 grams.
The Penguins’ ring also has 309 diamonds totaling 8.85 carats.
4. There’s a lesson to be learned from the mantra imprinted on the inside of the ring. The inside of the ring has two separate stamps
One side documents the results of the three playoffs series the Penguins had to win to get to the Cup, against the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning. It also includes the result of the Stanley Cup series, which the Penguins took 4-2
Opposite the series results is the phrase “Just Play,” the mantra adopted by a group that had a tumultuous year; the Penguins fired their coach mid-season and made a number of trades in an effort to turn around the underperforming team.
“Just Play” reminded players to focus on what they could control--their performance on the ice.
5. Jostens is no stranger to making rings for black-and-gold teams. Jostens has made rings for the Penguins before, and created the rings for five of the six Super Bowls won by the city’s football team, the Steelers. This includes the Steelers’ two most recent Super Bowl victories, in 2005 and 2008.
The company also has crafted World Series rings for the Pirates, though that’s a more distant memory, as Pittsburgh’s baseball team hasn’t won the MLB championship since 1979.
More on Majors
The Latest
SourcingFeb 26, 2026
Anglo American CEO Gives Insight Into De Beers SaleThe update came as Anglo took its third write-down on the diamond miner and marketer, which lost more than $500 million in 2025.
ColumnistsFeb 26, 2026
Practical Ways Jewelers Can Leverage AI in 2026Emmanuel Raheb discusses the rise of “GEO” and the importance of having well-written, quality content on your website.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
CrimeFeb 26, 2026
Three Sentenced in California Jewelry HeistEach received around four years for burglarizing a jewelry store and a coffee shop in Simi Valley, California, last May.
Weekly QuizFeb 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsFeb 26, 2026
GIA Names 2026 Jewelry Design Contest Winner, Retires Annual AwardCatherine Aulick, a GIA graduate, received the ninth and final Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design.
TrendsFeb 25, 2026
Engagement Ring Trends 2026: What’s In, and WhyWe asked a jewelry historian, designer, bridal director, and wedding expert what’s trending in engagement rings. Here’s what they said.
Brought to you by
DCA Enters a New Chapter in Jewelry EducationWith refreshed branding, a new website, updated courses, and a pathway for growth, DCA is dedicated to supporting retail staff development.
SourcingFeb 25, 2026
7 Trends That Could Define the Diamond Industry’s FutureExperts from India weigh in the politics, policies, and market dynamics for diamantaires to monitor in 2026 and beyond.
EditorsFeb 25, 2026
Q&A: Brilliant Earth’s CEO on the New Beverly Hills StoreBeth Gerstein discusses the vibe of the new store, what customers want when fine jewelry shopping today, and the details of “Date Night.”
PodcastsFeb 25, 2026
Episode 2: Jewelry Trends & Does the Red Carpet Matter?Are arm bands poised to make a comeback? Has red-carpet jewelry become boring? Find out on the second episode of the “My Next Question” podcast.
WatchesFeb 25, 2026
Private Equity Firms Write Down Value of Breitling, Report SaysThe Swiss watchmaker is battling declining sales amid a rapid retail expansion, according to a Financial Times report.
CollectionsFeb 25, 2026
Rahaminov Diamonds’ New Campaign Honors Its MatriarchThe campaign celebrates Giustina Pavanello Rahaminov, the co-founder’s wife and matriarch of the family-owned brand, for her 88th birthday.
IndependentsFeb 25, 2026
Borsheims Names 2025 ‘Ike-It’ Award WinnerRachel Bennett, a senior jeweler who has been with Borsheims since 2004, earned the award.
Policies & IssuesFeb 24, 2026
IEEPA Tariffs Terminated, New 10% Tariff Already ImposedAfter the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs, President Trump imposed a 10 percent tax on almost all imports via a different law.
IndependentsFeb 24, 2026
Sherry Smith Now Principal Partner at The Retail SmithsThe industry veteran, who was with The Edge Retail Academy for 14 years, joins her husband at the company he founded in 2022.
IndependentsFeb 24, 2026
Yafa Signed Jewels to Open Store in MiamiThe vintage signed jewelry retailer chose Miami due to growing client demand in the city and the greater Latin American region.
WatchesFeb 24, 2026
Chrono24 Names New VP, U.S. General ManagerFormer Flight Club executive Jin Lee will bring his experience from the sneaker world to the pre-owned watch marketplace.
SourcingFeb 23, 2026
Designer Eddie Sakamoto, a Humble Artist, Dies at 72Sakamoto, who died in mid-January following a sudden illness, is remembered for his humility and his masterful, architectural designs.
Events & AwardsFeb 23, 2026
NYCJAOS Announces Four-Day Spring ShowThe April event will feature a new VIP shopping day requiring a special ticket.
TrendsFeb 23, 2026
Dua Lipa Is Bulgari’s New AmbassadorBulgari chose the British-Albanian singer-songwriter for her powerful and enduring voice in contemporary culture, the jeweler said.
Policies & IssuesFeb 20, 2026
Supreme Court Rules Against Most of President Trump’s TariffsIn a 6-3 ruling, the court said the president exceeded his authority when imposing sweeping tariffs under IEEPA.
ColumnistsFeb 20, 2026
Peter Smith: Happiness, Cavemen, and Jewelry SalesSmith encourages salespeople to ask customers questions that elicit the release of oxytocin, the brain’s “feel-good” chemical.
CollectionsFeb 20, 2026
Boucheron’s ‘Faisceaux’ Brooch Heads to V&A MuseumThe brooch, our Piece of the Week, shows the chromatic spectrum through a holographic coating on rock crystal.
IndependentsFeb 19, 2026
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry Co-Founder ‘Mama Ann’ Bailey Dies at 100Raised in an orphanage, Bailey was 18 when she met her husband, Clyde. They opened their North Carolina jewelry store in 1948.
IndependentsFeb 19, 2026
Material Good Opens Third Location Material Good is celebrating its 10th anniversary as it opens its new store in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.
Events & AwardsFeb 19, 2026
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Returns in MarchThe show will be held March 26-30 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
