How much is a Super Bowl ring worth? Ring costs, value and more

There's a lot at stake when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday. For Philly, the chance to avenge Super Bowl heartbreak from two years ago and silence the doubters once and for all; for Kansas City, the chance to become the first NFL team to ever win three straight championships.

But in addition to all that history, there's also some pretty sweet bling on the line. We're talking, of course, about Super Bowl rings, the crowning achievement of months and months of hard work and dedication. Every player in the league wants one, but only the lucky few get to have them.

But just what makes them so special in the first place? Here's everything you need to know.

How much does a Super Bowl ring cost to make?

On average, an individual Super Bowl ring costs anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 to produce — yes, seriously. Just where within that range a ring falls in a given year depends on any number of factors, from the materials used to the design choices made. After beating the San Francisco 49ers last season, the Chiefs spent some $40,000 apop on their rings. The 1985 Bears, meanwhile, got rings that cost just $4,000 each, which adjusts to less than $12,000 today.

What materials are used in a Super Bowl ring?

Again, it depends, The rings themselves are typically made of either gold or rose gold (although there are exceptions; the 2010 Green Bay Packers, for instance, used platinum). Beyond that, it comes down to exactly how many diamonds are included, as well as any other embellishments that are part of that year's design.

Some rings feature a higher quantity of smaller diamonds, while others go big: The Los Angeles Rams, for instance, put 20 carats of diamonds into their rings back in 2022, a record that still stands.

Who covers the cost of Super Bowl rings?

The NFL puts somewhere between $5,000-$7,000 towards each of the first 150 rings the winning team orders, with the team footing the rest of the bill. It's up to the team whether they want to front all of that cost, or pass some along to the players themselves. Of course, the players also have taxes to worry about, which can run into the five figures. (Although that hefty Super Bowl bonus certainly helps ease the sting.)

Who gets a Super Bowl ring?

Every member of the 53-man roster and the coaching staff, for starters. Beyond that, though, the team has plenty of discretion to determine who does and doesn't get one. The NFL helps defray the cost of the first 150, but teams are allowed to go as far beyond that number as they'd like for inactive and former players, staff members, heck, even janitors and receptionists. Often times teams will save the blingiest rings for players and coaches, while getting less flashy jewelry for other staffers.

Notable Super Bowl rings and their costs

Philadelphia Eagles (2018)

The Birds' win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII etched the phrase "Philly Special" into football lore, with Nick Foles' touchdown grab late in the first half helping propel the Eagles to their first title. So it's only appropriate that the team also decided to etch it into their jewelry as well: Philly's rings featured 127 diamonds, the sum of the jersey numbers of Foles (9), running back Corey Clement (30) and tight end Trey Burton (88).

New England Patriots (2016)

Don't feel too badly, Pats fans: Just a year earlier, New England honored its rally from a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons with, you guessed it, rings featuring a whopping 283 diamonds in all.

Miami Dolphins (1972)

Still the only team to complete a full NFL season without a single loss, the Dolphins comemorated their historic feat with 17 diamond: one in the center for their Super Bowl victory, surrounded by 16 smaller diamonds representing the 16 previous wins it took to get there.