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RAPAPORT...
The New York Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI ring, which will be presented tonight in Manhattan, was designed by Tiffany & Co. in white gold, with pave set round brilliant diamonds and 37 blue sapphires channel-set on the outer bezel. The text around the bezel reads “2011 WORLD CHAMPIONS NEW YORK GIANTS.” The ring also features four Vince Lombardi trophies, commemorating the four Giants’ Super Bowl wins, and each is set with a marquise-cut diamond as the football. The trophies surround the Giants’ iconic logo, which is set with round brilliant diamonds on an outline of blue enamel. Tiffany & Co. will host the Giants in a private affair at its flagship store for the ring's final unveiling, which was months in the making and included design input from members of the team.  “After a few meetings, Tiffany came up with several different options that they showed us and you kind of picked from there,” said team captain Eli Manning. “We wanted it to be little different than the last ring.” Additional design input came from New York Giant's general manager Jerry Reese, coach Tom Coughlin and Manning's teammates Justin Tuck and Zak DeOssie. “We wanted it to represent the four trophies and have that feeling that you made the best ring that you could have made,” said Tuck. “I think we captured that.” DeOssie added, “First and foremost, we kept our teammates’ best interests in mind, so we wanted something that would appeal to everybody in the locker room. We gave some thoughts on the design and then Tiffany came in with five or six models. They were beautiful. We wanted something a little more modest, but at the same time you can’t help but notice it is a championship ring. The owners deferred to us as the players and we got everything we wanted. We went back and forth three or four times in an email chain. I think everyone was on board with the one we picked and couldn’t be happier about it.” Tiffany & Co.'s chairman Michael Kowalski said, “Partnering with the NFL in the creation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy for presentation on Super Bowl Sunday is one of Tiffany’s great traditions. We feel especially honored to craft the trophy and commemorative rings for Super Bowl XLVI, because both are in celebration of our own New York Giants, who gave us yet another performance on the field that no Giants fan will ever forget.” The rings shank tells the story of this season’s championship team and honors The Giants legacy. One shank of the ring has the Giants logo, the Lombardi Trophy, the NFL shield, the words “Super Bowl XLVI” and the final score – NYG 21 NE 17. The opposite shank has the recipient’s name, the Giants circular logo with the player’s number in the center and EST. 1925 for the year the franchise was founded. The lower palm side of shanks list the four seasons the Giants won the Super Bowl: 1986, 1990, 2007 and 2011. Engraved inside the ring are the words “Finish” and “All In” two inspirational phrases that rallied the Giants throughout the season. Manning said, “We wanted to get a few things that were significant to this season – (including) ‘Finish’ on the inside. Things like that make the ring special.”
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