Super Bowl rings aren't exactly known to be modest pieces. But of the four times that Robert Kraft has gifted jewelry to Patriots players and coaches, never has he handed out anything this big.
At his home in Chestnut Hill on Sunday night, the Patriots chairman and CEO hosted a ring ceremony to commemorate the team's Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seahawks, and the rings were presented as the "dessert" course following a cocktail reception and dinner. According to the team, they were the largest Super Bowl rings ever made, featuring a whopping 205 diamonds. In 2003 and 2004, when the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls, the championship rings had 104 and 124 diamonds, respectively.
"I have been blessed to host four Super Bowl ring ceremonies, and just like the rings we present, we have tried to make each ceremony a little bigger and a little better than the one before," Kraft said, via the Patriots media relations staff. "Football is the consummate team sport. These championship rings represent all that the team endured and overcame together. The players on this team will forever be bound by the memories this ring represents. The presentation of the rings is one of my favorite moments. I love watching the expressions on the faces of each of our players and the range of emotions they experience when they see the ring for the first time and the pride they all have when they put it on. Tonight’s celebration is really a culmination of a job well done."
The rings, which were handcrafted by Jostens, were cast in white gold and included the recipient’s name as well as the years of the franchise’s four Super Bowl Championships in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2014. Four mini Lombardi Trophies and the team logo sit atop the ring, which also memorializes the three-word mantra that the 2014 Patriots embraced -- one that the franchise trademarked -- "Do your job."
Here are some of the photos and videos taken at the event that were shared on Twitter Sunday night.