Minneapolis, April 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Jostens, the leading provider of custom, hand-crafted fine jewelry for professional sports teams, today unveiled the 2018 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Ring, which was presented to players, the manager, and coaching staff in a ceremony preceding the club’s home opener at Fenway Park. The ring celebrates the Red Sox’s historic 2018 season that culminated with a World Series Championship at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018.
“We at Jostens are honored to partner with the Boston Red Sox to create their stunning championship ring,” said Chris Poitras, Vice President of Professional Sports. “The Boston Red Sox ring is truly one-of-a-kind and proudly tells their Championship story.”
The Boston Red Sox made Major League Baseball history by winning their fourth World Series Championship in the 21st century; and today, the Boston Red Sox and Jostens are proud to reveal the ring that honors the team’s triumph.
The process of producing the 2018 Red Sox Championship Ring mirrored the achievements of the 2018 team by perfectly melding all elements to make history. Crafted in 14-karat white gold, this ring is arguably one of the richest in symbolism and storytelling ever made.
Forming the iconic Boston B logo are 21 custom-cut genuine rubies, which represent the 4 World Series titles won by the Red Sox in the 17 seasons of FSG ownership. The logo is surrounded by 22 intricately set custom-cut blue sapphires, which are emblematic of the Red Sox’s 14 postseason games played and the incredible 8 home runs hit during the World Series alone. Signifying the history of the Red Sox’s postseason success are seven princess-cut diamonds accenting each side of the ring top. These 14 stunning channel-set diamonds are symbolic of the total number of American League pennants won by the Red Sox since the franchise was established in 1901. And on a foundation of two blue stones, the title WORLD CHAMPIONS is spelled out in the team’s classic font. Enhancing the brilliance of the ring is the cascade of 128 diamonds in two rows on the side. These spectacular jewels honor the 119 franchise-record wins in 2018 and the 9 World Series titles now held by the Red Sox.
The left side of the ring proudly displays eight pennants featuring the years of previous Red Sox World Series titles while the ninth and largest pennant pays tribute to 2018’s franchise-record wins and is accentuated by the renowned double Sox logo formed by a striking red stone. In another nod to the Red Sox’s deep championship history, 100 individual weathered bricks of Fenway Park form the background of each side panel to celebrate the centennial of the famed 1918 World Series Championship.
Fashioned using the Red Sox jersey font, the name of each recipient appears on the right side along with a designation of their relationship with the team. The ring belonging to Steve Pearce, the 2018 World Series MVP, showcases his jersey number 25 created with pave-set diamonds. Pearce’s name and jersey number surround an intricately detailed façade of Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball and a treasured building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Highlighted on the Fenway façade are two historically important years: 1912 and 2018. 1912, the year Fenway Park opened, marked 105 regular season wins – a record that stood for 105 seasons until it was broken in 2018 with 108 regular season wins.
Unique to professional championship rings, Red Sox 2018 World Series rings awarded to players, coaching staff, and members of the Club are further customized to build extra special memories. Over the period of their association with the Club, those people who have been awarded multiple rings will receive rings which feature multiple images of the Commissioner’s Trophy that match not only their total number of awarded rings but also the years during which they were awarded rings.
Memorialized on the interior of the ring is 10-28-18, the date of the World Series victory and the date the team’s rally cry of “Do Damage” was changed to “Damage Done.” In recognition of the exceptional contributions of the players and the coaching staff, the declaration of DAMAGE DONE appears alongside each of their signatures and nicknames.
The finishing touch is an expression on the palm crest that captures the undeniable talent of the 2018 Red Sox and their place in baseball history: TEAM FOR THE AGES.
In total, the 2018 Boston Red Sox Championship ring boasts 185 stones which represent the 162 regular season games plus 14 postseason games plus the 9 World Series titles now held by the Red Sox. The ring features 4.5 carats of diamonds, 6.5 carats of blue sapphires and 4.0 carats of rubies for a total gem weight of 15 carats.
The Club also commissioned Jostens to create a collection of personalized fine jewelry and championship collectibles inspired by the Championship Ring. For the first time in Club history, Red Sox fans will have the special opportunity to purchase a Limited Edition “119” World Series Championship Ring. Only 119 of these exclusive rings will be produced, paying tribute to the historic number of wins achieved on the team’s journey to become World Champions. The Fan Collection is available for a limited time and can be ordered online at www.jostens.com/redsoxfan.
ABOUT JOSTENS:
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company's products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., Jostens is a subsidiary of Platinum Equity and can be found online at www.jostens.com. In addition to crafting the 2018 World Series ring for the Boston Red Sox, Jostens has previously partnered with the Boston Red Sox on their 2004, 2007, and 2013 World Series Championship rings.
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