How Tiffany & Co. makes the Lombardi Trophy and other things you might not have known about the NFL's biggest prize
Each year, the NFL's 32 teams kick off the season with an eye on the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
The shiny Tiffany & Co. creation is an iconic sterling-silver masterpiece.
It takes four months and countless master silversmiths, metal spinners, and engravers to craft.
Casual and die-hard football fans alike are familiar with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the gleaming, football-shaped prize awarded annually to the Super Bowl champions.
It's been a focal point of every Super Bowl celebration since the early days of the big game.
The trophy has featured prominently in some legendary sports photos.
And is often kissed by the victors.
But most people don't know much about where the iconic trophy comes from ...
... or how it's made.
The stunning piece is a creation of Tiffany & Co., the iconic luxury jewelry brand based in New York City.
Though the company behind the iconic Blue Box may seem like an odd match for football, Tiffany is actually behind many of the most legendary trophies in sports.
The Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy of the NBA, Commissioner's Trophy of MLB, US Open singles trophies, WNBA championship trophy, PGA Tour FedExCup trophy, and dozens more all come from the brand.
Tiffany took on responsibility for the Lombardi Trophy from the very first Super Bowl.
Ahead of Super Bowl I in 1967, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle contacted Tiffany — and only Tiffany — to come up with a design for the trophy.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame
Tiffany & Co. design chief Oscar Riedener — a Swiss native who knew little about football — is said to have come up with the blueprint of a football atop a kicking tee while eating breakfast in his home.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame
A few days later, Riedener drew the design on a cocktail napkin while eating lunch with Rozelle. His vision continues to be the symbol of triumph in the NFL 57 years later.
Source: Pro Football Hall of Fame
The first version of the iconic trophy was made in Newark, New Jersey. Subsequent iterations were crafted by the company just down the road in Parsippany, New Jersey.
The trophy received its official name ahead of Super Bowl V in 1971. It was named for legendary coach Vince Lombardi, who led the Green Bay Packers to victory in the first two Super Bowls. He died in September 1970.
Source: NFL
The trophy is now handcrafted in Tiffany's Cumberland, Rhode Island, hollowware workshop.
Source: WPRI
Silversmiths, metal spinners, and engravers spend roughly four months creating the masterpiece each year.
Source: NBC Philadelphia
The process starts in a furnace, where sterling silver is heated to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and melted in preparation for shaping.
Molding, shaping, and carving come next — with heat added to maintain pliability.
Polishing is essential to generating the trophy's signature shine.
Subtle details — like the football's laces — are then hammered into the precious metal.
And others are etched into the silver.
Many long hours and four legacy silversmithing techniques later, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is ready for football's greatest stage.
The only question now is whose hands it'll land in this year: the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes or the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy?
Read the original article on Business Insider
