How does Tiffany & Co. make the Super Bowl trophy? The LVMH jeweller has worked with the NFL since 1967 and uses a vigorous 4-month process to create the iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy

Feb 12 , 2023

The Lombardi Trophy is made by luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co. Photos: Tiffany & Co., Getty Images

Each year, the NFL’s 32 teams kick off the season in early autumn with an eye on winning American football’s greatest prize: the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Awarded to the Super Bowl champions in February, the shiny Tiffany & Co. creation is an iconic sterling silver masterpiece. It takes four months, 537-degree-Celsius furnaces, and countless master silversmiths, metal spinners and engravers to craft the most recognisable accolade in American professional sports.

Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New England Patriots, in February 2018, in Minneapolis. Photo: AP

Here’s how the legendary hardware is made, the history of its design, and some facts you may not have known about the one and only Vince Lombardi Trophy.

A focal point of every Super Bowl celebration

Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the NFL Super Bowl 52 football game against the New England Patriots, in February 2018, in Minneapolis. Photo: AP

Casual and diehard American football fans alike are familiar with the Vince Lombardi Trophy – the gleaming, football-shaped prize awarded annually to the Super Bowl champion.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers 32-29 in Super Bowl 38 in Houston, in 2004. Photo: AP

The trophy has featured prominently in some legendary sports photos.

Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots and Vivian Lake Brady celebrate with the Vince Lombardi trophy after the teams 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in February 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Getty Images

And is often smooched by the victors.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham kisses the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl LII at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, in February 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE

But most people don’t know much about where the iconic trophy comes from … or how it’s made.

The Vince Lombardi trophy is made by Tiffany & Co.

The iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy is designed by Tiffany & Co. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

The stunning piece is a creation of Tiffany & Co., the iconic luxury jewellery brand based out of New York City.

A Tiffany & Co. logo is seen outside a store in Paris, France, in November 2019. Photo: Reuters

Though the company behind the iconic Blue Box may seem like an odd match for a rough game like American football, Tiffany is actually behind many of the most legendary trophies in sports.

Naomi Osaka of Japan lifts her trophy after defeating Serena Williams (not seen) of the US during the US Open 2018 women’s final in September 2018, in New York, United States. Photo: Getty Images

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 & Co.’s history with the Super Bowl

Tiffany & Co. has designed the Vince Lombardi Trophy from the very first Super Bowl. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany took on responsibility for the Lombardi Trophy from the very first Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi (right) and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram shake hands as they view the Super Bowl Trophy in 1967. Photo: Bettmann Archive

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.

A Tiffany & Co. logo sits on display outside the US company’s luxury jewellery store in September 2020, in Paris, France. Photo: Getty Images

Tiffany & Co. design chief Oscar Riedener – a Swiss native who knew little about American football – is said to have come up with the blueprint of a football atop a kicking tee while eating breakfast in his home.

The blueprint of Tiffany & Co.’s trophy design was planned during a home breakfast. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

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 more than 50 years later.

Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan (right) shows fans the Vince Lombardi trophy at a victory rally in downtown Denver, in 1998. Photo: Reuters

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 game’s trophy was named after Vince Lombardi. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Three years after the Super Bowl tradition began, the game’s trophy was named in honour of legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi.

How is the trophy made?

Vince Lombardi being carried by Green Bay Packers players after defeating the Dallas Cowboys. Photo: Bettmann Archive

Since 2017, the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been handcrafted in Tiffany’s Cumberland, Rhode Island, hollowware workshop.

A pedestrians walks past the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in Shanghai, China, in December 2019. Photo: Bloomberg

Silversmiths, metal spinners and engravers spend roughly four months creating the masterpiece each year. The process starts in a furnace, where sterling silver is heated to 537 degrees Celsius (1,000 degrees Fahrenheit) and melted in preparation for shaping.

The trophy is made using a complicated process. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Moulding, shaping and carving comes next – with heat added to maintain pliability.

The trophy is made from silver that is burned in a furnace. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Polishing is essential to generating the trophy’s signature shine.

The trophy features subtle details like the football’s laces. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Subtle details – like the football’s laces – are then hammered into the precious metal.

Details are etched into the trophy. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

And others are etched into the silver.

It takes many hours to create the Lombardi Trophy. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

Many long hours and four legacy silversmithing techniques later, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is ready for football’s greatest stage.

The Lombardi Trophy is a symbol of the Super Bowl. Photo: Tiffany & Co.

The only question now is whose hands it’ll land in this year.

This article originally appeared on Insider.

Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

Luxury brands

One of the NFL’s most iconic features is its Vince Lombardi Trophy, which will be awarded to the Super Bowl champions in February and is dubbed an icon in American sport
Designed by Tiffany & Co., the sterling silver masterpiece takes 4 months to make and is set on fire to 537-degree-Celsius furnaces using silversmiths and metal spinners to perfect it