Header photo: Madison Square Garden exterior, May 14, 2025. Archival venue context, not the 2026 championship ceremony. Photo: Gunnar Klack / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The New York Knicks unveiled their championship ring at a ring and banner ceremony before their Opening Night game at Madison Square Garden this week. Made by Jason of Beverly Hills with the team, it is white gold set with just under 800 round brilliant and emerald-cut diamonds and blue sapphires, about 22 carats in all. A mechanism raises a miniature Madison Square Garden out of the top. For a city that waited a long time for this ring, it is a piece of jewelry worth looking at closely.
What Is in the Ring
According to the details released at the unveiling, the ring is built in layers, each one telling part of the story of the season:
- The stones: just under 800 white diamonds, round brilliants and emerald cuts, with blue sapphires set radially, for about 22 carats in total.
- The moving Garden: a built-in mechanism raises a miniature of Madison Square Garden's exterior. The ring top lifts off to show a recreation of the arena ceiling, and the body twists open to reveal the lower bowl.
- The roster: every player's jersey number wraps the top, set in diamonds under his last name.
- The numbers: sixteen emerald-cut diamonds line the inner bezel for the sixteen playoff wins. A 0.16 carat diamond on the trophy marks the 16-point comeback against San Antonio in the clinching game. "WORLD CHAMPIONS" is set with 69 points of diamonds, one point for each of the team's 69 combined wins.
- The inside: "KNICKS IN FIVE," for the five-game Finals, and "10 WEEKS," the team's mantra, are engraved inside the band.
See the actual championship ring, its raised Madison Square Garden mechanism and its opened arena interior in Jason of Beverly Hills’ official player-ring gallery.
How a Ring Like That Is Built
Championship rings are some of the most technically demanding pieces in jewelry, because they pack a huge amount of detail into something that still has to fit a finger. A few things make this one work.
White gold as the base. White gold is strong enough to hold hundreds of small stones securely and bright enough to make blue sapphires and white diamonds read clearly against it, the Knicks' blue and the trophy's sparkle in one metal.
Many small stones, carefully calibrated. Nearly 800 stones adding up to about 22 carats means most of them are very small. Our guide to total carat weight explains why that matters: the headline carat total tells you how much diamond there is, while the size of each stone tells you how it looks. Setting hundreds of tiny diamonds evenly, with every surface level, is painstaking bench work.
Mixed cuts for texture. Round brilliants give sparkle, while emerald cuts give clean flashes of light and a crisp, architectural line. Using emerald cuts for the sixteen playoff wins makes them stand out from the pavé around them, which is exactly the point.
Sapphires next to diamonds. Sapphire is the natural partner for diamond in a piece that will be handled and worn. It is one of the hardest gemstones after diamond, so it stands up to daily wear, and a well-matched blue holds its color under arena lights and daylight alike. Set radially, the sapphires lead the eye toward the center of the ring, which is where the Garden rises. The same pairing works on a smaller scale in a band like this channel-set sapphire and diamond band.
Symbolic weights. A 0.16 carat stone for a 16-point comeback and 69 points of diamonds for 69 wins turn carat weight itself into a message. One point is one hundredth of a carat, so 69 points is 0.69 carat spread across the letters.
What You Can Borrow for Your Own Ring
Most of us will never wear a championship ring, but the thinking behind one applies to any ring meant to mark something.
- Put the story inside. The most personal part of the Knicks ring is engraved where only the wearer sees it. A date, initials or a short phrase inside a band does the same thing. Engraving is complimentary on our engagement rings.
- Let one detail carry the meaning. A birthstone, a stone count that matches a year, or a single colored stone in a band of white diamonds can say a lot without saying it out loud.
- Choose the metal for daily wear. A ring worn every day needs a durable alloy and secure settings. White gold and platinum both suit that, and yellow gold is the warmer classic.
- Think about scale. A men's ring can carry more weight and width than you might expect. A signet or a diamond pinky ring is the everyday version of a statement ring.
New York and the Ring Tradition
Championship rings, class rings and signet rings all come from the same idea: a ring as proof that you were there. New York has always taken that seriously. If you are celebrating something of your own, start with our men's rings, men's bands such as this beveled satin band with milgrain and high jewelry rings, or browse loose natural diamonds if you want to build a ring around a stone of your own choosing. Jewelry ships free and insured, with 14-day returns on unworn pieces.
Frequently asked
How many diamonds are in the Knicks championship ring?
Just under 800 round brilliant and emerald-cut white diamonds, set together with blue sapphires in white gold, for about 22 carats in total.
Who made the 2026 Knicks championship ring?
Jason of Beverly Hills made the ring in collaboration with Knicks leadership. It was unveiled at a ring and banner ceremony before the team's Opening Night game at Madison Square Garden.
What does a point mean in diamond weight?
A point is one hundredth of a carat. The Knicks ring spells WORLD CHAMPIONS in 69 points of diamonds, which is 0.69 carat in total.