108 years. That is a long time to wait for a piece of jewelry. When the Chicago Cubs finally broke the most famous curse in sports history, the pressure on Jostens—the company tasked with designing the 2016 Cubs World Series ring—was honestly immense. They couldn't just make a standard ring. It had to be a monument. It had to be a story you could wear on your finger.
Most people look at the 2016 Cubs World Series ring and just see a giant pile of diamonds. It’s shiny. It’s huge. But if you actually sit down with one of these things, or talk to the guys in the front office who obsessed over the blueprints, you realize every single millimeter of that 14-karat white gold frame is a reference to something specific. It isn't just about winning a game; it's about exorcising a century of ghosts.
The Ridiculous Math of the 2016 Cubs World Series Ring
Let’s get into the numbers because they are genuinely absurd. We are talking about 108 diamonds in the bezel. That’s not a random design choice. One diamond for every year the North Side spent in the wilderness. It’s sort of poetic, if you think about it—turning a century of failure into a literal circle of light.
The ring features a total of 214 diamonds. It also has 3 rubies and 46 sapphires. If you’re keeping track at home, that is 5.5 carats of gems. It’s heavy. When players like Anthony Rizzo or Kris Bryant first put them on, the common reaction wasn't "this is beautiful," it was "this thing is heavy as hell." You can’t exactly wear this to go grab a coffee at Stan’s Donuts without feeling like your hand is being pulled toward the pavement.
The center of the ring is dominated by the Cubs logo, crafted from 33 red rubies. Surrounding that is a blue ring made of 46 custom-cut blue sapphires. Why 46? Because it’s the combination of the 7 games in the World Series, the 3 games in the NLDS, the 6 games in the NLCS, and the 30 regular-season wins that led to the postseason. Actually, that’s just one layer of the math. The real beauty is in the details you can’t see from ten feet away.
Hidden Symbols and Inner Secrets
Inside the band, there’s an inscription that makes old-school fans get a little misty-eyed. It features the date and time the championship was won: November 3, 2016, at 12:47 AM. It also has a goat. Seriously. A tiny little goat head is engraved on the inside of the band. It’s a middle finger to the Billy Goat Curse. It’s Jostens and the Cubs organization saying, "We're done with this."
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There’s also a sketch of the Wrigley Field marquee. It says "World Champions." For a generation of fans, that marquee was the symbol of "next year." Seeing it rendered in gold and diamonds on the 2016 Cubs World Series ring was the final validation. It changed the marquee from a sign of hope into a sign of history.
Not Just for the Players
One of the coolest—and most controversial—things about the 2016 Cubs World Series ring rollout was how many they gave out. Usually, these rings are hyper-exclusive. But Tom Ricketts and the ownership group decided to go big. They handed out 1,908 rings.
Think about that number for a second. 1908. The year of the previous title.
They gave them to players, coaches, and front office staff, sure. But they also gave them to scouts, ballpark ushers, and even some longtime season ticket holders or ambassadors like Billy Williams and Ryne Sandberg. It cost the team a fortune. Each "A-level" player ring was valued at roughly $70,000 at the time of production, though their collector value is now infinitely higher. The rings for the staff were slightly different, often featuring fewer diamonds or different materials, but they all shared the same DNA.
The Secondary Market: Can You Actually Buy One?
Here is where things get weird. You’d think these would be guarded like the Crown Jewels. But money talks. In 2017, a scout put his ring up for auction. It fetched over $111,000.
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A few years later, Ben Zobrist’s ring became a topic of massive public interest during his divorce proceedings. People realized these aren't just trophies; they are high-value liquid assets. If you see a 2016 Cubs World Series ring on eBay for $200, it’s a fake. A replica. A "fan ring." Jostens did sell a retail version to the public, but those didn't have the same gem weight or the personal inscriptions of the players. The real ones? They are mostly locked in safes or displayed in high-end memorabilia collections like the ones owned by Heritage Auctions or Hunt Auctions.
How to Spot a Fake
If you’re ever in a position to buy a piece of 2016 history, look at the "W." On a real player ring, the "W" logo on the side is made of 31 diamonds. Why 31? To represent the 31 road wins the Cubs had that year. Cheap knockoffs usually just use a solid piece of metal or a handful of poorly set stones. The precision of the 2016 Cubs World Series ring is hard to duplicate. The way the blue sapphires are custom-cut to fit the curve of the bezel is a nightmare for counterfeiters to get right.
Why This Ring Still Matters in 2026
We are a decade out from that rainy night in Cleveland. Other teams have won since. The Dodgers won. The Braves won. The Rangers finally got theirs. But the 2016 Cubs World Series ring remains the gold standard for championship jewelry because of the sheer weight of expectation it carried.
It wasn't just a "good job" gift. It was a 108-year receipt.
When you look at the side of the ring, you see the iconic "Fly the W" flag. It’s set in diamonds, obviously. That flag became the heartbeat of Chicago that summer. Seeing it immortalized in a 2016 Cubs World Series ring reminds people of the "Electric" atmosphere of Addison and Clark. It’s a physical manifestation of a cultural shift. The Cubs went from being the "Loveable Losers" to the guys with the biggest, loudest rings in the room.
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The Design Philosophy
Jostens master designer Chris Poitras has talked about the process before. Usually, a team gives a few notes and let the designers work. The Cubs were different. They wanted every single piece of the 2016 Cubs World Series ring to mean something.
Take the "C" on the front. It’s not just a logo. It’s a specific shade of red achieved through the rubies. They had to source stones that matched the exact Pantone color of the Cubs' uniforms. If the red was too dark, it looked like a Reds ring. If it was too light, it looked like pink. They obsessed over the "C."
Then there's the silhouette of the stadium. On one side of the ring, you see the exterior of Wrigley Field. It includes the ivy. It includes the bleachers. It’s a tiny, golden architectural model wrapped around a finger. It’s honestly a feat of engineering as much as it is jewelry.
Collecting the Legacy
If you are a collector looking to snag a piece of this era, you have a few options that aren't $100,000.
- The Jostens Fan Collection: These were sold shortly after the win. They look similar but are made of "Lustrium" or 10k gold with synthetic stones.
- The Championship "Paperweight": These were given out at certain corporate events. Heavy, looks great on a desk, but no value as jewelry.
- Salesman Samples: These are rare. They are the rings used by Jostens reps to show off the design. They are identical to the player rings but usually have a generic name like "JONES" or "CUBS" on the side.
Honestly, the 2016 Cubs World Series ring is probably the most recognizable championship ring of the 21st century. It’s the one people ask to see. It’s the one that defines a city. Even White Sox fans—though they’d never admit it—have to respect the craftsmanship. It is a brick of gold that closed a chapter of American folklore.
Actionable Insights for Cubs Fans and Collectors
- Verify the Source: If you are buying a "player" ring, it must come with a certificate of authenticity from the team or a reputable auction house like Goldin or Heritage.
- Insurance Matters: If you own a genuine 2016 Cubs World Series ring, or even a high-end Jostens retail version, get it appraised. The value of 2016 memorabilia has stayed remarkably stable compared to other championship years.
- Maintenance: These rings have dozens of "micro-pave" set diamonds. If you wear a retail version, check the stones often. They can vibrated loose over time, especially if the ring is resized.
- The Goat Factor: Always check the inner band. The presence of the goat and the 12:47 AM timestamp are the easiest ways to distinguish a high-quality tribute from a low-effort replica.
- Preservation: Keep the original wooden box. The 2016 rings came in a custom presentation box with a rotating pedestal and a built-in light. That box alone can be worth hundreds to the right collector.