Jewelers appraise Phils' 'portable trophy'

At the White House on May 15, President Obama injected some levity into a ceremony honoring the Phillies when he asked Jimmy Rollins if he could have J-Roll's World Championship ring.

The shortstop didn't give it up, even for the president. Too much sentimental value.

Of course, that bit of bling - which went to each of 37 members of the 2008 Phillies - also has some monetary value.

But how much?

To find out, the People Paper went to the experts - the folks who ply their trade on Jewelers' Row, America's oldest diamond district, in the 700 block of Sansom Street.

"Huge" was the first word from Nick Kusturiss, of Kusturiss Jewelers, referring not to the bejeweled band's price but to its size. He estimated the worth at $9,000.

But although he said the ring might be too big for some people, its size helps hold together its massive cache of diamonds.

Each ring, made of 14-karat white gold, has 103 diamonds, one for each of the Phils' wins last season, totaling 3.84 carats. (Gold is measured in karats, diamonds in carats, in case you're entering a spelling bee.)

The ring's left side is personalized with the team member's name above the Phillies' Liberty Bell logo. The right side features a miniature World Series trophy shooting out from an even tinier rendition of Citizens Bank Park. The ring is crowned with a ruby inlay and topped with the Phils' trademark "P" inset with diamonds.

Steven Singer of Steven Singer Jewelers (considered part of Jewelers' Row, even though it's at 8th and Walnut streets) declined to guess the ring's value without seeing it for himself.

But he added that it may be comparable to the ring his company produces for the champion of the annual Wing Bowl, which he said is worth $7,500.

Singer was a fan of the Phillies ring's wealth of diamonds.

"It's not just a piece of jewelry," he said. "It's a portable trophy."

Max Weiner of Max Weiner Fine Jewelry agreed.

"It's supposed to be gaudy," said Weiner, who gave a rough estimate of $3,800. "Its purpose is to show off."

Hy Goldberg, chief executive of Safian & Rudolph Jewelers and president of the Philadelphia Jewelers' Row Association, wouldn't appraise the ring on photos and specs alone.

But he did praise the design.

Calling the contrast between the pavé field of diamonds and the ruby inlay "very classy," he said it was a marked improvement over the Phillies' last championship ring.

"It's much nicer than the 1980 ring," said Goldberg, who recalled seeing pitcher Dickie Noles' 1980 World Series ring up close.

Not every expert consulted by the Daily News thought quite as highly of the 2008 team's ring.

"I don't like it," said James Hering of Cuggini Jewelers. "It's not very tasteful and could be more original. It looks like a college or high-school-class ring."

The raised "P" on the top protrudes too far for a man's ring, he added.

"If you put your hand in your pocket or work with your hands, it could get caught on something," said Hering, who estimated the ring's production cost at between $3,000 and $5,000.

Nick Sama of ENS Metals and Jewelry settled on $5,000 per ring, but said the true value is as memorabilia.

"Depending on the player, I think one could go for $30,000 right now," said Sama.

Other estimates: Julianne Chear of R.N. Diamonds said the ring is probably worth between $10,000 and $13,000; Avi Ezra at Forever Diamonds said between $4,000 and $5,000.

One jeweler who didn't want to be identified estimated each ring's worth at $15,000 - the highest estimate in our unscientific survey.

Masters of Design, the Massachusetts company that made the rings, declined to comment on their cost.

But jeweler Hering, a calculator in hand, decided that the Phillies probably had paid nearly $450,000 in all, which he said would likely be more than twice the production cost.

For perspective, the New York Giants' Super Bowl XLII rings cost a reported $5,500 each last year.

So, what would Obama have had on his hands if J-Roll had said OK? How much did the Phillies organization shell out?

Bonnie Clark, the Phillies' vice president of communications, wouldn't attach a price tag to the jewelry.

"There is a hard cost," she said, "but the value is priceless."