Meet Ed Werner: The North Phoenix Jeweler Behind the 2021 WNBA Championship Ring
- Nayan Jain
- Community Spotlights
- Winner #1
How One North Phoenix Resident Helped Create One of Professional Sports' Greatest Honors
Most people never stop to think about who creates a championship ring.
Fans see players proudly wearing them after winning a title, but behind every championship ring is a skilled craftsman whose work becomes part of sports history.
One of those craftsmen happens to call North Phoenix home.
Meet Ed Werner—a longtime North Phoenix resident whose decades-long career in the jewelry industry led to one of the biggest milestones of his professional life: designing and manufacturing the 2021 WNBA Championship ring for the Chicago Sky.
It’s the kind of story that reminds us extraordinary accomplishments often come from ordinary neighbors.
From Chicago Kid to Championship Jeweler
Ed grew up in Chicago and, like many college students, wasn’t sure what career path he wanted to pursue.
During the summer between his freshman and sophomore years, he accepted a job in the wholesale jewelry business.
What started as a temporary summer job quickly turned into a lifelong career.
“I thought it was exciting and possibly something I could make a career of.“
That decision shaped the next four decades of his life.
Throughout his career, Ed worked behind the scenes creating fine jewelry for retailers across the country. Along the way, he became involved with projects connected to some of the biggest championships in professional sports, including Super Bowl and World Series rings.
Yet despite decades in the industry, he’d never had the opportunity to design an entire championship ring himself.
That opportunity arrived in the fall of 2021.
A Championship Victory Led to an Unexpected Opportunity
On October 17, 2021, the Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury to win the WNBA Championship.
Later that evening, Ed received a phone call that would become one of the defining moments of his career.
Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter—a longtime family friend—asked if he would help design the team’s championship ring.
While the friendship opened the conversation, it didn’t guarantee the project.
Ed still had to earn it.
After the proposed design received approval, he competed through the formal bidding process like any other manufacturer.
“He’s a very successful businessman and wasn’t going to just give me the order. I had to earn it.”
He did exactly that.
Turning an Idea Into a Championship Ring
Creating a championship ring involves much more than beautiful design.
Every detail must meet league specifications while moving through trademark approvals, confidentiality agreements, legal reviews, production schedules, and quality control.
Ed and his team were responsible for producing 103 championship rings before the Chicago Sky’s season opener on May 24, 2022.
The timeline was tight.
The expectations were high.
Failure simply wasn’t an option.
Years of craftsmanship, experience, and precision all came together to deliver one of the highest-profile projects of Ed’s career.
The Moment He'll Never Forget
For most of his career, Ed created jewelry that was shipped directly to retailers.
He rarely had the opportunity to see the people receiving the finished pieces.
This experience was different.
During the Chicago Sky’s championship ring ceremony, Ed watched the players receive and open their rings for the very first time.
The excitement.
The emotion.
The realization that they were officially champions.
Those reactions became one of the most rewarding moments of his entire career.
“Seeing the reaction on the players’ faces when they saw the ring for the first time… that was the best part.”
After more than forty years in the jewelry business, it was a reminder that some of life’s greatest moments arrive when you least expect them.
Celebrating the People Who Make North Phoenix Special
One of the best parts of Living North Phoenix is uncovering stories that most people would never hear otherwise.
Our community is filled with remarkable people whose accomplishments often happen quietly.
Ed Werner is one of them.
His story isn’t simply about designing a championship ring.
It’s about craftsmanship.
It’s about earning opportunities through decades of hard work.
It’s about staying humble while creating something that will forever represent one of the greatest achievements in professional sports.
Stories like Ed’s are exactly why we love shining a light on the people who make North Phoenix such a special place to call home.
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