Imagine a gold ring the size of a watch, covered in hundreds of precious stones — two giant letter “T” shapes spelled out in diamonds, the numbers 45 and 47 styled after Superman’s logo, a diamond-winged eagle clutching emerald olive branches, and the words “250 YEARS USA” engraved in 18-karat gold. That’s the gift Belgium’s diamond industry just sent to President Donald Trump.
In total, the ring contains 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, and six rubies. It was handed this week to Bill White, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, at an event in Brussels celebrating America’s upcoming 250th birthday, with instructions to deliver it to the president.
Trump responded with a prerecorded video message played at the event. “A very special thank you to my friends from Antwerp for the magnificent Freedom 250 ring,” he said.
The ring was presented by Isidore Mörsel, president of the Antwerp World Diamond Center, known as AWDC, on behalf of the historic diamond trade community in the Belgian port city. That community found itself under serious financial strain last year as Trump’s broad tariff policies hit global trade.
“May this ring serve as a lasting reminder that true partnership like the finest natural diamonds are formed under pressure, endure the test of time, and shine brightest when built on trust,” Mörsel said at the presentation. The inside of the ring is engraved with the words “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”
The gift arrives just months after the Belgian diamond industry landed a major trade victory. In September, the AWDC announced it had “succeeded in securing a zero percent import tariff” on more than $2 billion worth of polished diamonds that Antwerp exports to the United States each year. A spokesperson for the group said Thursday that the AWDC provided “input” to the European Commission during broader tariff negotiations with the Trump administration in 2025, but stopped short of saying it directly lobbied the White House.
While the ring is certainly flashy, it doesn’t come close to the value of other recent gifts to Trump — most notably the $400 million aircraft donated by Qatar, which Trump ordered converted into a new Air Force One. Still, ethics watchdogs say the ring is part of a broader pattern. Four U.S. ethics experts told the Associated Press that Trump has broken with decades of White House tradition by accepting lavish gifts from those who may have interests before his administration.
A White House official, speaking anonymously to discuss the matter, confirmed Thursday that the ring has not yet been given to Trump directly.
Under U.S. law, presidents have wide latitude to accept gifts and can decide whether a gift was intended for them personally or for the nation. Gifts from foreign governments, however, are restricted by the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, which requires congressional approval — though a president can keep such a gift by reimbursing the Treasury its full value from personal funds.
Trump’s 2025 financial disclosure, released this week, listed other notable gifts, including a $250,000 sculpture depicting his reaction after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and tickets to 10 sporting events — among them 10 tickets to the upcoming World Cup final in New Jersey from FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, collectively valued at $15,000.
The ring itself was crafted by David Gotlib, an Antwerp-based luxury jeweler whose cufflinks alone can fetch more than 15,000 euros, or roughly $17,000. Neither the AWDC nor Gotlib disclosed the ring’s value, but two independent jewelers estimated it at between $25,000 and $35,000. Paris- and London-based jewelry consultant Alexander Levinson put the figure at $25,928, while David Saad, a third-generation luxury jeweler in Canada, estimated it between $33,000 and $35,000. Both said the cost was split roughly evenly between materials and craftsmanship.
The Brussels event where the ring was unveiled drew more than 8,000 attendees who sipped Budweiser and bourbon from Tennessee and Kentucky. Musician Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, performed the U.S. national anthem on stage.
Ambassador White said he raised more than $5.5 million for the 250th anniversary celebration from corporate sponsors, including defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, technology companies like Intel, Google, and Meta, and European chocolate brands Leonidas and Ferrero. The AWDC also contributed financially to the event.
When asked why the event needed to be so large, White had a simple answer: “Because we are the United States of America!”
As for the ring’s current whereabouts, that remains unclear. On Wednesday, White posted a photo of himself wearing the ring and giving a thumbs-up — but that post has since been deleted.
