From Biggie to Nicki: the most spectacular hip-hop jewelry – in pictures

A new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York celebrates the cultural influence of hip-hop through a selection of eye-popping, custom-made jewelry, worn by stars such as Nas, Slick Rick and Tyler, the Creator. ‘It’s time to celebrate the artists, jewelers, craftsmen, and everyday people who contributed to the storied history of hip-hop jewelry,’ said guest curator Vikki Tobak. Ice Cold: an Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry is on display until 5 January 2025

Main image: The Notorious BIG/Biggie Smalls, Jesus Piece necklace, displayed in New York on Wednesday. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images

  • Ghostface Killah, Eagle Bracelet

    This huge 14-karat gold piece was designed for Ghostface Killah by Jason Arasheben in the 1990s and remains one of hip-hop’s best-known jewelry pieces
    gold bracelet with gold eagle on top

  • Nicki Minaj, Barbie Pendant

    Nicki Minaj’s Barbie pendant, which boasts 54.47 carats of diamonds on 18-karat gold and bright Barbie-pink enamel, was made by Ashna Mehta in 2022 and is the most recent commissioned by Minaj, whose first Barbie pendant dates to 2009
    'Barbie' in cursive covered in diamonds with heart pendant covered in diamonds underneath

  • Nas, Queensbridge Necklace

    Featuring white and rose gold, this custom diamond-encrusted Queensbridge pendant was commissioned from Pristine Jewelers by Nas in 2018 to commemorate Queensbridge Houses in Queens, New York, where he grew up
    necklace with '08' pendant covered in diamonds

  • Drake, the Crown Jewel of Toronto Pendant

    This pendant, designed by Alex Moss in 2023 to celebrate Drake’s home town of Toronto, boasts multicolored diamonds and rubies on 18-karat gold and features the mascots for the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Blue Jays wrapped around Toronto’s CN Tower
    diamond-encrusted pendant of tower with pink dinosaur near the top and blue bird holding baseball bat below it

  • Jam Master Jay, Adidas Pendant

    Following Run-DMC’s 1986 song My Adidas, Adidas struck a first-of-its-kind endorsement deal with the group, giving each member one of these 14-karat gold sneaker-shaped pendants
    gold chain with gold sneaker attached

  • The Notorious BIG/Biggie Smalls, Jesus Piece Necklace Artist’s Proof

    The Notorious BIG commissioned this Jesus pendant in the mid-1990s from Tito Caicedo of Manny’s New York, and Tito made three copies for Biggie, all cast from the same mold as this gold artist’s proof
    gold chain necklace with face of man with diamond beard, long hair and gold crown

  • Tyler, the Creator, Bellhop Necklace

    Designed by Alex Moss in 2021, the dazzling Bellhop necklace – inspired by Tyler, the Creator’s bellhop persona – features an operable briefcase and incorporates 186 carats in diamonds and 60 carats in sapphire as well as more than 23,000 hand-set stones
    beaded necklace encrusted with pink, yellow, blue and white gems with a gold figurine of man wearing suit, hat and carrying bags attached to the end

  • Nipsey Hussle, All Money In A$I Necklace

    Designed by Mike Do of Seoul Jewelry in 2023, the letters on this gold-and-diamond pendant represent All Money In, the record label that the late rapper, activist, and entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle founded in 2010
    gold chain with gold pendant with 'AS' initials in dimaonds

  • Fat Joe, Terror Squad Necklace

    Designed by Pristine Jewelers in 2023, the Terror Squad necklace, made of 14-karat white gold encrusted with diamonds, is Fat Joe’s ode to the Bronx-based rap collective of the same name, which he founded in 1998
    green, white and gold chain with initials 'TS' in white, pink, black, green and rose gold gems

  • Roxanne Shanté, Juice Crew Ring

    Roxanne Shanté, a member of the influential hip-hop collective Juice Crew as a teen in the 1980s, is the only female rapper to have been given a Juice Crew ring, which boasts a diamond-encrusted ‘R’
    gold ring with letter 'R' in diamonds in the middle

  • Fingers of Def Four-Finger Ring

    Designed by Johnny Nelson, the 14-karat Fingers of Def four-finger ring is from his Mount Rushmore series and honors four trailblazing male hip-hop artists: Biggie, Tupac, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, and Easy-E
    gold ring with four people's face on it

  • Bad Bunny, Grill Set

    Designed for Bad Bunny by ALLIGATOR JESUS (David Tamargo) in 2023, this grill set features 14-karat white gold with sparkling diamonds and rhodium plating
    diamond letters that spell out 'BUNNY' on a dark blue teeth mold

  • Slick Rick, Crown and Eye Patch

    Designed by Slick Rick, who embraces grandeur and royalty in his style, this costume jewelry piece is by Tanya Jones of Lucki Crowns. Presented with the crown is a custom-made eyepatch designed for Slick Rick by Jacob & Co in 2012, with refinements by Avianne & Co in 2023, featuring platinum and diamonds
    diamond encrusted crown and eye patch

  • A$AP Rocky, Lego Pendant

    This playful Lego pendant, designed for A$AP Rocky by Alex Moss X Pavē in 2022, is made of 14-karat gold with multicolored diamonds, sapphire, ruby and enamel
    diamond, sapphire and ruby encrusted Lego figurine wearing a vest, cross necklace, jeans and hat
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