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The Most Expensive Bling Worn by Rappers

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Recently, the place of bling in hip-hop culture has become a point of discussion. Kendrick Lamar refers to his relationship with jewelry a number of times on his most recent record. He speaks about it as a means of showing maturity, a coping mechanism, and a mask, among other things. The meta-commentary regarding jewelry has never been as mainstream as it is today.

However, that hasn’t stopped rappers from wearing some incredible jewelry over the past year. Kendrick himself has worn some expensive bling in photos and on stage, including an incredible crown of thorns made by Tiffany and Co., featuring over 8,000 pave diamonds.

Incidentally, the price of jewelry is made higher by the insurance premiums. For the kind of pieces most people wear, your renters insurance policy can help reimburse you if your jewelry is lost or damaged. You only have to pay extra for particularly expensive items. But for the items on this list, the insurance premiums cost more than most people’s actual jewelry collections.

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Here are some of the most expensive pieces of jewelry worn by rappers.

Kendrick’s Crown of Thorns by Tiffany and Co: $3 million

If you were wondering how much that crown of thorns cost, the price tag is reportedly somewhere around $3 million. This is unsurprising when you look at it up close. While from afar its relatively small size might not seem worth the price, the details are incredible.

As we mentioned, the crown features over 8,000 pave diamonds, totalling 137 carats altogether. But it’s not just the diamonds that are worth the cost. The crown took ten months to make, with four craftspeople involved in its creation. This entailed 1,300 hours, during which they hand set each stone.

Rick Ross’ Self-Portrait Pendant: $1.5 million

For half the price of Kendrick’s crown of thorns, Rick Ross had a far less subtle piece of jewelry made. His self-portrait pendant is a work of remarkable ego, along with a fair amount of humor. It is both a major flex and proof that he doesn’t take himself all that seriously.

Rick Ross has owned this pendant for some time now, and clearly still loves to wear it. What self-respecting rapper doesn’t show the occasional narcissistic tendencies, anyway?

Pharrell’s NERD Chain: $1 million

Pharrell Williams is better-known today as a producer than a vocalist. However, he is a skilled rapper in his own right, and he certainly plays the part by indulging in some bling of his own. Representing his former band, N.E.R.D., Pharrell’s chain cost a cool $1 million. It is another piece of jewelry that has very little subtlety. Of course, subtlety is not what most of us are looking for in expensive bling.

Takeoff’s Intergalactic Diamond Chain: $500,000

Takeoff, the youngest member of Migos, had an elaborate intergalactic diamond chain made by celebrated designer Elliot Avianne. This chain has everything from the planets of our solar system to a spaceship during takeoff. It cost half a million dollars to make and Takeoff seemingly loved to wear it.

Tragically, Takeoff died in November last year, but he will be remembered for much more than his immaculate taste in bling.

Sean Kingston’s 64 Crayons: $500,000

Sean Kingston is not a name that comes up as often in pop culture as it once did. Still, he has one of the most interesting bling stories, and not only because of its price tag. In the 2000s, during the height of his fame, he had a box of 64 crayons designed using diamonds and white gold, demonstrating an interesting style. But where is that chain today?

The absurd story is that he tried to send it across the country using FedEx. Sadly, it never reached its destination. The worst part is that when his sister insured it, she accidentally valued it at just $500. Yikes.