A Brief History of HipHop & Bling
The genre was first popularized by DJ Kool Herc in the early 1970s at his famous block parties. Evidence of ice followed shortly thereafter, with Kurtis Blow donning several gold chains on the cover of his self-titled debut album.By the early '90s, hip-hop was organized into an industry all its own.
Everything that is, except jewelry. From 75,000 year old jewelry discovered in Africa to Floyd Mayweather’s $10 million diamond chains, jewelry has primarily symbolized one thing since the very beginning: status. African King Mansa Musa, the richest person in human history who ruled much of West Africa from 1312 to 1337, loved to show off his wealth through jewelry. As Rudolph Ware, a professor of history at the University of Michigan, explains, “there are pictures of him holding a scepter of gold on a throne of gold holding a cup of gold with a golden crown on his head. Imagine as much gold as you think a human being could possess and double it. That’s what all the accounts are trying to communicate.”
Jewelry has never been as ubiquitous as it is now in today's modern-day hip-hop culture. The most influential rap stars of our time---from coast to coast to across borders and oceans---wear jewelry. In fact, some jewelers are almost as famous as their superstar clients, with social media follower counts numbering in the hundreds of thousands in some cases.
Specifications of Jewelry |
|
|---|---|
| Metal/Material: | 14K Yellow Gold |
| Gemstone: | Diamond |
| Approximate # of Gems: | 17 |
| Approximate Carat Weight: | 1.25ctw |
| Height: | 3.5" |
| Width: | 1.8" |
| Weight : | 53 grams |
| Circa-Period : | Vintage 1970's |
| Condition: | Like-New |
| Appraised Value: | $25,000.00 |