September 29, 2008

Jewelry From Kanye West, Diddy, 50 Cent And More To Be Auctioned Off

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

How much would you pay for Lil Jon's 12-pound "Crunk Ain't Dead" pendant, which holds the Guinness Book of World Records mark as the largest diamond pendant ever?

You can get your shot at the signature piece during the Hip-Hop's Crown Jewels auction from the contemporary art auction house Phillips de Pury & Company, which will take place March 5 in New York. The sale, which was originally scheduled for October 1, was pushed back due to the overwhelming interest in the catalog, according to a spokesperson.

While the spokesperson would not discuss what pieces will be in the auction because the catalog is still being finalized, in addition to Jon's piece, which has more than 3,700 diamonds in it, the auction will also reportedly feature Missy Elliott's signature black-diamond-and-gold mini-turntable pendant, a diamond-and-platinum bracelet that was owned by Diddy and one of Kanye West's diamond-studded black Jesus pendants.

Prior to the auction's move to next year, the Washington Post reported that other items expected to go under the gavel included a mix of pieces donated by the artists themselves and their jewelers, with part of the proceeds to benefit the National Museum of American History's drive to establish a permanent hip-hop exhibit and Russell Simmons' Rush Community Affairs charity.

The pieces include MC Lyte's gold mushroom-shaped ring with a profile of Nefertiti, a diamond link bracelet owned by 50 Cent that the paper said "is so bloated with diamonds that wearing it would be akin to hoisting a five-pound barbell all day," Biz Markie's signature diamond-studded cassette pendant and a diamond-dusted Rolex that belonged to the late Notorious B.I.G.