‘Given hip-hop’s roots in New York, the chance to tell this story in this city is very special’

Hip-hop jewelry: Drake's The Crown Jewel of Toronto Pendant; Slick Rick bedecked in his trademark crown jewelsDrake's The Crown Jewel of Toronto Pendant; Slick Rick bedecked in his trademark crown jewels.

Hip-hop’s official 50th birthday was 11 August 2023. And while there’s still time to celebrate that milestone, this party is not due to end any time soon. ‘Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry’ runs at the American Museum of Natural History in New York until January 2025, and so there's ample time to join in. Among the oversized gold chains and diamond-studded pendants is a glitter ball of legendary names – The Notorious B.I.G., Jam Master Jay and Erykah Badu among them. But ‘Ice Cold’ aims higher, going way beyond the brilliantly audacious designs to illuminate hip-hop jewellery as part of a multi-layered trajectory of style, politics and sociocultural trends.

Following the success of Run-DMC’s 1986 hit ‘My Adidas’, Adidas struck a first-of-its-kind endorsement deal with the group, presenting each member with a 14ct gold sneaker-charm pendant. This version is by jeweller Erwin Hesz (‘Jewelry by Hesz’, Los Angeles) (Image credit: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH)