The Custom Gold Ring Tupac Wore During His Last Public Appearance Sells for Over $1 Million

The custom crown-shaped ring Tupac Shakur wore shortly before he died has been sold by Sotheby’s in New York for nearly $1.02 million, making the bespoke jewelry the most valuable hip-hop artifact ever sold at auction.

The gold ring, which is encrusted with diamonds and rubies, contains an inscription on its side that reads “Pac & Dada 1996″—which refers to his engagement to actress Kidada Jones, according to Sotheby’s. Yaasmyn Fula, the “I Ain’t Mad at Cha” hitmaker’s godmother, provided the piece to the auction house. She said it was custom designed for the rapper in New York City following his stint in jail and the new deal he had signed with Death Row Records at the time.

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“Tupac’s gold crown ring is a creation purely from his imagination, tooled and re-tooled according to the icon’s specifications until perfect. Reflecting his recent affinity for Niccolo Machiavelli’s political manifesto The Prince—Tupac would start going by “Makaveli” after reading The Prince while incarcerated—Tupac modeled his design after the crowns of the medieval kings of Europe in ‘an act of self-coronation,’” Fula said, according to Sotheby’s.

Tupac wore the ring on his left hand ring finger at his last public appearance on September 4, 1996 at the MTV Video Music Awards, according to Sotheby’s. Before the auction, it was expected to be sold for $200,000 to $300,000.

The rapper’s bespoke jewelry piece was sold as part of a sale of hip-hop artifacts that included letters from Tupac and a demo tape of his single “Trapped.” The auction was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the musical art form, and included memorabilia to other pioneers of the genre including Mos Def, De La Soul, and Wu-Tang Clan.

The sale isn’t the only reason Tupac is back in the headlines. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recently executed a search warrant at the home of a man who said he witnessed the  1996 drive-by shooting that claimed the icon’s life, ABC News reported. Magazine articles about the rapper’s life and death were among items removed from the residence.

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