The Custom Ring Tupac Wore During His Last Public Appearance Could Fetch $300,000 at Auction
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Sotheby’s is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with swagger.
The auction house will host its third sale dedicated to the groundbreaking music genre in July—and one of the top lots is a piece of bespoke jewelry designed by a rap legend. A gold ring set with rubies and nearly five carats of diamonds that once belonged to Tupac Shakur is expected to lead the sale, scheduled to take place on July 18.
Shakur earned a cult fanbase for bestselling albums including All Eyes on Me and singles such as “Do for Love.” His last public appearance was at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1996, where he wore the ring alongside several bracelets and other pieces of jewelry. Engraved with “Pac & Dada 1996,” the one-of-a-kind piece is estimated to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.
Tupac’s affinity for Niccolo Machiavelli’s political manifesto, The Prince, was a big influence on the ring’s design. The musician fashioned it after the crowns of medieval kings as an “act of self-coronation,” according to Yaasmyn Fula, who consigned the ring. (Fula, Shakur’s godmother, was the mother of his longtime friend and fellow rapper Yaki Kadafi, and the ring comes from her personal collection). The hip-hop king of his own making also referenced his engagement to Kidada Jones for the piece via an inscription that reads “Pac & Dada.” The engraving was placed on the outer, palm-facing side of the ring to mark the occasion.
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On top of the diamond-encrusted gold band lies the crown, a gold circlet studded with the three largest jewels in the entire piece—a central cabochon ruby, flanked by two pave-cut diamonds. Experts believe he chose the ruby as the principal stone in his crown as a continuation of the artist’s royal narrative, as rubies had been tied to the imagery of monarchy and wealth in culture for centuries by that point.
Fula commissioned the ring as a “new piece of jewelry to commemorate his achievements,” according to Sotheby’s. After launching his media group Euphanasia with her at the head, the rapper spent months designing the ring to commemorate the new beginnings in his life. Fula liaised between him and New York jewelers to ensure it perfectly matched his specifications. The ring will star in the Sotheby’s sale alongside art, sneakers, jewelry, and studio equipment representing key moments in hip-hop from the late 1970s to the present.
The Hip Hop online auction will open for bidding from July 18 to July 25. A dedicated exhibition of the memorabilia will be on display at Sotheby’s York Avenues galleries from July 20 through 24. Mass Appeal, which partnered with Sotheby’s to bring the sale to life, is also celebrating hip hop’s 50th with original music, live experiences, and more at N.Y.C. sites ranging from Fotografiska to Hall des Lumieres, and Yankee Stadium this summer. Visit the Sotheby’s website for more details.
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