The extravagant thick gold chains and gemstone-studded jewelry worn by hip-hop icons such as Nicki Minaj, Tyler the Creator, Erykah Badu and A$AP Rocky are scheduled to be showcased in a museum in New York.
Among the highlights of the exhibition in New York's Natural History Museum are Slick Rick’s gem-encrusted crown, the Notorious B.I.G.'s legendary gold "Jesus piece" and Nicki Minaj's sparkling "Barbie" pendant.
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), better known for its dinosaur skeletons and animal displays, is set to open the exhibition "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" from May 9 onwards.
"Jewelery is a cornerstone of hip-hop culture and you can see the evolution of jewelry alongside the rise of hip-hop itself," guest curator Vikki Tobak said.
"From being a culture formed in communities and neighborhoods, and then stepping into its power and starting to impact global pop culture, hip-hop and its jewelry tell a bigger story."
Hip-hop, which originated in the Bronx in New York before going on to become one of the most popular music genres in the world, celebrated its 50th birthday last year.
New York's sprawling natural history museum, which opened about 150 years ago in Manhattan right next to Central Park, is best known for its displays on various areas of science, including animals, plants, climate change, the formation of the earth, environmental protection and outer space.
Perhaps the most famous sights in the museum are the huge dinosaur skeletons as well as life-size imitations of elephants, lions and a blue whale hanging from the ceiling in one exhibition room.
The museum has been world-famous at least since the hit comedy "Night at the Museum," in which leading actor Ben Stiller takes a job as a night watchman and then finds that the exhibits come to life at night.
The AMNH is one of New York's most popular attractions and has become so crowded by its several million annual visitors that an extension has become necessary.
The latest exhibition on hip-hop jewelry is on in the museum's Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, which is in the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. It is included with admission, which costs between $16 and $28 for visitors.
