The big bling buyer

Drake shared an Instagram story that showed him wearing the bauble on Friday.

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The late hip-hop superstar donned the gold, ruby and diamond crown ring during his final public appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 4, 1996. Three days later, he was shot in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, and died on September 13 at age 25.

Before the sale, Sotheby’s estimated the blinged-out bauble would go for between US$200,000 and US$300,000, but the winning bid has made the ring “the most valuable hip-hop artefact ever sold”.

A king’s ring inspired by The Prince

According to Shakur’s godmother and “money manager” Yaasmyn Fula – who put the item up for sale – Tupac was influenced by 16th-century Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. The “Me Against the World” rapper read his political manifesto The Prince while in prison on sex abuse charges and adopted the persona of “Makaveli”.

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Crafted with unidentified New York jewellers, the ring – which has a central cabochon ruby, flanked by two pavé-cut diamonds atop a diamond-encrusted gold band – is engraved with “Pac & Dada 1996”. At the time, Shakur was dating fashion designer Kidada Jones, daughter of producer Quincy Jones.

“This one-of-a-kind, custom ring was meticulously designed by Pac and is among the final products of his boundless creative energy – a unique artefact from a period of time that is a testament to his enduring influence on hip-hop,” Sotheby’s Cassandra Hatton said in a statement.

Growing demand for rap bling

Shakur’s jewellery is a part of the auction house’s third dedicated hip-hop sale, which closed Tuesday after bringing in US$1.8 million. This year focused on the 50th anniversary of the music-based culture that grew from its inception in the South Bronx in 1973 to an enduring worldwide phenomenon.

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Among the contents featured in the 117 lots offered in the sale were original art, historic studio equipment, exclusive photographs, trainers and jackets, and other rare artefacts spanning music, art and fashion.

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