10 Most Expensive Gold Chains (In Hip Hop or Otherwise)

The world of hip-hop is full of luxury jewelry and swag. It’s common for rappers to tote around massive gold chains around their necks to show their wealth and style. 

Sometimes they even make a competition out of it. Who has the best bling? Whose chain is the biggest? Which are the most expensive? I think about this a lot. I’ll see a rapper with a massive gold chain and can’t help but wonder how much it costs and what exactly it is. 

Rick Ross currently has the most expensive gold chain which costs $1.5 million and close behind him is Pharell Williams with the NERD gold chain costing $1 million. There are several other hip-hop artists that have expensive gold chains that cost more than most of our houses and cars combined. 

If you’re still curious as to how much your favorite hip-hop artist’s gold chain costs, keep reading. I’m going to go into as much detail as I can about them such as cost, weight, material, and more. 

Most Expensive Gold Chains Ever in Hip-Hop

Do you want to know how expensive some of your favorite hip-hop artist’s gold chains are? I’m sure you’re eager to find out. Some of the most expensive chains ever recorded were/are owned by some of the most famous rappers in the world including Pharrell, Kanye, and Jay Z. 

Rick Ross Face: Rick Ross – $1.5 Million

Holy smokes! That’s an expensive chain, isn’t it? Rick Ross had a gold chain with a self-portait pendant created just for him. It’s a whopping $1.5 million and it even turned him into a meme a few years back. The funny thing about the pendant is that it’s actually a pendant of himself wearing a pendant of his own face, detailed in 15,000 diamonds. 

The pendant is made with pure diamonds colored yellow and black. If you think about it, it’s actually two pendants in one. The entire piece of jewelry also uses solid gold. So it’s really no surprise that it’s so expensive. But hey, if you have the money, you may as well spend it. 

N.E.R.D: Pharrell – $1 Million

Pharrell Williams used to be part of a band before he went solo and began singing songs such as “Happy” and “Blurred Lines”. This band was called Neptune. Since 2007, he’s been a huge fan of jewelry. One of his most expensive pieces is his N.E.R.D chain. This depicts the members of the Neptune band. 

This chain itself is massive. It includes yellow, black, rose gold and silver diamonds. The pendant also has a variety of valuable stones and diamonds that make up the unique medallion. There’s no exact quantity of diamonds, but it’s worth enough to make it the second most valuable chain in hip-hop history. 

64 Crayons: Sean Kingston – $500,000

I can remember when Sean Kingston had his first hit on the radio. It was called “Beautiful Girls” and it was my jam. He wasn’t even an adult at that time and he was bringing in a ton of money. One of his most unique pieces of jewelry is his 64 Crayons chain. It’s a necklace made up of 64 gold-encrusted crayons that are housed in a gold box. It’s certainly quite strange and expensive. 

It looks quite similar to a crayon box but costs half a million dollars. The chain has almost the same design and coloring as Pharrell’s. He wore his chain for the last time in 2007 and then his sister sent it to a jeweler in new york. However, it was “stolen” from a FedEx package and the $500,000 piece of jewelry was never seen again. 

Twin Panther: Gucci Mane – $500,000

Have you ever wondered what a $500,000 necklace looks like? Look no further than the Twin Panther chain that Gucci Mane wears. Some of the chains on this list are so tacky and unattractive, but this one is exquisite. It was created by Diamond Club Miami and is definitely one for the record books. 

This amazing chain has two diamond-studded panthers with three interconnected chains in their mouths. It includes 4,600 diamonds and weighs 165 carats. That’s got to be one heavy chain to wear. This may actually be one of my favorite chains worn by any rapper ever. It’s elegant but shows off his wealth as well. 

Big Ass Chain: T-Pain – $410,000

T-Pain is a popular record label founder and artist with a net worth of around $10 million. Just by looking at the chain and pendant, we know it’s going to be expensive. The Big Ass Chain is made completely of white and yellow gold. It has 197 carats of diamonds and weighs over 10 pounds. That’s certainly a Big Ass Chain! 

T-Pain said that he purchased the chain on a dare and claims it to be a poor decision. I can’t honestly say that I would want to tote that huge chain around all day. Something as expensive as $410,000 should be kept somewhere safe and out of sight. 

Horus Chain: Kanye West – $300,000

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is one of the world’s most wealthy rappers. He seems to be constantly coming out with new music, talking about running for president, and taking the world by storm with his activist movements. He has a $1.8 billion net worth and his most recent DONDA event was one of the most talked-about things in recent headlines. 

Since Ye has so much money to spare, he enjoys flashing his massive gold chains. In 2010, he was photographed wearing a huge solid gold chain around his neck. The chain is inspired by Horus, the Egyptian God of the Sky, Sun, and Moon. It’s worth $300,000 and is made of 24k pure gold. It was created by Jacob & Co. and is definitely unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

Ratatouille Chain: Quavo – $250,000

Everybody remembers the children’s hit movie Ratatouille, right?  This movie was the inspiration behind Quavo’s Ratatouille chain. It was custom created by Elliot Avianne and made out of white gold and diamonds. Quavo wore it at the 2017 MET Gala and it was even mentioned in the song “Bad and Boujee”. He refers to the necklace in that song in the line “call me Quavo Ratatouille”. 

Quavo has a net worth of over $25 million and paid $250k for the Ratatouille chain. It’s not exactly one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry a rapper wears, but it’s definitely unique. The entire chain is made up of WS white diamonds and a white gold QC chain.  

Cuban Chain: Jay-Z – $200,000

If you don’t know who Jay-Z is, you’re probably living under a rock. He’s one of the world’s most famous and wealthy rappers. He’s also married to Queen Bey. He is also the holder of an expensive pure gold Cuban chain that weighs a whopping 11 pounds. It was custom-made by Rafaello & Company. He was seen wearing the chain in 2013 during So So Def’s 10th anniversary. 

You would think that with all the money he has, he would have something more expensive to show off around his neck. Nope! He enjoys his plain 24k gold jewelry that weighs more than a newborn baby. 

OVO Owl: Drake – $120,000

Last up on the list is Drake and his OVO Owl chain worth $120k. I remember him from his days on the hit show Degrassi, but most younger folks only know him as the rapper Drake. He’s a well-known Canadian rapper with a net worth of $180 million. His most expensive chain is the OVO Owl and it’s quite the stunner. 

It features 18 carats of rose gold and 343 diamonds. On the pendant, there are additional encrusted diamonds that total 23.32 carats. The diamond colors consist of white, pink, silver, gold, purple, and blue. It’s not the worst chain I’ve ever seen and it’s certainly not the most expensive. 

BONUS!

Still curious about some other rapper’s famous chains? Fortunately, I did some more digging for you and found that there are some more lesser-known rappers with some expensive bling around their necks that are worthy of mentioning. 

Ice Age Chain: Mike Jones – $1 Million

I can’t honestly say I know who Mike Jones is, but I have seen his massive piece of bling before. He is the owner of a $1 million white gold and diamond chain and medallion that says “Ice Age” under a crown. It’s actually a reference to his record label, Ice Age Entertainment. The entire thing is embellished with diamonds, 100 carats to be exact. I can’t even begin to imagine how much that thing weighs!

The medallion is so valuable that it had been stolen out of his house by a friend who was visiting. It only makes sense to insure a huge piece of bling as valuable as that one. Fortunately, it was. Mike Jones was able to claim the chain and get his money back. 

The World Is Yours: Soulja Boy – $500,000

The World Is Yours is a unique piece that Soulja Boy has been seen wearing. It was most famous at the BET Awards in 2009. Apparently, Soulja Boy has spent millions on his jewellry collection, but this is believed to be the priciest piece that he owns. 

It contains 9ct yellow gold iced out gemset with 3D spinning world pendant. You can see the phrase “THE WORLD IS YOURS” around the spinning pendant. They make replicas of this chain, but I’m honestly not sure who else would wear it other than Soulja Boy Himself. 

The Solar System: Takeoff – $500,000

I don’t think anybody loves the solar system in a way that this guy does. Takeoff owns a 2.2 pound, 200 catar diamond pendant and chain known as “The Solar System”. It’s the most elaborately designed chain that I’ve ever seen. It has huge orbs hanging that symbolize the planets and a large diamond-encrusted medallion hanging from a diamond sun. 

The chain also features a NASA shuttle in the middle of the large pendant. It’s full of magnificent diamonds of different colors. To be completely honest, this would be a cute necklace if it were smaller and less expensive. 

Justice Scale Chain: Slick Rick – $250,000

This is one of the milder chains and pendants we’ve seen on this list. It’s pretty straightforward, too. It’s on the larger side, with the pendant being as big as Slick Rick’s face. The chain itself is made of solid gold and features a cluster of diamonds that form the scales of justice emblem. 

The yellow gold chain and pendant are a whopping 18 carats combined, with each one being 9 carats. Since it only costs $250,000, it’s not the most expensive chain on the list, but I’m sure it’s more costly than most of our mortgage payments. 

Harlem World: Cam’ron – $250,000

This is quite a unique piece and unlike any other we’ve seen before. In the early 2000s, Cam’ron once wore a strange battery-powered piece that included a 3D spinning globe that read “Killa Cam Harlem World”. It has a whopping 150 carats of diamonds as well.

 In 2018, it was purchased by Lil Yachty who updated the words to say “Yatchy’s World”. I’m sure that wasn’t cheap to do. I can’t even begin to imagine how much that piece weighs and how much it shines in the light. 

Marilyn Manson: Lil Uzi Vert – $220,000

Yes, you read that right. Somewhere out there there’s a pendant that represents Marilyn Mason that has been worn by Lil Uzi Vert. Marilyn Manson has influenced Lil Uzi Vert’s music over the years and he decided to create a chain and pendant based on Marilyn. It was first seen in 2017 and features a 55-carat diamond Mickey Mouse Manson pendant with a 100-carat diamond spiked choker. 

I can see where the choker comes into play. Marilyn Manson has frequently been spotted wearing one. However, this one is pretty over the top. The whole chain and pendant duo is kind of creepy. 

Where Can I Customize My Own Chain?

You can customize your own chain just at various online and physical jewelry stores across the globe. A popular Hip-Hop online store called Bling Jewelz is where many people go to customize a cool chain and pendant. You can also use Amazon, Zazzle, and even Etsy. All you have to do is upload an image or tell them what you want and they can create it for you. 

How Heavy Are Hip-Hop Chains vs Regular Gold Chains

There’s really no difference between hip-hop chains and regular gold chains. Hip-Hop artists can wear regular chains that don’t weigh as much as a small child. The weight just depends on how thick it is and how heavy the pendant is if somebody chooses to have some. 

FAQ

Who Has The Most Expensive Chain In The World?

The owner of the most expensive chain in the world goes to rapper Rick Ross. He has the Rick Ross face pendant and gold chain. The duo is worth $1.5 million and is reported to contain 15,000 diamonds. I’m not sure about the validity of that, but the pendant is quite large and expensive, so who knows? 

Why Do Rappers Wear Gold Chains?

Rappers choose to wear gold chains and other types of chains to indicate wealth, popularity, and success. They use their chains to sell their image better to all of their fans. When they’re seen out and about or at a concert with a large gold chain and a shiny pendant, they know it’ll be all over the internet. 

Conclusion

There you have it, the most expensive chains in the world owned by Hip-Hop artists. Some of these chains are elegant while others are just mind-boggling. I think my favorite one has to be the twin tigers. It’s the least over-the-top chain and pendant on the list. However, the solar system is a close second.

If you really liked one of these pendants, there are many that are sold as replicas at a fraction of the cost. Let’s face it, not a lot of us are going to be able to afford a $1.5 million Rick Ross chain and pendant. Honestly, who would want to?