Jewelry has played a significant part in demonstrating religious beliefs and sentiments by using unique symbols of faith in jewelry design.
Interestingly, religious symbols, especially Jesus pendants, have become popular in the hop industry.
Rappers are anyway has been wearing bold jewelry of gold, diamond, and others as a fashion statement, or as they say, “bling”. Jesus pendants have become one of the most popular among other Hip hop jewelry pieces.
And if you wonder why it is so? How Jesus jewelry pieces become integral in Hip hop fashion and style statement. Well, here we are exploring the same in detail.
What is a Jesus Pendant?
A Jesus pendant, also called a Jesus piece, is a piece of jewelry often made of gold or silver depicting the head of Jesus and is associated with hip-hop culture.
Jesus Pendants or necklaces are made from precious metals like gold and silver with additional use of diamonds and other gemstones.
The diamonds or other gemstones are often studded on Jesus’s crown of thorns. You don’t have to be part of some Christian denomination to wear a Jesus pendant.
It is more of a symbol or a fashion statement, or bling popularized within the Hip Hop community. Famous rappers primarily wear them, and that’s how it also came to be known.
One of the most popular examples of a Jesus pendant or necklace is 10k gold Jesus pendant or a big-size diamond or gemstone studded cross pendant.
Who Made The Original Jesus Piece?
The Original Jesus piece was created by a jeweler named Tito Caicdeo, who sold three of them to an early influential rapper, Christopher Wallace, popularly known as the Notorious B.I.G or Biggie.
What’s The Origin Of A Jesus Pendant?
There has always been a connection between hip-hop jewelry and faith throughout history. As the popularity of a hip-hop artist goes up, their jewelry collection gets larger, too.
The Jesus pieces or Jesus pendants have been one of the significant fashion statements in the rapping culture. You will often see rappers wearing a large 14k gold Jesus pendant or diamond studded cross.
It rose to popularity when the iconic O.G hip hop star Biggie, who was the second one to wear it, even mentioned it in his track from Life After Death album in 1999, where the lyrics go, “You see the Jesus..Even got rocks in the beard and mustache”.
Even though the first rapper to wear the Jesus piece was Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan, featured in his video Incarcerated Scarfaces, it gained popularity when Biggie wore in the track “Hypnotize.”
Why Do Hip Hop Artists Wear Jesus Pendants?
Jesus pieces or pendants fall in the category of religious jewelry. Hip-hop artists or rappers wear these religious jewelry pieces as a way to express their faith or beliefs to their audience.
It is often due to their faith or respect towards Jesus, the ultimate symbol of Christianity.
Sometimes, it is more symbolic or a representation of their hardship and struggles as artists in their musical career, and Jesus represents success, sacrifice, and other respectable values.
What Are Some Artists Who Wore Jesus Pendant?
Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan was the first hip-hop artist to wear the Jesus pendant in the featured video for Incarcerated Scarfaces.
The Notorious B.I.G
Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G, was the first rapper to make Jesus pieces popular. He bought it from a Jeweler, Tito Caicedo, for approximately $10,000 per piece. The rapper bought multiple pieces that he gave to people who worked with him as well.
Jay-Z
After Christopher Wallace died, his Jesus piece was passed on to his son Christopher Wallace Jr., aka Jay-Z, another huge name in modern hip hop. He was seen wearing it on the XXL Magazine cover of the December 1999 issue.
Kanye West
Kanya West, another iconic hip-hop artist, partnered with Jacob Arabo, a jeweler known for designing jewelry for rappers. His Jesus gold picture pendant was the size of a palm with different colored diamonds and gemstones.
Who Wore Jesus Pendant First?
The very first rapper who wore Jesus Pendant for the first time was Ghostface Killah from the Wu-Tang clan in his video for Incarcerated Scarfaces.
What Are The Types Of Jesus Pieces?
Jesus pieces or overall religious and spiritual jewelry are of different types and forms. Some of the popular ones related to Jesus pendants are the following:
Cross Necklace
A cross necklace or cross pendant is a popular type of Jesus piece or jewelry. It is a cross structure made of gold or silver, sometimes with a diamond-studded on it. It goes perfect as a pendant in a gold Cuban chain.
Shepherd Necklace
The shepherd is often used as a symbol to describe God in the catholic and Jewish religions and God’s work. Jesus, specifically in Christian traditions, calls himself a Good Shepherd. The Shepherd necklace includes a pendant of Jesus as a shepherd.
Jesus Necklace
These necklaces consist of a picture pendant of Jesus’s face, usually made of gold with diamond and other gemstones used in it.
Get Your Religious Jewelry Today! Explore So Icy Store
Not just rappers, but you can also reflect your religious beliefs with aesthetic pieces of Jesus jewelry. We at So Icy Jewelry offer a wide range of jewelry to express your faith and even other sentiments by adding it to your fashion and style statement.
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