LL Cool J 

Of all the rappers, LL (Lady Lover) Cool J is perhaps the most subdued. He fancies classy suits and a ‘less is more’ approach to his jewellery collection.  In the hip-hop world, though, ‘subdued’ is obviously a fluid term. LL often sports a diamond-encrusted belt that’s hard to ignore – even on the rare occasions these days that his famous chiselled torso is on display.

Nelly

Nelly is more than happy to admit he has a “diamond addiction.” And don’t it show! He gets out in his claw set and pave diamond pieces along with enormous diamond studs in his ears, huge diamond chains and diamond pave pendants. Even fellow meg-wealthy rapper 50 Cent is staggered by his collection, saying Nelly is a “damn fool” for dishing out so much cash on diamonds!

Rihanna

The Only Girl (In the World) may be the only girl in my list, but she definitely holds her own with the boys. Rihanna has come a long way since her first album of 2005, and so has her jewellery collection. She loves both costume jewellery and precious stones and her eclectic taste sets trends all around the world. Here she shows no fear of blending precious metals by wearing a Yellow gold cabochon ring with a chunky silver necklace.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop is another rapper famous for his classy dress sense and “less is more” approach to bling. He’s well known for sending a political statement out through his jewellery, and frequently wears diamond bullets as a way of protesting the use of weapons. In this photo Snoop’s wearing one of his yellow gold chains with a gun pendant – plus a pretty serious diamond on his pinky!

As you can see, these guys (and gal) seriously love their jewellery. While you probably wouldn’t want to be getting around in such OTT bling even if you could afford it (on top of the chiropractic bills!), they are really fun examples of celebrating jewellery and using it to express their personalities.

But if you’d like to find or create some slightly more understated bling that expresses your personality and style – be it mixing-and-matching like Rihanna, making a statement like Snoop or a showpiece for special occasions like LL Cool J – my ‘jewellery homeys’ and I are always here to help.

Read part 1 of ‘Diamonds are a Rapper’s Best Friend’