The History of the Jesus Piece Jacob’s Jesus piece design >
JEWELER’s CORNER
Written By: Mo the Jeweler, ICEBOX & “Frank Mucus”
When it comes to Hip Hop artists and jewelry, there are few surprises; from T-Pain’s Big Ass Chain to Soulja Boy Tell Em’s remote-controlled Lamborghini, iced-out chains have become their own form of extravagant art. While custom pieces continue to grow in popularity, the Jesus piece has always remained the most respected piece of jewelry in the game. Ghostface Killah maintains he was the first to wear a Jesus piece, purchased off Canal Street in 1995. Despite Ghost’s claims, the style was not popularized until the end of 1996, when it was brought on to the scene by rapper Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.
< Tito’s Jesus piece design
B.I.G. initially purchased two pieces, one for himself and the other for his best friend Damion “DRoc” Butler. Inspired by his manager, Sean “Puffy” Combs’ smaller, more delicate Jesus pendant, B.I.G. decided his reproduction would be four times as large and with a more intricate design. A common misconception is that B.I.G.’s Jesus piece was purchased from Jacob Arabo, a.k.a. Jacob the Jeweler. In actuality, both pieces were purchased from Tito, a jeweler who is no longer in the game. B.I.G.’s pieces generated buzz in the streets because of their modified design and the addition of diamonds for the hair and beard. Tito’s design also included prong set diamonds within the head, exaggerating the appearance of the crown of thorns. This design is considered to be prototype upon which all future reincarnations of the Jesus pendant would take form. Taking a cue from the popularity of B.I.G.’s piece, jeweler Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co. created his own rendition of this style mold, cleaning up the lines within the face as well as switching from the prong set thorns to bezel set diamonds, said to resemble a kufi. The nose was also slimmed slightly and the beard was cleaned up with a restructuring akin to a triangle. The “Jacob Jesus mold” quickly became the choice pendant for New York rappers. By the late 90s the piece was further modified by replacing the prominent traditional vertical bail, with a slightly smaller bail, pavéd entirely with diamonds. In 2004, emerging rapper Kanye West once again revitalized the popularity of the Jesus piece. Known for his ingenuity and fondness for aesthetics, West collaborated with Jacob & Co to create a new version of the famed pendant. Rooted in realism, West’s Jesus pendant covered the traditional gold face with a layer of enamel, lending to a more vivid and life-like appearance. The new mold also diminished the prominent brows and redefined the lips to more closely resemble human proportions. Also, gone were the prongs and the bezel set diamonds from the previous versions. The top half featured pavéd diamonds representing the visible hair, adorned with an intricately intertwined crown of thorns. To top it off, ruby tears flowed from the corner of the left eye representing the suffering Jesus endured. After his death in 1997, B.I.G.’s Jesus piece was set aside for his son CJ. Due to the boy’s young age, B.I.G.’s friends would hold onto the piece, with artists like Jay-Z occasionally borrowing it for good luck. In hindsight, the impact of the Jesus piece in the jewelry industry and music game is immeasurable. Since B.I.G.’s original debut, many artists have rocked Jesus pieces. There have also been many renditions of the popularized pendant, from ones composed of the traditional gold and diamonds to the more recently popularized, but less ornate wood incarnations. Today, almost every respectable Jeweler has attempted to recreate their own version of the Jesus piece, aiming to be the ideal. With a basic gold and diamond piece starting at $1,500 and going upwards of $23,000 for a more intricate and detailed pendant, almost anyone can afford an iced out Jesus piece. After all, it would be sacrilege not to. // If you liked this article or learned something new, feel free to check out our blog online at www.iceboxjewelry.com/blog. On the website, you’ll see more articles like this one and pictures of our custom work as well.
I
’d like to take a moment to introduce myself and personally thank you for taking a moment to read this column that I hope will enrich your life in some capacity.
ASK MAJA
My name is Maja Sly and I’m an Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Real Estate and Insurance Broker, as well as a Financial Planner. After years of helping my brother (rapper BloodRaw) through the rigors of credit issues, home purchases, insurance and family planning, I’ve come to realize that most of us that do this for a living take it for granted. The majority of people that read this column have no clue about their credit rating, how to boost their credit, how much life insurance they need, how the new health care reform bill will impact them, foreclosures, repossessions….you name it! I get questions everyday from my own personal clients and friends, but what most people don’t understand, I’ve been a sponge in educating myself on for the past 15 years and it will be my honor to help you improve your lives through real estate, debt management, insurance and financial planning.
Given this economy and everything that’s going on, unemployment has impacted our generation in a way that most were not prepared for. But if you’re a student of history, and you have the right information, you can use this as an opportunity to improve your financial situation, dreams and ambitions beyond your wildest imagination! So each month, my goal will be to bring you information that will improve your business and personal life. I will also answer the most frequently asked question for the month. This column will NOT give you a “get rich quick” scheme, but it will give you the basic, plain language tools you need to know to help you build a better life for you and your family. More millionaires will be made over the next few years than any other time in our lifetime! So, having the right attitudes, information and resources will put you ahead of the game. So…Ask Maja! Email me at askmaja@gmail.com My goal is to help the Hip Hop generation that may have been shut out due to lack of resources and accurate information. I want you to use the money you make and grow it for your future. Purchase property in this economy…you can buy a home in cities like Atlanta, Detroit and Birmingham for $10,000! These are major cities! You will never have deals like this. I’ll teach you how to pool your resources with your friends and buy that first house as an investment, rent it and build a portfolio. Take $10 per week and put it towards an insurance policy for your children and leave them a legacy, so that they will have a leg-up going forward. But more than anything, I want to teach you the power of good credit and ownership! //
22 // OZONE MAG