We pick the watershed moments in the history of bling, with some help from Reggie Ossé and Gabriel Tolliver, authors of Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book.
A diamond pistol made by the House of Bijan. "General Patton, back in the day, had his own blinged-out .45. Why? Because he could. Bling is really showing the world your wealth in an excessive manner. Walking around with a weapon that’s worth over $100,000 — it's power on two levels." Ossé adds, "This would be a great idea for an anniversary gift. Actually, maybe not." [
Laughs.]