Tupac Shakur‘s ring was sold for $1 million at Sotheby’s auction in New York on July 25, 2023.
The gold band, encrusted with diamonds and a cabochon ruby, symbolized his engagement to Kidada Jones.
It also symbolized his survival after spending time in jail.
The sale exceeded the auction house’s estimate, making it the most valuable Hip-Hop artifact sold at auction.
The ring bore the inscription “Pac & Dada 1996,” which alluded to his engagement to actress and model Kidada Jones, the daughter of American record producer Quincy Jones.
According to his godmother, Yaasmyn Fulat, who took the ring to the auction, the ring was inspired by the crowns of Europe’s mediaeval kings in “an act of self-coronation.” She had helped him design the ring, which she said represented him surviving a difficult period in his life after spending eight months in jail.
“What’s so special about this ring is that it shows him in a moment where he was not necessarily on the front lines as an artist, but just a man expressing his love for another person, and that’s beautiful to see,” said De La Soul’s Kelvin Mercer, a guest curator for the sale, on the Sotheby’s website.
Tupac died at the age of 25 in a drive-by shooting by an unidentified assailant in September 1996. He is still regarded as a legendary Hip-Hop figure.