Monday, 23rd January 2006 (9765 views)

The popularity of bejewelled teeth is continuing to grow, with gold "grills" becoming part of modern music culture in the US and beyond.

Gold grills are becoming a familiar sight, with the jewellery, which is encrusted with diamonds and fitted on teeth, proving particularly popular with leading rap stars.

One such exponent is Paul Wall, who has the custom jewellery in its gold form along the top and bottom of his mouth.

The rapper has even teamed up with global star Nelly on a new song, "Grillz" dedicated to the new fashion accessory, with the video depicting the ostentatious jewellery at length.

Nor will the grills remain solely a preserve of exclusive stars with money to burn.

While grills can cost as much as $10,000 for top quality teeth jewellery, they can be bought for as little as $40 for a single gold tooth.

One man who has pioneered the new trend is Eddie Plein, an Atlanta-based businessman who sees a big market opening up in the music world and beyond.

"It's a fad gone wild," he told Indystar. "It's the big thing now in the rap community."

XXL editor Elliot Wilson, who writes for the hip-hop community, explained the popularity of the new trend.

"It's just like wearing a big gold chain around your neck; it's a celebration of success and excess," he commented.

"Having gold and diamonds in your mouth is the most audacious statement you could make," he added.

 

« Back to Gold News stories

 

The news feeds on this site are independently provided by Adfero Limited © and do not represent the views or opinions of the World Gold Council.