Is Nicki Minaj's Barbie pendant featured in American Museum of Natural History 2024 exhibition?

Nicki Minaj is a well-known figure in the rap industry with a dedicated fan base, making her the most followed rapper on social media.

Celebrity Net Worth estimates Minaj's current net worth to be $150 million. In 2022, Nicki commissioned a Diamond Barbie necklace from an Indian jewelry designer, Aashna Mehta.

In May 2024, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) started an exhibition of hip-hop jewelry titled "Ice Cold." The exhibition, which will be on display for eight months, features Nicki Minaj's diamond-studded Barbie pendant alongside jewelry of other hip-hop artists.

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Nicki Minaj's pendant sits alongside jewelry of Nas, Drake, and Biggie

While the price of Nicki Minaj's Barbie pendant on display in the 'Ice Cold' exhibition is unknown, The Guardian reports that it contains 54.47 carats of diamonds on the word "Barbie", which is made with 18-karat gold. The pendant is also highlighted by a pink enamel, which is the Anaconda rapper's favorite color. A smaller, heart-shaped pendant hangs below the letter "r" in the pendant.

The outlet also reports that it is the most recently commissioned Barbie pendant Minaj has bought, suggesting that she owns several, with the first one designed back in 2009.

Besides Nicki's pendant, the other jewelry displayed at the exhibition includes Nas' Queensbridge diamond-studded necklace designed in white and rose gold, which was commissioned in 2009 to commemorate his childhood home in Queens.

Drake's Crown Jewel of Toronto pendant is also a part of the exhibition. The pendant is 18-karat gold designed with multicolored diamonds, depicting Toronto's CN Tower, with the mascots of Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays wrapped around it. It was designed in 2023 by Alex Moss.

Biggie's Jesus piece necklace is another exhibit on display in Ice Cold. The pendant is one of the oldest commissioned works there. It was the face of Jesus Christ, which was designed with gold and diamonds in the mid-1990s by Tito Caicedo.

Other artists with jewelry on display at the exhibition include Tyler the Creator, Nipsey Hussle, Fat Joe, Roxanne Shante, Def Four, Slick Rick, Bad Bunny, A$AP Rocky, Jam Master Jay, and Ghostface Killah. Tickets for the exhibition can be bought from AMNH's website.

On March 2, 2022, Aashna Mehta - the designer of the rapper's Barbie pendant - was interviewed by Vogue, where she stated:

"I love Nicki’s music. She’s remarkably talented and someone I have dreamt of wearing my jewelry."

Mehta also shared the story behind the necklace's making with the outlet, saying:

"I spoke to Rushka Bergman (Minaj’s creative director), and we discussed collaborations, and things I should design for my jewelry line, and I was inspired by her and Nicki’s music to make a Barbie necklace."

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Nicki Minaj commissioned a Queen Sleeze chain last year

While Nicki Minaj's Barbie necklace is a show-stealer, it's not the only piece of jewelry she owns. In 2023, the Side to Side rapper dropped her track Red Ruby da Sleeze as part of her fifth studio album and visited Benny the Jeweler in NYC to commission a custom chain to commemorate it. Nicki had envisioned the pendant of the chain to be "Queen Sleeze," which is just how it was designed.

The words, stylized in cursive fonts, also feature a combined pink diamond heart and crown, linking them to the emerald chain. Besides getting a chain for herself, Minaj also got a chain designed by her husband, Kenneth Petty, with a "Sleeze" pendant attached to it.

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Nicki Minaj will conclude her Pink Friday 2 world tour on October 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.