Remember this ridiculous story last week about how rapper Lil Uzi Vert spent the last four years paying off a $24 million pink diamond that he subsequently had embedded into his forehead? Now besides being accused of cultural appropriation by putting a pink stone where Hindus traditionally place their bindis to represent the ajna chakra (3rd eye), Lil Squert’s diamond has been accused of being fake and cubic zirconia by some on social media. Not to let the accusations stand, Simon Babaev, a spokesman from Uzi’s jeweler Eliantte & Co , spoke with Rolling Stone. He confirmed that the diamond did actually cost $24 million and that it is indeed real. Simon, a New York-based jeweler, said that Lil Uzi approached them in 2017 and fell in love with the pink diamond. Simon also said that Eliantte & Co did not initially take Lil Uzi seriously when he said he wanted to implant the diamond into his forehead. Don’t take my word for it, here’s what Simon had to say to Rolling Stone:
On how Lil Uzi approached them
Everything started back in 2017. Once he saw the stone, he really fell in love with it and said he’d think about what he wanted to do with it.
We didn’t think he was serious about it, but as he started making payments on the specific stone, he made it clear that he was very serious.
On if they’ve been asked for forehead implants
In the forehead? No, that’s a bit extreme. But just on the face, we’ve done. In 2016, Young Thug had a diamond implanted on his face. He had a pear shape, like a teardrop, I believe. He had it on his face for a while, but then I think he lost it.
It’s as safe as any other piercing. As long as you maintain it well and have good upkeep, it’s perfectly fine. We made sure that prior to getting anything done that Uzi brought someone in to consult on everything. We didn’t just do this randomly.
On if this was their most extravagant request and if it will inspire a trend
Yeah, this was definitely pretty extravagant. This would definitely be top-tier by far. People have gotten crazy custom pieces done, but something that’s done as a body modification, to have something popped onto your forehead? This is definitely the first time.
People always want something that no one else has. And especially because we specialize in custom fabrication, we’ll make a link for somebody and it’ll become so popular that other people will request it, or they’ll try to customize it to make it their own. Uzi himself is a trendsetter, so I wouldn’t be surprised if people out there requested this. It’s crazy. Uzi is definitely a trendsetter.
Like I said last week, this story is ridiculous and spending $24 million dollars on a pink diamond that you insert into your forehead is extremely extravagant and silly. It would have been smarter for Lil Uzi to not paint a target on his back by one, broadcasting how much the diamond cost and two, placing the damned thing in his forehead. The smartest thing that Lil Uzi has done was put insurance on the stone. However, I stand by my original statement that he should have invested that money for his future. With that being said, it isn’t my business how these rappers spend their money. If they wish to throw it away on frivolous things then that’s their business.
I am “glad” that Eliantte & Co sent a representative to dispel the rumors that the diamond was fake and also reassure people that the procedure of inserting a diamond into one’s forehead is safe. I agree with Simon that as ridiculous as it may be, Lil Uzi Vert may have started a trend. At some point if this does become a trend, the cultural appropriation part will definitely need to be addressed. As a yogi, I sometimes wear a bindi but it is done within the context of a ritual, namely a puja. So my wearing a bindi is usually couched in its cultural context. Unfortunately, I do not believe getting a permastone in one’s forehead is the same. With that being said, I do hope that this will not become a trend. There is enough weird sh*t happening in the world, what I don’t need on Beyonce’s internet is a whole bunch of Millennials and Gen-Z babies running around with diamonds and other precious stones seared into their forehead. If that happens, I think I may log off the interwebs entirely and go live in the woods, near a river with my 100 cats and lover where wifi or cell towers are not available.
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