Grammy Award winning rapper, "Lil' Wayne" celebrated his 27th birthday with friends, receiving a Chopard diamond encrusted watch worth a reported $1 million.

The Chopard watch was a birthday gift from friend, Brian "Birdman" Williams, who is chief executive of Cash Money Records, the record label that includes Lil Wayne as one of its featured artists, according to Scott Yeti, editor of WoooHa.com, which covers hip-hop & urban music news.

The watch was a special order from Chopard, says photographer Derick G, who was at the party. "Lil Wayne loved it," he adds. More photos and a video of the party can be seen at the photographer's blog.

Lil Wayne, whose birth name is Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. He was discovered as a teenager by Williams. In the span of his 13-year career, Lil Wayne has sold more than six million units, including "Tha Carter II (2005) which sold over 2.5 million units.

Cash Money Records is a hip hop record label founded in 1991by Williams and his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. The upstart label has become a creative force within the independent marketplace. Other artists on its roster include the Hot Boys and producer Manny Fresh.

Cash Money Records is affiliated with Universal Records, a division of Universal Music Group, which encompasses MCA Records, MCA Records Nashville, GRP Recording Company, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Hip-O Records, Universal Music International, MCA Music Publishing and Universal Concerts.

We've heard of plenty of celebrities getting in trouble for not returning borrowed jewelry but Rihanna has a better excuse than most, hers was taken in as evidence. A lawyer for Rihanna filed a motion in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week seeking the return of $1.4 million in jewelry the singer was wearing on the night of the Grammy pre-party on February 7. That was the night she was allegedly assaulted by Chris Brown and the pieces including earrings and several rings were seized as evidence in the case against him. Rihanna's lawyer says that the designers who lent the jewelry are concerned over getting their pieces back and that Rihanna had signed an agreement to return the pieces after the Grammy awards.

UPDATE: The police have agreed to return the jewelry.

I've known about blingy G-Shock watches for a while, but I didn't know just how popular they were. You'll go ahead and make your own value (or taste) judgment about these watches, but I am more amused than impressed. While they aren't the only ones doing so, Z-Shock modifies Casio G-Shock watches with precious metal cases (silver, gold, and platinum) that are studded with diamonds, other precious gems, or cubic zirconium (depending on what you want to spend of course). The above watches are from the Z-Shock "Presidential Collection," including "the President" and "the Vice President." You'll notice for the most part, the watches are still the basic utilitarian Casio G-Shock models we are all familiar with. However, the plastic cases are removed and replaced with precious gem-studded metals. The large backlight button, pushers, and resin straps are all "stock." There is something unnatural about the look frankly - as I would have preferred at least some strap upgrades.

The pleasure of owning your own Z-Shock customized Casio will run you about $2,800 and up. Opt for gold or platinum and real diamonds, and your bargain yard duty watch easily pushes $10,000 and beyond. Either this watch is gold making Casio look bad, or Casio making gold look bad.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

If only there was a Luxist for bona fide street pimps - items like this would be the main attraction. I think that Marc Ecko has officially priced their Prez watch right out of their core market with a price starting at over $4,000 for this limited edition watch in either gold or silver. Inside is most likely a quartz movement, and the surfaces are studded with Swarovski crystals, but no diamonds. Really not a single diamond for $4000 bucks? Overall, each watch has 1,454 set stones making for what is bound to be a shiny, shiny looking watch.

In what can be described only as "drug dealer chic" the Prez watch certainly makes a statement about its potential owner. I am reminded by wheel spinners when I look at this watch, only with more unwanted pizazz. It is as though there is a blingy party in front of my eyes, and all the world's tasteless elite at gathering 'round. Feel free to disagree with my position on the watch, but you can't deny "gaudy" is the Prez watch's middle name. Availability is limited to select David Morris Stores at Selfidges London, Birmingham, and Manchester in the UK.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

A Swarovski-encrusted microphone might be a little juvenile (any real rocker wouldn't be caught dead with one of these I'm sure, except maybe Beyoncé) but that doesn't mean it can't be fun, gimmcky, and a great gift for a musically-inclined kid. These mics are from Sennheiser and are available in one color, two color, and multi-color customizable versions -- they even accept requests for crystallizing microphone stands and other accessories.

So what will it be, a heart? A skull? A crazy paisley pattern? The sky's the limit as long as you have $799-$1000 to spend (which doesn't include the actual microphone).

Via Bornrich

While many musicians love their jewelry some can forget to pay for it. Last month I wrote about Wyclef Jean facing a lawsuit over unpaid-for jewels, this week it's Lil Wayne. The rapper whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. has been ordered by a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge to pay a New Orleans jeweler $146,000 for a diamond ring and necklace. Lil Wayne had made arrangements with jeweler Jack Sutton to pay for the pieces in monthly installments in 2006. Sutton took Carter to court because Carter had made only one $24,000 payment over the last two years.

Carter may return the $138,000 ring instead of paying in cash. The Miami Herald also reports that according to a May 6 notice of federal tax lien filed with Miami-Dade County, Carter owes nearly a million dollars ($977,840.81) to the IRS in income tax.

If you just can't seem to fit enough diamonds into your life then here's a new place to put them: on your bathroom faucets. Designed by architect Nilo Gioacchini, the Oz Diamond Edition faucet consists of gold with a strip of 282 sparkling natural diamonds. For the room that just needs more bling I guess. Of course they're beautiful, and any sink with one of these faucets will also be beautiful, but diamonds in the kitchen and the bathroom? It kinda strikes me as a waste of jewels (not to mention a pain to keep clean).


Via Trendir

Luxury cars are usually about a fast engine, a smooth ride, and extra features for comfort and convenience, but this luxury vehicle is all about the bling. It's a Fiat 500 Pepita and it's all decked out with a 24k gold paint job, Swarovski crystal studded gear shift, hand brake, and foot pedals, cashmere floor mats (cashmere on the floor?!), and gold painted alloy wheels. Plus you get a choice of seats made of crocodile, snake, shark, skate or lizard leather and an assortment of precious gems to add to the interior. €60,000


Via BornRich

Bandages for the Heart were designed as symbols of tough times, to represent both the injury and the healing. They aren't real bandages (like these Swarovski ones) for use on actual physical wounds, but instead are meant to be worn as badges of honor, or perhaps inspiration, again and again. Designed by Alysia Dee Kraus, Bandages for the Heart are available in either sterling silver or 18k gold with garnet jewels. Each comes wrapped in a gauze towel for a unique presentation and, if you want to be really unique, you can always opt for the wedding band(aid) version. $250 - $1300


Via Luxury Launches

The perfect gift for the rich person who has everything: gold and diamond-encrusted toothpick sleeves. There's only one requirement: the recipient must love bling.

Made by E.K.D.O and called Icepiks, these jewelry accent pieces are quite beautiful and although they're tiny they're definitely not subtle or understated. Made of bright gold in yellow, white, or rose and encrusted with jewels like diamonds, rubies, and sapphires they're designed to let the wooden end of the toothpick take care of business while the end you're holding brags style and luxury. What a gorgeous little bit of glitter to give this Christmas! $800-$3000+


Via Born Rich

Rich gamers want bling too, you know, and they only want to play with the very best of gaming equipment. So both of those statements might be true (I admit I don't really know) but I doubt either of them refers to bling or equipment like this diamond encrusted Sony Playstation controller. Made up of solid 18k white gold and over 68ct in black diamonds it's actually a pendant meant to be worn on a chain.

Yes, because that makes it all better.

No word on how much this little beauty is worth -- the owner claims it was a gift.


Via Gizmodo

Here at Luxist we've covered a lot of blinged out mp3 players, but what we haven't covered is a lot of blinged out mp3 players for dogs.

I didn't even know you could get an mp3 player for your pooch, so getting one covered in gold and diamonds obviously never even crossed my mind until I saw this. The music is supposed coordinate with the dog's mood and enhance their health (seriously?), and of course the gold and diamonds are just supposed to help the dog (and you) feel fancy. Priced around $2000.

"The Salvatore "Sammy Bull" Gravano's jewelry, which is being auctioned off on November 3 by Sierra Auctions in Phoenix, looks exactly like what you might expect an infamous mafia man's jewels might look like. The collection is heavy on the diamond pinky rings and gold watches with a wide variety of personalized gold and diamonds for both Sam and his wife Debbie. The money collected from the auction will go into the federal racketeering program to fund other investigations. Gravano was the man who squealed on John Gotti and entered the witness protection program but was later caught in a drug bust. The NY Post reports that the pieces were collected at a police raid of Gravano's home. The jewelry is expected to fetch at least $100,000 not because of the pieces themselves but because they were Gravano's.

In the category of "oh no he dih-ehhhnt," we offer for your enjoyment a stretch Ferrari limo, complete with round tail lights, ceramic brakes and nine-foot gullwing doors. We're not sure if the doors quite warrant the brooming of the mini-bar, but to each his own.

The beauty in question was commissioned by by Style Limousines of Manchester and involved almost $400,000 in mods, not the least of which was welding in the massive middle that makes the pony stretch so. The extra girth isn't enough to slow this Ferrari down much, however -- 0-60 in under six seconds and a top speed of 170 ain't too shabby.

[Source: CNet]

I love my Macbook, but I don't know that I'd ever considering going so far as to plate it in gold with a big diamond-studded apple logo. But if you're of a different opinion and have the money to burn then you should get in touch with the team over at Computer Choppers and commission your own customized laptop casing, with options including gold or platinum plating with diamonds, sapphires, and other gems. Pricing varies, of course, but estimates for a gold-plated Macbook Pro run around $1200-$1500 plus another $500-$2400 for the logo (depending if you want CZs or diamonds).