Not rapper's delight: credit crunch takes its toll on bling

Rick Ross was accused of wearing faux jewels by 50 Cent. 'Everything that you see has to absolutely be fake,' said Fiddy, real name Curtis Jackson III. Ross denied the claims Photograph: Roger Kisby/Getty Images

Biz Markie, a DJ and rapper who started out in the 1980s: 'These kids think size matters, but they be lyin'. It just makes them look silly.' Photograph: Paul Hawthorne/Rex Features

'A lot of these rappers simply don't have the money for real stuff anymore, it's to the point where they are wearing imitation jewelry, and that's ridiculous,' says Jason Arasheben, the Beverly Hills jeweller famous for making Lil Jon's record breaking diamond necklace Photograph: Evan Agostini/AP

Lil Jon and his record breaking 'Crunk ain't dead' necklace, which features 3,756 round-cut white diamonds, is the largest diamond pendant, according to Guinness World Records Photograph: Stuart Ramson/AP

'People think these big pieces are blindin' but they be like d-quality diamonds, and when you try and sell them you learn they ain't worth a thing,' says co-founder of Cash Money records. Williams is photographed here with Lil Wayne who, it is claimed, coined the term 'bling' … Photograph: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

As did the legendary duo Eric B & Rakim, seen here sporting heavy duty gold rope chains in the 1980s Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Hip-hoppers lsuch as Slick Rick, the self-styled 'Black Liberace' pioneered the look before the term 'bling' was coined Photograph: Janette Beckman/Getty Images