A gold, ruby, and diamond ring worn by Tupac Shakur during his last public appearance has been set for auction by Sotheby’s.
Designed by the Dear Mama rapper to commemorate his engagement to Kidada Jones in 1996, the ring has been expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000 (£157,000 and £235,000) at auction, reports Pitchfork.
The Above The Rim actor was wearing the ring when he attended the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York on 4 September, 1996 – three days prior to his fatal shooting in Las Vegas.
Sotheby’s claimed the ring was typically worn on his left-hand ring finger, with abrasions on the palm-facing left side of the ring indicating it likely came into regular contact with his pinky ring.
The auction marked the third in a series dedicated to hip-hop – in conjunction with hip-hop’s 50th anniversary – and has also been set to feature original art, historic studio equipment, sneakers and jackets, archival flyers and posters, and other artefacts.
The online auction has been scheduled to open from 18-25 July, and featuring a public exhibition on display at Sotheby’s New York from 20-24 July.