Kendrick Lamar's Diamond Encrusted Crown Of Thorns Took 1,300 Hours To Make

The meaning and work behind Kendrick Lamar's diamond encrusted crown, which he wore at this year's Glastonbury Festival, has been revealed. Catch a clip of his performance here:

The American rapper left audiences astounded after he took to the stage at the Somerset festival on Sunday, 26 June, with the centrepiece of his attire being a thorny and glittering crown.

And now, the details behind the headpiece have emerged.

In a Vogue exclusive, it's been revealed that Lamar's crown was made in collaboration with Tiffany & Co and co-founder of media company pgLang, Dave Free.

The crown was made up of 50 thorns, varying in shape from thin, thick, straight and rose thorns.

It also had over 137 carats worth of diamonds on it in the form of 8,000 cobblestone micro pavé diamonds, with it weighing in at around 200g.

It's reported as having taken over 10 months to design, and it took over 1,300 hours to create as the crown had to be cast in 14 components in Tiffany's New York workshop, with the diamonds being handset by four craftsmen.

The final headpiece was custom fit to Lamar's head and assembled in the northern region of Italy.

Free explained the headpiece - which holds immediate connotations of the crown of thorns Jesus had placed on his head prior to being put up on the cross, as detailed by the New Testament - acts as a metaphor for perseverance, humility and creative skill.

"The crown is a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens," the jeweller continued.

It's also supposed to act as a gesture of respect to musicians who have come before and inspired Lamar.

As well as the religious connotations which the crown holds, the headpiece was also inspired by a custom designed 'Thorns' brooch by Jean Schlumberger.

Schlumberger designed the brooch - which was one of two thorn-themed jewellery items - in 1947. In 1956, Schlumberger then joined Tiffany & Co.

Executive vice president of product and communication at Tiffany & Co, Alexandre Arnault, noted how 'excited' the company was to work with the rapper.

He said: "Kendrick Lamar represents the artistry, risk-taking creativity and relentless innovation that has also defined Tiffany & Co. for nearly two centuries.

"We are proud and incredibly excited to work with a visionary like Kendrick in realising his vision for the crown."

But Glastonbury festival wasn't the first time Lamar has been seen in the crown.

The rapper wore the headpiece for the album cover of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, and he also wore it on 23 June at the Louis Vuitton menswear show in Paris during his performance dedicated to late designer Virgil Abloh.

Ahead of his Glastonbury performance, the rapper told audiences why he was wearing the crown.

He said: "They judge Christ, they judge you, they judge Christ, they judge you, they judge Christ.

"I wear this as a representation so you never forget one of the greatest prophets that ever walked the Earth. They judge you. They judge Christ. We're going to continue to try our best to walk in his image."

Not only did his attire dazzle the Glasto crowds, but Lamar also received raucous applause for throwing shade at the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade.