Hip hop jewelry has grown popular over the years and is a part of pop culture and the jewelry is classified by its deliberate gaudiness and its flashy style. It's often referred to as "bling bling" and the terms recent induction into the dictionary is a testimony to hip hop jewelry's popularity. Rap stars were the first to wear large and flashy rings, necklaces and medallions made of gold in the 1980's, but now hip hop jewelry is made from gold, as well as platinum and silver.