Snoop Dogg Talks Debut Jewelry Line Lovechild, Designed to Be Shared With Love
Snoop Dogg is spreading the love, one chain at a time. Meet Lovechild, the rapper and entrepreneur’s debut jewelry line.
Last night the rapper and entrepreneur hosted a party in Hollywood to celebrate the launch of his first fine jewelry collection, created in collaboration with Metal Alchemist founder Carolyn Rafaelian and gamma. cofounder Larry Jackson. Together, the trio shared the origins of the heirloom-quality line, which, in Snoop Dogg’s words, is based on the principle of “pushing love and letting love be the first thing that you think of when you think of me.”
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The result is a subtle yet regal collection of chain necklaces and bracelets and crown-shaped rings that range from semiprecious gold and semiprecious silver to 14-karat gold vermeil and sterling silver — all crafted with the intention to be passed down from one generation to the next. “[Snoop] said to me, ‘I want to create things that not only do I wear, but I want to take it up and give it to someone I love,’” Rafaelian told WWD exclusively, “With all of that came the word Lovechild.”
For Snoop Dogg, Lovechild was also born out of a desire to give fans a tangible piece of himself amid the digital landscape of music. “I used to give you CDs and cassettes and things that you could physically hold, but my music, you can’t physically hold anymore,” Snoop said at the launch party. “You can only hear it. So I want to give you something that you can actually physically hold, put on, and wear. You’ll feel love, because that’s what it’s all about.”
From the name Lovechild to the way the clasps — consisting of his signature S — lay, Snoop Dogg was involved in every step of the process. “I’m talking about from picking the links, picking the style of everything, to back and forth working closely with the team to make sure that it’s things that I would wear, so when you see me wearing it, it makes you feel good wearing it,” Snoop Dogg said, adding, “I don’t want to just be a part of a brand where I just get money and shoot a commercial and keep it moving. This is a part of my everyday life.”
“As far as the design is concerned, obviously, he wears chains,” said Rafaelian, who was tasked with bringing the collection to life. “It’s his thing, and the S represents him — it’s his signature S, and it’s our clasp. He was very, very specific if it didn’t lay right. We had to do a swivel clasp on it, so no matter what chain it was on, it would always lay right. Those little details made all the difference in the world.”
Snoop Dogg also was set on ensuring that the jewelry had a hefty weight and felt substantial to the touch. “There’s so many times that Snoop reached out to me and Carolyn to have a conversation about the weight of the jewelry — you know, ‘It’s too thin. I wouldn’t wear anything like this,’” Jackson said, adding, “Much like Beats by Dre was an extension of Dr. Dre, this is an extension of Snoop. He’s really brought jewelry to the forefront of hip-hop, and it was such an obvious thing [to launch Lovechild].”
Another important factor for Snoop Dogg was centering the production of Lovechild in Rhode Island, which was once considered “the jewelry capital of the world.” “He made a very conscious decision to make his product in America, specifically in Rhode Island,” Rafaelian said. “What he’s doing is revitalizing an industry in a state with some of the most incredible, qualified, talented artisans in our field, and they’re sending [Snoop Dogg] so much love — everything about the name Lovechild represents the product, the people and the fans and Snoop.”
As for the jewelry’s understated flair, Snoop explained, “The jewelry represents me because it fits. It’s never too much.” “It’s just enough,” he continued, adding, “and it’s not expensive. It’s something that people can afford. So you don’t have to feel like, ‘I gotta break myself to wear the line that Snoop is wearing.’ You can get a couple of pieces and feel good about it and wear them every day.”
Lovechild is available for preorder at Metal Alchemist, and will be available to purchase starting Dec. 6 at Reeds stores and online.
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