Black culture has a vast history of influence, innovation and creativity. Self-expression is a driving force for many eras of Black excellence. 

The melanated Etruscans of Rome were stated in text to have worn gold teeth. Etruscan grills refer to early forms of dental adornments or grills, dating back to the Etruscan civilization in ancient Italy (800-200 BC). Wealthy Etruscan women would wear gold wires or bridges that held teeth in place, often used as a symbol of status. These were not true grills in the modern sense but rather a form of dental adornment. 

Jack Johnson, the first African American heavyweight boxing champion of the World in 1908, was known for his flamboyant lifestyle, which included flaunting gold teeth. Johnson's gold teeth were not just a personal preference, but a symbol of his defiance of the racial barriers he faced.

There were many others who flaunted gold teeth in history, but fast forward to Brooklyn, New York in the 1970s where Surinamese immigrant Eddie Plein took the concept of gold capped teeth and transformed that into the now infamous grillz we know today.

One of the pioneering influences of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s was the creation and expansion of rap and hip hop.  One of the most iconic fashion staples during this era has transcended periods and genres; gold grillz. 

Suriname immigrant Eddie Plein learned the art of dentistry and jewelry to create a revolutionary accessory that later became a fashion enterprise. Plein traveled to New York in his early teens and was exposed to the rising hip-hop scene. On a visit back to Suriname, he cracked his tooth and the dentist offered him a gold crown. Gold is one of Suriname’s biggest exports, which makes it a cheaper alternative for dentistry. However, Plein didn’t want to commit to a permanent gold crown and that’s when his ‘lightbulb moment’ happened. Back in New York he dropped out of college, put his dreams of being a soccer player on hold and went to dentistry school long enough to learn how to wax up crowns before starting his own business. He pioneered the technique of creating pull out crowns, which we know today as grills. After months spent prototyping, Plein learned to produce styles that could be molded perfectly onto his client’s teeth, and that could be customized in any number of ways, giving a new generation of exuberant and extravagant dressers the opportunity to flex! The timing of his creation was kismet: in the mid ’80s, it came as an upsurge of rappers and musicians began to emerge in Queens, Harlem, and Brooklyn. Plein’s jewelry became a way for them to showcase their individuality and self-expression.

Plein's rise, and the extraordinary world he became a part of, is chronicled in a book, Mouth Full of Golds, co-authored by Lyle Lindgren. As his profile grew in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Plein quickly became the jeweler of choice to a new generation, receiving ever-increasing orders and requests for custom pieces from his store at the Colosseum shopping mall in Queens. The business took Eddie from New York to Virginia, then to Atlanta. As the South became the new epicenter of hip-hop, Plein’s stature continued to rise and by the early 00s, he seemed unstoppable. But as Plein’s empire grew, so did his competitors. By the late 90s, a host of imitators had emerged, creating their own versions of his pieces and often at a reduced price, and reduced quality. Plein, refused to compromise on the integrity of his work, and watched as new contenders chipped away at his customer base, and his once unstoppable ascent began to falter. By 2006, Plein’s store had closed.  These days, Plein’s brother Lando has taken up the family mantle, and is creating his own pieces — taking care to maintain the standard set by Eddie.