Mauricio Benitez (Mr. Bling) is a renowned jeweler. He presented Messi with a masterpiece of 150,000 Swarovski crystals in 2013. According to Sun Sport, the photograph of Messi reveling will eventually be worth up to $40 million. Benitez provided this task to the idol without asking for payment.
After this event, competitors became more familiar with Benitez’s name. In 2018, he was contacted by Cristiano Ronaldo via his colleague Cuadrado to commission a gem painting depicting the superstar leaning on the ball during the Champions League match against Juventus. This work is comprised of 250,000 crystals, which is 100,000 more than Messi’s previous masterpiece and is his most extraordinary creation to date.
Not content to end there, Ronaldo added a photo of his family. This artwork is being delivered to Mrs. Dolores, the biological mother of CR7. According to the media, these two paintings cost the 1985-born striker a minimum of one million dollars.
Neymar is the next athlete to visit Mr. Bling after Ronaldo. The Brazilian player was so inspired by the artisanal works uploaded on social media that he decided to commission his own painting.
“After the portrait, Neymar and I are brainstorming ideas for a work about his family,” the artist explained.
Benitez’s favored piece was created for former Inter midfielder Fredy Guadin. This painting is approximately 2 meters tall and is comprised of 200,000 crystals.
Additionally, Mr. Bling created a crystal ball for the legendary Diego Maradona.
Also, a patron of this crystal artist was Ronaldinho.
Customers will be required to pay Mr. Bling a minimum of 180,000 usᴅ to obtain such a crystal photograph. This price will increase based on the quantity and variety of stone used in the construction.