Did the Cuban chain really originate in Cuba?

History of Cuban Link Chains -- Cuban link Chains (also known as Miami Cuban links) are an evolution of the hip-hop jewelry movement that began in the late 70s to mid-80s. In fact, many still consider Cuban link necklaces as a component of hip-hop fashion. Nevertheless, their classic, sleek design is no way limited to the likes of Jay-Z and Daddy Yankee! The reality is that the exact origin of the Cuban link is difficult to pinpoint, despite claims by various hip-pop celebrities that they played a pivotal role in making Cuban link chains popular. One thing we do know is that interest in Cuban links accelerated after 2012 and has been rising steadily ever since. How do we know? We asked Google! By typing "cuban link chain" in Google Trends, we obtained the graph below, which shows monthly worldwide searches for the phrase from 2005 until May 2016 [blue] versus the market price of gold [orange] ... From 2005 to 2012, the graph shows that Google searches for "cuban link chain" were relatively flat. Towards the end of 2012, however, interest began taking off. Demand during this period could have been precipitated by the increased attention these chains experienced due to high-profile, hip-hop celebrities. One example was the debut of pieces like Jay-Z's 30-inch long, 5-kilo [11 pound] chain on February 2013. During that same year, DJ Khaled also claimed that he played a pivotal role in making longer versions of Cuban link necklaces popular sparking a "kilo war".