From Beyoncé to Cardi B, celebrities rock grills and jewelry by Houston's Johnny Dang

>>> Scroll through to see some of Dang's custom-made jewelry creations. >>> Scroll through to see some of Dang's custom-made jewelry creations. Photo: Courtesy Photo: Courtesy Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close From Beyoncé to Cardi B, celebrities rock grills and jewelry by Houston's Johnny Dang 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

Johnny Dang has designed jewelry for celebrities including Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

The 43-year-old entrepreneur, who moved to Houston from Vietnam in 1996, started his jewelry shop at a flea market in 1997-1998.

Today, Dang and his business partner, Houston rapper Paul Wall, run Johnny Dang & Co. out of a large two-story building on Richmond Avenue. The store sells specialty designed shoes and bags, and custom jewelry.

HOUSTON'S KING OF BLING: This is what it's like waiting to meet Johnny Dang

Dang's jewelry production staff totals more than 50 employees who handle orders onsite from design to production.

"Weekly, we make 20 to 30 custom pieces set with around 15,000 to 20,000 diamonds," Dang told Chron.com.

Dang's in-house production team allows him to create pieces at a quick pace.

A custom necklace can be completed within two and three weeks, while a grill takes less than 10 days, he said.

CARDI B HEATS UP RODEOHOUSTON: Cardi B sets a RodeoHouston record

The quick turnaround time appeals to Dang's clients, especially his celebrity customers whose demanding schedules sometimes call for Dang's team to create and deliver an item at lightning speed.

When Houston native Beyoncé came calling for a grill to wear in a music video being filmed the next day, Dang produced.

"Her assistants texted me and said she needed a grill. We worked on it overnight to finish it for her," he said.

FOR HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM SUBSCRIBERS: Eric Samuel Green is a master at decoding style

Queen Bey owns two grill sets created by Dang, including both the top and bottom pieces, while her famous husband, Jay-Z, has a bottom grill.

Houston rapper Travis Scott's request for a new grill set -- he owns five custom made by Dang -- to wear at Super Bowl LIII was also a rush order.

"We finished it right before Super Bowl. It has all-white diamonds. The top and bottom pieces, together, are 9.5 carats," Dang said. "He was really happy with it and wore it during his halftime performance."

Dang's other grill-wearing celebrity clients include Scott's girlfriend Kylie Jenner, Nicki Minaj, Nelly, Katy Perry, Kanye West, and Rockets' guard Chris Paul and his wife, Jada Crawley.

"We did an all-diamond grill for Chris Paul right before Christmas," Dang said. "His wife got the same thing."

Grills, which make up a good portion of Dang's sells, are often regarded as a sign of success for rappers. Pricing ranges from $300 for a gold version to more than $200,000 for a grill adorned with high-quality diamonds.

"A diamond baguette grill can cost $5,000 to $6,000 per tooth," Dang said.

PREVIEW: Get experts’ picks for concerts, kids’ stuff, fine arts, movies and more delivered to your inbox weekly.

But beyond custom grills, Dang's custom jewelry pieces are in high demand, too.

One of his most recent orders was for rap star Cardi B. Dang paid a friendly visit to Cardi B and her husband, rapper Offset of Migos, while he was still in Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII.

"We were at their house, talking and having fun. I told her that I'd love to do some jewelry for her and she liked the idea," he said.

In town to perform at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March, Cardi B approached Dang to make a special piece for her eight-month-old daughter, Kulture.

"I came up with the design and made the piece in three days," Dang said. "I've been around in hip hop for so many years that I'm able to guess what they'd like."

Kulture's custom necklace, which spells out her name, features white gold, rose gold and white diamonds totaling 2.5 carats.

"They loved it and want more jewelry," said Dang, who is currently working on a couple of new pieces for Cardi B and Offset.

LIVING IN HOUSTON: Get the most out of the city. Read about new trends, home decor, gardening and more at HoustonChronicle.com.

And the orders, from celebrities and otherwise, keep pouring in.

"I started in a flea market. Now, I have a 14,000 square-foot building and am designing jewelry for Cardi B," Dang said. "It's the American dream."

To see some of Dang's custom-made jewelry creations, head to the photos above.

Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message