2008: Luxury all the way!
Did Father Christmas bring you your hearts' desires? If not, why not treat yourself to some of the little luxuries on offer this year? Luxuries? Nay, necessities.... mobile, caviar, skis, whisky... where would we be without them (with a little extravagance thrown in!)
Eternal conversations
Take note, a mere 33 of you will be fortunate enough to hold to your ears the ultimate in accessory-mobiles, a be-jewelled Vertu Signature Yellow and White Diamond telephone, encrusted with the rarest of yellow gems. Sure, with a price tag of 70,000 euros, it is hard to imagine that silence will remain golden!
Price: 70,000 € and up
Lorenz Bäumer, digital delights
A far cry from other recent digital innovations, and with no USB port, the clock-cum-photo-frame by Lorenz Bäumer is both useful and perhaps a trifle absurd. White gold and silver overlaid with black and white diamonds conjures up the world of jewellery in a few square centimetres. A little wonder.
Price: 66,500 €
Caviar to go...
In the beginning, there was Heritage caviar, which made the elite Russian connoisseurs smile even back in 1925. Its extreme rarity has lead to the supreme statute of Private Reserve being bestowed on Prunier. Today, for those of you who love to sample the transparent eggs "à la royale", (on the back of your hand), Prunier has had Goyard create a precious jewel box to present a kilo of the mythical stuff. With little spoons in mother of pearl, a tray, a flask and a pair of embroidered napkins, nothing has been forgotten, except perhaps the hand... Enjoy!
Price: 20,742 € (special order only - can be personalized with initials and choice of napkin colour)
Downhill skiing in high style
As the sight of a pair of skis not only conjures up thoughts of virgin powder snow but also evokes the look and allure of the skier, Ultime de Lacroix has elevated the ski to the rank of jewel. The new line of skis, with its advanced technology, light and precise, is finished in diamonds and white gold. Of course, this technically adds nothing to the performance, but oh, they are pretty!
Price: from 15,000 €
Are you Burning Rocks?
For its new jewellery collection for men, De Beers has taken the London rock scene as its inspiration. Designer Steven Webster has called upon the gothic and mediaeval to create a series of dazzling pieces composed around the diamond. CodenameBurning Rocks. The highlight of the collection is the Pallbearer ring in white and black gold, set with an exceptional 6.81ct fancy dark grey shield cut diamond. A secret mechanism allows the ring to open, revealing a cross made of black princess cut diamonds.
Price: 170,000 €
Ready for a Shooting Party?
To the French, devoting cellar space to laying down bottles of whisky might smack of eccentricity, but elsewhere there are plenty who collect different versions of their favourite malt. To celebrate the traditional Scottish shooting party, Ardbeg is offering two millesimes, along with 8 silver tasting cups and an Omas wood-clad pen - the purpose of which is not altogether clear - all presented in a leather gun case. Elegant, but passably disturbing! Cheers.
Price: 14,500 €
Cubic diamond
Cut and polished in the studios of Anvers, Israel, Lebanon and Paris, this multi-facetted diamond in cube form of 19.48 carats that is not in Bénédikt Aïchelé's studio in Uzès. Why? To mount the stone in a ring, to give light to this perfect cube, rightly arresting, the fruit of five long years of research and work. This piece is of course unique and will never fail stun.
Price: upward of 35,000 €
Vacheron Constantin: 1972 en 2008
The ultimate classic of the Maison Vacheron Constantin, the 1972 is once again the object of further study on a theme, more or less successful. More curves to adapt to the finest wrists, more contrasts, more asymmetry and...more expensive, you've guessed it! Dazzling in its brilliance, the model with 232 diamonds on its golden bracelet should please fans of ostentatious luxury. But does it tell the time?!
Price: 254,000 €
1st class DVDs!
At a time when digital formats are becoming more and more compressed, demanding that our DVD collection should only be held in a Lilliputian hard disk, Silvargent continues to design cases, in the attaché case style, in solid silver, to carry 10 DVDs in pure comfort and style. Instead of being cramped , the interior is lined with exotic woods. As our travel companions in first class will note, this case looks like a work of art, at once beautiful, and soon to be redundant!
Price: from 3,000 €
Tour Africa in 31 days!
From South Africa to Zanzibar, passing through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania, Tselana Travel will take you on a voyage of discovery of the finest game reserves in Africa. The journey will be punctuated with stops at the most luxurious lodges and properties, safaris in 4x4, on foot plane and hot-air balloon, fishing, not to mention spa visits, cooking courses and other day-long distractions in the Namibian Desert, or even boat rides in the Okavango Delta and on the Zambezi. In short, 31 days to get to know the Masai villages and their customs, and to familiarize oneself with unknown lands in the best of circumstances. What a joy.
Price: from 50,500 € per person (full board, ground transfer and domestic flights included, not including international flights)
Mai 2008
