MostExpensive

Donkey Cheese Among World's Most Expensive

Filed under: Dining

A nature reserve north of Belgrade, Serbia is home to a herd of 100 Balkan donkeys that earn their keep in an unusual way: they give milk for cheese. The smoked cheese is sold under the name Pule (an unappetizing name that means 'foal' in Serbian) and is priced at €1,000/kg (or $600-$700 per pound), which is apparently about twice the cost of moose cheese and puts it among the most expensive cheeses (if not the most expensive) in the world. Manager of Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, Slobodan Simić, says that no special ingredients are used and the price is based strictly on the value of the milk that goes into making it. Currently Pule is made only on an advanced order basis.

Via Luxurylaunches

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Tags: balkan, cheese, donkey, most expensive, MostExpensive, serbia

Miss Russia Wears World's Most Expensive Crown

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Last month a new lucky lady, Irina Antonenko, was named Miss Russia for 2010 and given the privilege of wearing what's being heralded as the world's most expensive crown. The large, white-gold headpiece features 2,358 diamonds and 14 rare pearls, and is valued at over $1 million. There was so much 'to do' at the unveiling that some wonder if the crown didn't upstage the new Miss Russia herself.

The 2010 Miss USA pageant isn't scheduled until next month (April 18th) but for a little perspective last year our crown featured 1,936 flawless gemstones set in white gold and platinum and was valued at $202,000.

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Tags: crown, miss russia, miss usa, MissRussia, MissUsa, most expensive, MostExpensive, russia, worlds most expensive crown

Gurkha His Majesty's Reserve is Most Expensive Cigar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

Gurkha has a reputation of being the best of the best in the cigar world, and His Majesty's Reserve has the honor of holding the title of world's most expensive cigar. Made from the most expensive cognac and premium tobacco, HMR consists of a secret blend of filler tobaccos from all over the world wrapped in a rare aged Dominican wrapper before being infused with Louis XIII Cognac (the process uses an entire bottle). Less than 100 boxes of His Majesty's Reserve are made each year and getting your hands on one will not only be difficult, but will also cost you $750 per cigar or $15,000 per box.

Via JustLuxe

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Tags: cigar, cigars, gurkha, gurkha cigars, GurkhaCigars, most expensive, MostExpensive

iVIP Black is Most Expensive iPhone App

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

For the most part iPhone apps are available to anybody who wants to buy and download them, but not only does Apple's iVIP Black come with the highest price tag of all its apps at $999.99 but there's a vetting process that includes a personal interview to ensure you're really a 'High Net Worth individual' before they let you install it to your phone. So what do you get for going through all that trouble? A one year membership in a concierge service that will hook you up with special VIP opportunities and deals at the touch of a button, no matter what time of day or where you are, provided you're in the UK where the service provider (iVIP Ltd.) is located. They also offer the ability to personalize your iVIP Black membership, which automatically gives you a lifetime membership and includes access to exclusive perks like entourage services and access to private islands.

No worries if you don't qualify (or are just too cheap) to spring for the full iVIP Black treatment as there's also iVIP Blue ($16.99) and iVIP Red (free), and of course there's always our free and awesome Luxist App also available for download on iTunes.

Via JustLuxe

Gallery: iVIP Black Screenshots

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Tags: apple, iphone, iphone app, iphone apps, IphoneApp, IphoneApps, itunes, ivip, most expensive, MostExpensive, vip

iPhone Tamara Runge

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

I'm not a big fan of snakeskin but for those that are the iPhone Tamara Runge Edition case is lovely, and very pricey, way to incorporate it into your daily wardrobe. Created as a collaboration between fashion designer Davide de Nizza and artist Stuart Hughes, the case is handmade of python leather with an 18k gold buckle that houses 35 0.5 carat flawless diamonds and a single 3 carat diamond in the center. It's made for the iPhone but looks like it could easily house a Blackberry or any number of other cell phone brands. Available in a limited edition of only 3 for £59,995 each.

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Tags: iPhone, most expensive, MostExpensive, python

The Most Expensive Tea in the World

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Yachts & Sailing

TWG makes Singapore's most famous tea, and I had the good fortune of attending the opening day of their ION Orchard tea shop, where you can sample 400 teas from their 800-plus tea collection and purchase not only tea, but macaroons and tea accessories, as well.

Naturally, as a Luxist writer, I went straight for the gold -- the Yellow Gold Tea Buds (above), that is. Tea number T601 is not only TWG's, but the world's most expensive tea. Why? Because it's difficult to get -- and painted with actual gold.

I spoke for a bit with TWG tea connoisseur Alexandre Mallochet (his hand is pictured) about the tea and why it is so valuable -- $150 Singapore for 50 grams (that's about $105.71 -- and a typical teabag is about 2 grams, so that's 25 cups of tea).

To start with, it's only harvested on one mountain, one day per year. "This tea is harvested exclusively with golden scissors and only from the top of the tree which is the tea bud. It's then sun dried and placed into closed containers to slightly heat the tea leaves so they can release the polyphenols that they contain and give a yellowish colour to the leaves and a very soft and flowery taste," said Mallochet. The tea is then painted with 24 carat gold flakes which, in Asia, are considered very good for you, and give the tea a beautiful golden shimmer. Mallochet claims that the gold provides nutrition, as well -- it's a mineral, after all.

"It's the tea of the Emperors of China and it is still today very complicated to find some. TWG can access to this tea thanks the privileged relationships we cultivated through the years of sourcing tea plantations worldwide."

At this time, the tea is not available online, so you'll have to find a shop near you or go to Singapore to find some. You'd better hope the dollar keeps rising!

Even in this economy, tea, for the most part, is one area where consumers continue to go gourmet. For more information check out Daily Finance's recent piece on gourmet foods still selling well.

This trip was paid for by the Singapore Board of Tourism, but the views expressed within the post are 100% my own.

Tags: most expensive, MostExpensive, tea, TWG tea, yellow gold tea buds

London Restaurant Creates World's Most Expensive Curry

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Ready to eat the most luxurious curry around? For £2,000 a portion, the London restaurant Bombay Brasserie is serving Samundari Khazana, or Seafood Treasure. The dish includes caviar, abalone, sea snails, truffle shavings , a whole lobster splashed in edible gold and four hollowed-out quail eggs stuffed with caviar. The curry was launched to coincide with the DVD launch of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. You can see a picture over at the Daily Mail.

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Tags: curry, edible gold, EdibleGold, lobster, london, most expensive, MostExpensive, truffles

Most Expensive CD Isn't About the Music

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

The latest random object to get plated in platinum and studded with diamonds is, of all things, a CD case. Displayed in Tokyo the CD is called simply "Woman, Sweet 10 Diamonds," and features a case of platinum with 10 2-carat diamonds embedded on the front. The CD case was created through a collaboration between Universal Music and Japanese jeweler Nagahori and is valued at $100,000.

And apparently the actual music on the CD is of little importance, since it's only ever referred to very generally as "18 songs by female vocalists." Wow.

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Tags: cd, most expensive, MostExpensive, music, music cd, MusicCd, platinum

A New World's Most Expensive Pancake

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Here in the U.S. many get their Shrove Tuesday pancakes at IHOP. But in Manchester, England a restaurant, Opus in the Printworks, has created the world's most expensive pancake for Fat Tuesday, a sumptuous repast costing £144. The pancake beats the 2007 offering from Earlsdon Cottage by £49. The Manchester Evening News says that the pancake is flavored with Madagascan vanilla pods and sprinkled with edible gold leaf. It is served with organic strawberries and jelly made from Dom Perignon champagne.

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Tags: most expensive, MostExpensive, pancake, shrove tuesday, ShroveTuesday

Michel Rostang's $122 Sandwich (Yes, Truffles)

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

It seems whenever there's some kind of exorbitantly expensive food there's an ingredient that almost always makes an appearance: truffles. This sandwich, called LE "SANDWICH" TIEDE A LA TRUFFE FRAÎCHE, and created by French chef Michel Rostang, is no exception. It will appeal to purists mostly as it is amazingly simple: fresh truffles are sliced and placed on toasted country bread with salted butter. The sandwich sits for two nights (so the flavors can marinate together) and then the whole thing is lightly grilled on both sides. That's it. Heck, if you have some spare truffles lying around you can make this at home instead of a grilled cheese or something. Or maybe not. 98 €

Gallery: Expensive Truffle-based Eats

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Tags: chefs, dining, michel rostang, MichelRostang, most expensive, MostExpensive, restaurants, sandwich, truffles

The World's Most Expensive Barbie Debuts in Mexico

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Children

The world's most expensive Barbie doll debuted her flashy self in Mexico City this week, sparkling from head to little plastic toes in diamonds and white gold, and honoring the release of her newest film "Barbie and the Diamond Castle."

Intended only as a publicity stunt (don't expect to see her sitting next to 'Surfs-Up Beach Barbie' on Walmart shelves this Christmas) she was adorned with 318 diamonds total, displayed on a tiny tiara, earrings, necklace, bracelet, ring, and slippers. She's valued at 1 million pesos, or about $94,000.

I think the best part of her outfit has be the diamond Barbie ring -- several things are out of realistic proportion when it comes to Barbie but imagine the relative size of that rock! I bet Ken is feeling a little inadequate about now...

Via Luxury Launches

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Tags: barbie, barbie dolls, BarbieDolls, doll, dolls, most expensive, MostExpensive

The World's Most Expensive Abaya

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Bruce Oldfield is a celebrated British couturier that has risen to fame by dressing royalty for weddings. He's mostly worked with women (Queens and princesses) and he seems to be staying with that trend even as he expands his horizons into the Islamic realm and has designed what is being hailed as the world's most expensive abaya.

The demand for designer luxury apparel for the Islamic community is growing, although only a privileged few will be able to afford this garment. Featuring bespoke Crosley diamonds on the collar and cuff, fine black silk, and taffeta, the abaya is valued at about $364,000.

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Tags: abay, abaya, islamic, most expensive, MostExpensive

Durian, the $200 Fruit that Smells Like Gas

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Wow, this story is hilarious. I love fruit but I'm not so sure I'm interested in trying Durian (a fruit growing ever more popular with Southeast Asians and Chinese) because not only does it cost upwards of $200 a piece but apparently it smells like gasoline. Or garbage. Or manure. Or stinky socks. Take your pick, none of the descriptors are good.

So why do people prize this fruit so much? I guess once you cut them open you can separate the stinky part from the edible part, which is reportedly very sweet, nutty, and almost custard-like, and it's quite tasty. $200 tasty.

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Tags: asia, china, durian, food, fruit, most expensive, MostExpensive

$400,000 Diamond & Crystal Champagne Glasses

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

Champagne is always considered a fairly luxurious drink (even when it's the cheap stuff) but any champagne, cheap or not, is sure to get a class upgrade when it gets served in one of these two glasses. Valued at $400,000 and blinged out with 1,700 white and pink diamonds the glasses were chiseled out of 8kg blocks of rock quartz crystal and it took 5 jewelers 3 months to put them all together.

The set was designed by John Calleija and although they'll be present at the opening of his second store in London they'll eventually be returning to the home of the Melbourne businessman who bought them and plans to turn them into family heirlooms.

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Tags: champagne, diamonds, glass, glasses, glassware, most expensive, MostExpensive, stemware

Burger King's $200 Burger

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Charity

Of all the restaurants that might offer a $200 truffle-laden burger on their menu Burger King is probably one of the last ones, if not the last one, that comes to mind. But believe it or not Burger King has launched a $200 hamburger called simply "The Burger" that features Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine, and shallot-infused mayonnaise all served up on an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.

That's quite a list of ingredients.

"The Burger" will be on sale once per week in London and proceeds go to benefit the Help a London Child charity.

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Tags: burger, burger king, BurgerKing, charity, dining, food, hamburger, most expensive, MostExpensive

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