For all that glitters IS gold! This could be the new adage if the current trends around the world are anything to go by. With the soaring rates of the yellow metal, folks have suddenly realised that it makes for the best investment choice available today. On top of this, gold makers and jewelery brands are leaving no stone unturned to further promote the golden cause. Recently, it was a hawk-shaped golden figurine spotted in Hong Kong that is worth $6,290. But it is Tokyo that is the centre of our focus today.

The most hi-end district of the capital city of Japan, Ginza saw the Tokyo Gold Week exhibition which was organised with the sole purpose of encouraging folks to buy more and more gold. A 15 kg pure gold artifact made many a heads turn. Then it was the Tanaka gold jewelry shop that had gold ingots collected form various countries spread out like a casino table.

Read More

Imagine a rug fetching a stunning price of $4.34 million. And this thing can be reality (in fact it is so) when the rug in question is the one of the famed ones from Safavid and apparently was a gift from the Safavid Persian court to the Ottoman Turks and must have been used for prayers by the blue blood too. Despite its age, the rug is in a remarkable condition. This artefact represents some gorgeous Persian handicraft and art which was particularly appreciated by Genoan and Venetian merchants.

Sold at Sotheby’s, the rug was expected to fetch anywhere between $130,000 and $192,000 or so claimed the Head of the Middle East & India Department at the store, Edward Gibbs.

Read More

Cartier has been eating on headline space for quite some time now. First, it was the jewelry theft worth $13 million, then the International Polo and now it’s a grand exhibition. Yes, you heard it right the famous brand is all is to hold an exhibition of all sorts of Cartier treasures at the Palace Museum in Beijing from September 5 to November 22 this year.

Insiders reveal that some 350 items will be put on display like the exclusive archives from the founding days of the jewlery house way back in the 70s. Some will spot a consistent Chinese influence on some of the older creations revealing the strong bond Cartier shared shared with the far east in the early 20th century.

Read More

‘Silver of the Stars’ is the name of an exhibition that is known for travelling all over the world to showcase the best works in Scottish Arts complete with innovative and out-of-the-box silver designs. Each creation has a witty story behind from the imaginations of celebs like Sir Sean Connery, Billy Conolly and Ewan McGregor. As a matter of fact, close to ten world-famous who’s-who with a Scottish origin from film, fashion, theatre and music have got together for this little artistic adventure.

For this exhibition, an artist has designed and developed an idea for modern drinking vessels chosen by their celeb partner in either a silver or gold theme. And from what we hear it is Sharleen Spiteri’s ‘Teapot and Cups’ that have caught everybody’s attention. This creation by the singer-cum-guitarist-cum-keyboard player has a silver and gilt fringed diamond studded teapot with a cool chunky handle.

Read More

Mmmmmmm…somehow we can linger in the feeling for a long long time. We are referring to the delight of discovering something luxe that is eco-friendly too. The new status that recycling has acrrived at vis-a-vis the richie richs of the world, is truly amazing. Nowadays, no one scrunched their noses when someone tells them that so and so attractive item has been made from useless objects.

The same inspiration caught on Mexican-Brazilian artist Carolina Fontoura who has now given such a wonderful craft to the world that no one can stop raving about her. What she really done is experimented with old bicycle chains to create luxuriously elegant lamps and chandeliers to suit your high-end decor.

Read More

They may call it the worlds fastest and pricey PC ever developed but on first appeal it is nothing but a standard coupe. Called Brabus SV12 Biturbo, the functionality of the coupe offers a mobile feature to the need of workstation, PC and other sundry thingamajigs. Featuring 211mph, the Brabus SV12 Biturbo can speed up from 0-62mph in just 4 seconds. Exhibited at the British Motor Show, it is accessible via long-wheelbase Mercedes S600 limo along with one of Brabus’ renowned 6.3litre V12 ‘Rocket’ engines, mounting 730bhp, condensed into it. Priced at £270,000, the IT aspect of the motor gathered my attention as the fat sum of £24,726.70 (ex. VAT) for the ‘Business equipment’ defines that concern is merely intellectual.

If willing to shell over the fat sum, you may get to access a retractable 15.2in widescreen TFT integrated, an infrared keyboard with touchpad, numerous multimedia screens fitted on the back of the headrests plus a laptop, which appears to be Windows Vista escalated in an electrically activates drawer in the boot. It also comes with incorporated Internet facility, sat nav and a console for a color printer. If lack funds to ink a deal with this deluxe coupe or on-wheels office then would propose you to go for a window shopping.

Read

“I love engulfed by luxurious accessories and can compromise on necessities,” whispered that elite soul after hearing about the onset of first-ever Luxurious Millionaire Fair in Munich. And attracting eyeballs is a $276,360 cell phone called ‘Angel of the Stars,’ encrusted with 1,700 natural diamonds and white gold.

Check out the video:

The exclusive luxury fair in Germany is expected to feature the best of the breed starting from cars, yachts, fashion, interior design, travel and food. Targeting the filthy-rich class, you can experience the latest in lifestyle displayed at more than 3000 meters of exhibition space. This four-day long event scheduled from 15-18 May would establish itself as a global platform for luxury in association with the Internet portal and premium magazine “JETSETMARKET.”

The selected spot Praterinsel serves as one of Germany’s most exclusive shopping miles emphasizing the ambiance of the first class location. Tickets are available for 35 Euros per person/per day.

Other luxury product exhibited at tehfirst day of Millionaire Fair was a perfume flacon festooned with Swarovski stones.

Via | Luxusmesse

U.S collector Richard Baron Cohen has scheduled ‘Raffinesse & Eleganz’, an exhibition in Berlin, displaying more than 150 pieces hand painted from 303 photographs. What made this exhibition special is the fact that those photographs were captured by the cameraman on his year-long tour to picture hippos in 101 zoos in 33 countries.

The exhibition shows ceramic of the early 19th century collected by Cohen and is open for the public from July 28 until November 4 in the German capital.

The pot above is the porcelain of the so-called ‘Hippopotamus Service’, one of the products to be displayed at the exhibition with Cohen standing next to it.

Check out this deco styled black Bakelite ashtray.

Mr. Bib or Michelin sitting at peace on the edge of Bakelite ashtray was first introduced in 1895. Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created his phenol-formaldehyde polymer resin, Bakelite, in 1907.

This was a promotional effort on behalf of the Michelin tire company to promote pneumatic tires. The ashtray was displayed at an exhibition at London’s Science Museum on 22 May, 2007.

His creamy white body figured as a stack of tires from head to ankles is made up of urea formaldehyde. This product has no marks or burns of cigarettes and measures about 5 3/4″ by 5 3/8″ in diameter and about 4 5/8″ tall. Buy it from here.

The aim of the exhibition was the celebration of the 100th birthday of the world’s first entirely synthetic material, plastic.

Price: $235