The Fuente Fuente OpusX is inarguably the rarest cigar in the world. The cigar marks 30 years of tradition and is one of the only Dominican Puro's producted in the world. Because of the Fuente family's deep rooted tradition to never rush the hands of time, the Fuente Fuente OpusX is released sparingly. The Fuente Fuente OpusX cigars are consistently ranked among the world's finest. With such a high demand for the Opus X, they are extremely rare and often hard to find.
Introduced in 2004, the Opus 22 is a limited edition box of twenty-two Opus X cigars that the Fuente family has designated all net profits to the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, a charity established by Carlos Fuente, Jr. to provide humanitarian support to the people of the Dominican Republic. Support this fine organization and buy yourself a box at ThompsonCigar.com ($750).
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Arturo Fuente OpusX - Limited Edition
Piaget White Gold Diamond Sapphire Ring
From Piaget’s new Limelight Paris-New York collection, this ring was unveiled at SIHH 2008, and is part of the New York Couture inspired part of the line.
The collection shows contrasts between the two fashion capitals of the world and their diverse fashion and architecture influences.
Loaded with 528 brilliant cut diamonds of approximately 7.17 total carats, this ring a shiner! Add to that 35 baguette cut diamonds totaling around 3.8 carats and luscious blue sapphires – about 2.64 total carats over 116 pieces.
Maurice Lacroix Memoire 1 Watch
Maurice Lacroix just unveiled their stunning Memoire 1 which houses a number of innovations under the Memoire's sleek watch face.
This is the first mechanical watch with a memory function. Inside the white gold case is a 48 jewel automatic movement, transparent mineral based hour disc, and a chronograph with "mechanical memory" that can remember elapsed times.
For example, you can switch into chrono mode, setting the hands to 12 o’clock and then revert to watch mode and the hands will flit back to their correct position.
It should be with a retail price of £135,000 ($270,000).
Targa version of the Bugatti Veyron
AutoExpress has revealed that production of version of the Bugatti Veyron will be limited to just 80 units against 300 for the coupé.
Featuring a removable hard-top roof panel, it will deliver an incredible driving experience thanks to its 987bhp 6.0-litre W16 engine. While the ‘standard’ car costs £840,000, the Targa is likely to be close to £900,000!
Even though the hard-top will be removable, there will be no space for it to be stored inside the car. If the heavens open, though, owners can make use of a fabric cover that can be extended to protect the cabin.
To cope with the loss of structural rigidity brought about by the removal of the roof, engineers will reinforce the Veyron’s chassis – a process which is likely to add to the model’s already hefty 1,950kg kerb-weight. As a result, the Targa won’t quite match the performance of the coupé version – the maximum speed will be limited to 217mph.
The wraps are expected to come off the Veyron Targa officially at a major motor show in 2009.
Jade Jagger & Belvedere create the Jagger Dagger
Belvedere vodka has come up with a new promotional item, the Jagger Dagger, a sword developed by jewelry designer Jade Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and model Bianca Jagger.
The sword dipped in 18K-white gold comes encrusted with 12-carats of brilliant-cut diamonds, 42 pastel sapphires, and a vital blue lapis lazuli square. The blade is formed using mirror-polished carbon steel with an impression of the similar tree twigs that adorn the Belvedere bottle.
The “Jagger Dagger” is being considered for tableside ice-picking service with the sword provided by servers at distinct nightspots i.e. 1OAK in New York, Crystal in London and VIP in Paris.
Lately, Jade unveiled this revolutionary creation by throwing a gala party in the company of around 90 plus guests. The dagger is retailed at $250,000.
there are other models that have white topaz and aquamarine instead of diamonds and sapphires. This one would cost you only $10,000.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Gucci Bamboo Bracelet
There was a waiting list a few months back and there are still some restrictions on when you can purchase them and how many you can get. 18 kt yellow gold, black enamel and the dramatic bamboo print make this bracelet a stunning addition to any accessories collection. Available on saksfifthavenue for $6,600!
Eddie Healey Pays Girls Aloud £125,000 For Performance
Feisty pop group, Girls Aloud made a fast £125,000 ($250,000) for a 1 hour performance at British Billionaire, Eddie Healey’s 70th birthday party.
By all accounts, Mr Healey went to town with the rest of his bash by spending a further £300,000 ($600,000) on hiring a ballroom and entertaining 300 guests at London’s Dorchester Hotel.
$10,000 Portable Drink Station
The portable bar is developed in Germany and is imported from there. It has an integrated refrigerator, ice machine, flute holders, bottle bins, and wooden serving shelf. It can be yours on a drop of $10,000.
available on opulentitems
The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain
The Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas showcases the world's tallest chocolate fountain designed by award-winning executive pastry chef Jean Philippe Maury. At 26 feet tall the fountain circulates nearly 2100 pounds of dark, milk and white chocolate at the rate of 120 quarts per minute :* 6 pumps circulate close to 2 tons of chocolate
* Over 500 feet of stainless steel piping
* Chocolate circulates at 120 degrees F
* Climate controlled enclosure maintained at 95 degrees F
* Chocolate rises 27 vertical feet from lower level pump room
* 6 ceiling spouts disburse chocolate 14 feet above floor level
* Chocolate cascades into 25 hand-crafted artistic glass vessels
* 2 years of engineering, planning and design
IYC announce two new superyacht charter listings
IYC (International Yacht Collection, LLC.), recently announced the addition of two new superyachts to their charter and management fleet, the M/Y TUSCAN SUN and the M/Y CHEVY TOY (Ex JANIE).
The 147’ 7” (45m) six (6) stateroom M/Y TUSCAN SUN was built in 2006 by Izar/Navantia and can accommodate twelve (12) guests. She has a crew of nine (9). The beautiful interior also includes oversize windows on the main and bridge decks that provide stunning views. A selection of water toys are available as well as a gym.
The TUSCAN SUN is available at a rate of EU 160,000/wk. for the Summer of 2008 and $235,000/wk. for the Winter of 2008/09. Her charter schedule is West Med - Riviera/Corsica/Sardinia, West Med - Naples/Sicily for the Summer of 2008 and Caribbean - Windward, Caribbean – Leeward for Winter 2008/09.
The 157’ (47.8m) M/Y CHEVY TOY has a spectacularly rich interior that mirrors a stately home of Europe. Built in 2004 by Trinity Yachts, this plush superyacht has a baby grand piano, large swim platform, and air-conditioned alfresco dining for 10 on the aft deck. There is also a Kaleidescape entertainment system throughout for easy selection from yacht’s central movie and music libraries.
The CHEVY TOY is available at a rate of $157,000/wk. in the Bahamas for Summer 2008 and $165,000/wk. in Winter 2008/09 in Caribbean - Windward, Caribbean – Leeward.
Eco-house sells for £7.2million
An innovative eco-friendly home in a Cotswold nature reserve has been sold for a world record £7.2 million for a country house. The 'thoroughly modern manor house', modelled on a bee orchid found on the reserve, was sold off-plan last week. The buyer has chosen to remain anonymous but speculation is rife with Brad Pitt having looked at the plans and Kylie Minogue having stayed nearby recently.
The size of an average semi, the cost works out at £3,000 per square foot.
Orchid House will be part of the Lower Mill Estate, built on a 550-acre privately-owned nature reserve near Cirencester, known as the 'Capital of the Cotswolds'.
Building work for the house, which is one of the country's most complicated planning applications, will take three years to complete. It is hoped it will produce more energy than it uses, with an underground pump and geothermal heating. The house is designed by Sarah Featherstone, whose practice in east London is designing part of the Olympic athletes' village
Monday, April 28, 2008
Luxury Credit Cards
For quite some time the American express Centurion card or commonly known as the American black was a highly coveted item. For users of the American black there is no such thing as credit limits ordinary folks have to put up with.
The estimate is that at the moment there approximately 17,000 black cards in circulation. However to be eligible for the American express black you must charge 250,000 per year. The initiation fee will set you back for $5000, while the annual fee is $2500.
But apart from the no credit limit there are many added perks – a personal concierge service that will score tickets for events and make your reservations for you. Then there are the private shopping services that will open doors for you at all the major fashion houses.
However recently a number of cards has been launched that are supposed to offer same if not better perks then American express Centurion card. The Bank of America, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch have all launched versions of credit cards similar to American express black.
But the most coveted is the Stratus Rewards Visa or also known as the White card, which can be obtained through nomination by another member or invitation only. The annual fee will set you back $1500 and the perks are many — from discounts on private jets, discounts on luxury goods to travel insurance up to $1 million.
A 206.82 Carat Sapphire Pendant May Fetch $1.5 million
Here comes a perfect antique gift for your beloved. Featured above is a 206.82 carat sapphire pendant encrusted with diamonds to be auctioned at Sotheby’s auction house in Geneva, London.
Designed by jeweller Cartier in 1951, the pendant formely was a part of collection of Britain’s Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. It is anticipated to fetch $1.1-1.5 million (Euros 6,97,000-9,50,000) on 15 May.
a Ron Arad sofa may fetch up to $160,000
a Ron Arad sofa may fetch up to 80,000 pounds ($159,000) at a London sale this week that aims to tap demand for ``design art.''
The steel work looks amazing -- just don't sit in it. "If you're sitting on a polished metal sofa with rivets on your jeans you have to be careful,'' said Ben Williams, a design specialist at Phillips de Pury ."Sitting on these pieces tends to be reserved for special occasions. They're usually just looked at as a sculptural element in the room.'' [...]
Other objects at the April 24 sale of 246 lots also blur the line between design and art. A carbon-fiber table by Australian- born Marc Newson may fetch up to 200,000 pounds. Phillips's inaugural design sale in London, at its new Howick Place auction rooms, has a total estimate of 1.4 million pounds to 2 million pounds.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
A $60,000 Ice Cream Sundae
The sundae costs $3,333.33 and consists of a banana split made with syrups from three rare dessert wines, served with an ice cream spoon from the 1850s. If you give them a day's notice, they'll even have a cellist play while you eat it (1/3 of the price is being donated to a local land trust).
If its not expensive enough, then perhaps the $60,000 "World's More Expensive Most Expensive Ice Cream Sundae" will pique your interest.
For $60,000 you can travel to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, where the Three Twins Ice Cream founder will handchurn a batch of ice cream using the glacial ice found at the summit.
The cost includes first class airfare to Tanzania, five-star accommodations, a guided climb, all the ice cream you can eat, and an organic T-shirt.
It should also be noted that a portion of the purchase will go to an African environmental nonprofit.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Misfits Modular Sofa
Misfits is a modular sofa series with a corner and central elements and two footstools that can be used separately or in different configurations.
Introduced at milan’s salone del mobile 2007, misfits elements look as natural as if shaped by wind and sea. comfortable, relaxed lounging is easily found within misfit’s eccentric and softly rounded seats. their unique shapes allow misfits elements to be used individually or any imaginable combination..
Designed by Ron Arad the pieces are sold separately for $3,489 - $7,235 on unicahome.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
JetSuite, A New Company By The Founders of JetBlue
A cadre of senior management from airlines that changed the rules in commercial aviation are now expecting to change the way people own and operate private jets. Through JetSuite, private jet owners can fly their planes whenever they want and yet still receive $25,000 per month in return for allowing the company to charter the aircraft out to others during any downtime.
JetSuite was founded by Alex Wilcox, one of the founding team members at JetBlue Airways. The company has agreed to purchase 50 Embraer Phenom 100 very light jets on firm order and an additional 50 Phenom aircraft family options. With the 100 jet aircraft order, JetSuite is both the largest U.S. customer for the Embraer jet and the only operator currently planning to serve the West Coast with it once it obtains the necessary government approvals.
The Phenom 100 offers spacious comfort, superb performance and the latest technology. The jet's interior, designed by BMW Group DesignWorksUSA, boasts the largest cabin, windows and baggage compartment in its class. With a range of up to 1,160 nm, short runway capabilities, speeds up to 380 knots and a cruising altitude of 41,000 ft., the Phenom 100's performance is best-in-class.[...]
For more information, please visit www.jetsuite.com
Randomly Crystallised Swarovski
Swedish designers Front created Randomly Crystallised which is a collection of vases and lights for the Swarovski Crystal Palace, a high-end crystal and glass store.
The pieces were made by combining cut crystals with hard blown liquid crystal.
“Front has experimented with crystal as a material,” the design company says of itself. “They have let the precision-cut crystals merge with hot liquid crystal to create a method where all the objects get an individual expression.”
Zenith Mega Port Royal Tourbillon
The case is in black titanium and sports a protective grill across the sapphire crystal that is meant to offer additional protection to the crystal. What makes this piece interesting though is the introduction of an anchor in silicon, marking a major milestone for the manufacture and a wholly unanticipated one at that.
The tourbillon carriage ‘sits behind bars’ at the 11 o’clock position, and makes one revolution per minute. The Grande Date version features a patented three-disk system that is yet another mechanical advancement from the brand this year.
Diamond Tiara May Fetch $6,000,000
A model poses with a tiara bearing a 101.27-carat shield-shaped diamond during a preview by the Christie's auction house in Hong Kong on April 22, 2008. The tiara has an estimated value of 6-7.5 million USD) and will be auctioned at the company's spring sale of jewels on May 28.
Via AFP / USAtodayGold Mickey Mouse statue
Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment and jeweler Ginza Tanaka have made this gold Mickey Mouse statue as part of a campaign to promote the Blu-ray DVD release of “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.”
The 12-cm-tall, 1-kg statue, which is valued at 3.23 million yen ($31 095) will be displayed in Tanaka’s Ginza store through April 29, and then tour Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sendai.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Burj al Arab Swarovski crystal
Burj Al Arab and the world's finest producer of crystal, Swarovski, offer you a chance to own a collector's item beyond compare. Take the exquisite lines of this landmark building home with you in the form of a handcrafted mini Burj Al Arab Swarovski crystal.
Standing 153mm high, only 500 pieces of this exclusive symbol of luxury have been created.
Only these official, limited edition crystals capture the true splendour of Burj Al Arab - make sure you have the authentic masterpiece in your collection.
The crystal model is available at Al Dukan boutiques at Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah, and all other Jumeirah properties upon request, and is priced at AED 4,250 ($ 1170).
The $1.63 Million Diamond and Platinum Handbag
This diamond studded platinum handbag was on display recently in Tokyo by jewelry maker GinzaTanaka. Valued at $1.63 million dollars, this bag is shaped out of pure platinum and boasts 2,182 diamonds totaling 208 carats.
Most Expensive Marmalade
Marmalade, often served with toast as part of a full English breakfast, is usually made from fruit (usually oranges), sugar, water and, possibly, a gelling agent. Add in gold, vintage champagne and Dalmore 62, the world’s most expensive scotch, and you have Duerr’s entry into the World’s Original Marmalade Festival in Cumbria. At £5,000 ($9,743 USD), Duerr’s offering is certainly the world’s most expensive marmalade.
The three-day festival, located near Ullswater—the second largest lake in the English Lake District—in Dalemain House, is meant to find the best marmalade. Last year, the festival attracted over 350 entries. This year, judges will be trying the most expensive marmalade in the world. A slice of toast on which the marmalade has been spread is estimated to be worth £76 ($148 USD)—disregarding the cost of the toast itself.
The World’s Original Marmalade Festival starts on February 7th. Entries must be received by February 3rd with the jar labeled with the date the marmalade was made as well as the entrant’s name and telephone number on the bottom. Entries cost £5 ($9.74 USD).
Executive Jet -- The Bombardier Global Express XRS
If you want to fly around in style then you need the world’s most expensive jet, the Bombardier Global Express XRS ultra long-range business jet.
This jet will travel up to 6,150 nautical miles at a cruise speed of Mach 0.85, and 5,450 nm.
The price tag for this jet is a sky-high £24,250,000
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Piaget Limelight Secret Diamond Cuff
Inspired by the elegance of a New York formal evening, this Piaget masterpiece showcases the theme of bows, realized in 18K gold and a magnificent constellation of diamonds, totaling over 45 carats in all. The intricacy of the case and bracelet design is truly spectacular, leaving one in wonder over the skills possessed by the master jewelers of the house.
Gold Macbook Air
All the super rich geeks, watch out for this decked out 24 karat gold MacBook Air with a decorated version of the classic rainbow Apple.
Air is a standard 1.6ghz/2gb/80GB, with a 24-karat gold plating, polished exterior, and flat/crystallite interior. The price: $5000 USD. However you will have to chip in another 3000$ for the rainbow which is 14-karat gold with 3.8ctw sapphires.
Luxury Clinic For Russian Billionaires
Caviar for patients recovering from a blood test, psychoanalysis at 10,000 dollars (6,360 euros) per hour: nothing is too much for ailing billionaires at the Neo Vita clinic in Moscow's swishest suburb.
For the clinic's founder, Artyom Tolokonin, ensuring good health for the capital's super-rich inhabitants is even better for his pocket book.
The 33-year-old psychoanalyst says that about a dozen residents of the Rublyovka neighbourhood -- dubbed Moscow's Beverly Hills -- are paying for year-round treatments costing as much as a million dollars (636,000 euros) a time. [...]
Visitors pass a police post and surveillance cameras, before having their street shoes clad in clean overshoes, and entering a hallway gently illuminated by liquid-like jets of light.
Multiple flat TV screens broadcast images of the countryside along to specially composed anti-stress music.
Everything at Neo Vita is done to pamper not only the bodies, but the egos and reputations of patients. Examination room doors remain unmarked "so as not to advertise our clients' problems," as Tolokonin explained.
Clients even more keen on privacy can use a discreet side door. One, a well known businessman, according to Tolokonin, has even paid 200,000 dollars (127,000 euros) to reserve the entire place to himself when he visited his doctor.
"People able to pay 10,000 dollars (6,360 euros) for an hour of psychoanalysis are a very specific sort," said Tolokonin, who has practised in the Rublyovka neighbourhood for six years. [...]
However, Natalya, [...] said she and her husband, "who works in the gas sector," visit Neo Vita every week. "Basically we pay a little less than 10,000 dollars (6,360 euros) an hour," she said. "But health is more valuable than money." [..]
Tolokonin said the extraordinary prices were justified."The rich go to London for a dentist or a popular dietician in Switzerland, but their soul can only be healed here."
Russian billionaires have the same problems as their counterparts elsewhere -- fatigue, insomnia, substance abuse, impotence -- but "Western psychoanalysts don't know the Russian mentality," Tolokonin said.[..]
First Luxury Riverboat to Sail the Amazon
The first luxury expedition boat to cruise the Amazon has just launched: the MV Aqua. The Aqua is a high-end riverboat (think Tom Sawyer meets Diddy's yacht) designed by Peruvian architect Jordi Puig with 12 oversized guest suites and all the right amenities (280-thread-count Peruvian sheets), including four master suites with incredible 180-degree panoramic views of the jungle and blue waters.
As for the trip, the Aqua leaves Iquitos and hits the Peruvian Amazon, taking you to the stunning Pacaya Samiria Reserve, so remote only a handful of world travelers has ever reached it. It's filled with secluded villages, beaches, neon birds and exotic wildlife (from boa constrictors to black jaguars and pink dolphins).
Back on board, enjoy pre-dinner cocktails in the open-air lounge, then take in some nouveau-Peruvian cuisine from one of Lima's hottest chefs, Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. The observation deck is ideal for lounging and drinking—whether under the stars or the sun—and just taking in the river going by.
Rates start at $1950 per person.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
World’s most expensive bed linen with pure gold
Those who expect the best, whatever the time of day, Charlotte Thomas’s exclusive ‘Bespoke’ bedding collection provides the utmost in night-time luxury and sophistication.
Charlotte Thomas’s sumptuous designs are hand made to individual specification, using the finest super 150’s Merino wool spun with genuine 22 carat gold, luxuriously backed with fine Indian hand-loom silk jacquard.
Ingeniously, the result is both substantially rich and dreamily soft; and complemented with the finest thousand-count Egyptian cotton sheets complete each set[...]
Charlotte Thomas’ Bespoke is made of some of the rarest fabrics in the world, and as such availability is limited, with order times up to 12 weeks from initial consultation.
All enquiries are handled personally by members of the Charlotte Thomas management team, or through select outlets worldwide. A single cover can cost £1,200 ($2400)
World Records Set at $8.5 Million Rolex Auction
Nine world records were set at Antiquorum's massive vintage Rolex auction on April 17, entitled Revolution: The Evolution of the Rolex Sport Watch, commemorating the brand's 100th anniversary. In total, $8,515,260 worth of timepieces were sold to bidders worldwide.
Among the records set was $237,600 each for two highly-prized 1967 Sea-Dweller Submariners, and $166,800 for a 1973 Submariner originally issued to the British military. The most beautiful watch in the sale, the rare "Jean-Claude Killy" Antimagnetic Oyster Chronograph, fetched $155,000, while the highest price was brought in by a 1979 "Comex" model Sea-Dweller, which went for $248,800. [...]
Record $500,000 paid for 27 bottles of red wine
One Beijing-based billionaire has splashed out a record $500,000 on 27 bottles of red wine, London-based Antique Wine Company said on Saturday.
The anonymous Chinese entrepreneur bought a mix of vintages of Romanee Conti, a Burgundy wine and considered to be among the world's most exclusive with only 450 cases produced each year.[...]
"It is the highest price that has ever been achieved for a single lot," Managing Director Stephen Williams of the London- based Antique Wine Company told Reuters on Saturday.
"I don't think he has bought this as an investment -- he has bought it to drink," he added. "The fine wine industry is completely immune from the global credit crunch."
The client's biggest previous purchase was 30,000 pounds ($59,880) for a case of 1982 Chateau Petrus.
Williams believes the Romanee Conti sale marks a significant change in Chinese wine buying habits. "In the past, the Chinese have been drawn to the magnificent but simplistic qualities of the wines from the great chateaux of Bordeaux.
"Now, our leap in sales of Domaine de la Romanee Conti to mainland China this year in particular is indicating a broadening of their fine wine education and appreciation to the more complex wines of Burgundy."[...]
Malcolm Forbes, the late publisher of Forbes' magazine, set a record in December 1985 when he paid 105,000 pounds, then about $162,750, for a 1787 bottle of red wine made by Bordeaux's prestigious Chateau Lafitte.
In 2006 the Antique Wine Company sold the world's most expensive bottle of white wine, a regular-sized bottle of Chateau d'Yquem 1787 for just under $100,000.