Christmas decorations generally include such humble accoutrements as Christmas stockings, candles, coloured paper banners and baubles, even gingerbread houses. But while many are content to wheel out the same decorations each year, others have been known to be much more ambitious. After all, if you can’t splurge at this time of year, when can you?
We present to you five of the most expensive Christmas decorations of all time.
This is the world’s most expensive #Christmas wreath costing £2,835,000 studded with over 40 diamonds and rubies. On sale now! 🎄💸 pic.twitter.com/UH1iGV2a0Y
— Believe It or Not! (@Ripleys) October 1, 2016
Diamond Christmas wreath by Pasi Jokinen-Carter (US$3.8 million)
First released in 2013, this Christmas wreath is like no other – with over 40 shimmering diamonds and rubies studded throughout. The 60cm wreath is an arrangement of blueberry stems, laurus nobilis, lingonberries, eucalyptus and ivy. Finnish florist to the royals, Pasi Jokinen-Carter, also adorned the wreath with pretty Helleborus flowers to better show off the diamonds.
In total, the gems boast 138.83 carats with 17.49 carat rubies and 3.03 carat yellow diamonds, which could of course be removed and reused. The entire decoration takes just under a week to make and is said to last for 12 days.
Solid gold Christmas tree by Ginza Tanaka (US$4.24 million)
Japanese goldsmith Ginza Tanaka has gained a reputation for creating solid gold Christmas trees in recent years. In 2006, the brand’s team of artisans unveiled their first gold Christmas tree, then worth US$850,000. Then in 2012, to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Walt Disney, they stunned fans with an even more expensive solid gold tree amounting to US$4.24 million.
The tree was 2.4 metres high, weighed 40kg and was cut in the shape of several of Disney’s most iconic characters, including Tinkerbell and Mickey Mouse.
Gold Santa figurine by Ginza Tanaka (US$1.8 million)
Who needs Santa to be dressed in red and white when he could be made of solid gold, for goodness’ sake? Take a bow, Ginza Tanaka, you’ve done it again. Yes, aside from the Japanese brand’s beautiful Christmas trees, it also created a gold Santa figurine. First released in 2007, it took three months to create and also features several small 1.7 carat diamonds. The figurine stands at 41cm high and weighs a whopping 20kg.
Diamond-studded Christmas star by 77 Diamonds (US$947,705)
Standing at 20cm high and 13cm wide, 77 Diamonds’ glittering, diamond-studded Christmas star is the most luxurious and expensive ornament you could possibly employ to lend sparkle to the top of your tree. Revealed by the jewellers in 2015, the star features more than 280 diamonds. Clients even have the option to select their preferred diamond colour to be added to the gold plated sterling silver piece. To make the Christmas hostess even more glamorous, the centre of the star could also be removed and worn as a necklace.
Christmas bauble by Mark Hussey (US$110,000)
Let’s be honest: Christmas baubles were always pretty glamorous, but this spherical delight is next level glitzy. Designed by Mark Hussey and generally considered to be the world’s most expensive Christmas bauble, the 2009 creation is adorned with thousands of tiny diamonds and 188 rubies to create a beautiful snowflake pattern.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
