Lamborghini's new line of Carbon Fiber bags are meant for the classic executives

Lamborghini carbon fiber bagsLamborghini carbon fiber bags

Lamborghini earlier used carbon fiber, like most others in their cars and other automotive offerings, but in a first of a kind option they have created a series of bags from the very same carbon fiber, by converting the material into fabric. Appealing through the slanted finishing of the fabrics, each of these bags will have palladium finished galvanized brass accessories, and hand-mounted studs with cotton linings in the internal parts, which have been put together in phases by expert craftsman.

‘Star Wars: The Highlights’ book brings to life the designing of the artificial universe

Star Wars: The Blueprints limited edition bookStar Wars: The Blueprints limited edition book

In a ‘tell-all’ version of the artificial universe, the makers of Star Wars are bringing out a limited edition book which elaborates in comprehensive detailing, the construction and ideation process of one of the greatest media franchisees. With close to 70,000 words and hundreds of pictorials, very interesting and rarely known details will be out for the Star Wards to look upon like never before.

Kim Kardashian's Judith Leiber cake-shaped wedding purse

Kim Kardashian’s cake shaped purseKim Kardashian’s cake shaped purse by Judith Leiber

Months after the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, next much talked about wedding was of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries that happened on 20th August, 2011 which was no less than a fairy tale. Every minute thing related to her wedding was taken care of very well by her. Kim ensured that everything was just perfect and princely, right from the wedding dresses to lavish reception and, of course purse that happens to be an important accessory. The beautiful bride carried the wedding purse made by a well-known designer handbag maker Judith Lieber. The elegant bags were designed not just for the bride but for the entire Kardashian’s family.

A rare 32-carat yellow diamond estimated to fetch $8M at Christie’s auction

One of the world’s most renowned auction houses, Christie’s, is well in the process of auctioning a rare 32.77-carat vivid yellow diamond at Magnificent Jewels sale in New York City on October 18. The company is expecting to fetch around $8 million from the sale of this exquisite diamond. This jewel is ranked as the rarest of gemstones in its class because of its vivid deep yellow color.

Piaget launches limited edition Dragon and Phoenix timepieces for ‘Year of the Dragon’

Piaget Dragon & Phoenix watch collectionPiaget Dragon & Phoenix watch collection, which has designs of the dragon and phoenix for celebrating the Year of the Dragon

Piaget’s expertise at playing with diamonds, crystals and other precious metals to create horological masterpieces are indeed common knowledge now, and it comes out yet again in the ‘Dragon’ and ‘Phoenix’ series which are tributes to the year 2012, otherwise called the ‘Year of the dragon’ in the orient countries. A true symbol of the works by hand, these timepieces will certainly look to exceed standards earlier set by Piaget other masterpieces such as the 21 blackjack and the New York Polo Tourbillon timepieces.

This new series will have more than 20 models in them, including some princely highlights like the Piaget Emparador XL, Altiplano Double Jeu and Limelight Twice. Piaget Emparador has an 18K pink gold case with hand engraved dragon monogram, and embellished 257 brilliant cut diamonds. The back of the casing is a sapphire crystal structure with a dragon ideogram, and the strapping is made of grey alligator leather with had stitching. Moving over to the more blinged and whiter version is the Altiplano Double Jeu, which has 2 casings of 18K white gold. The upper case has 381 brilliant cut diamonds and 60 baguette cut diamonds. The case back has the prominent dragon monogram. The movement is powered by a tourbillon which is ultra thin in design, is hand wound and has a reserve of 60 hours of power. The strapping of this timepiece created with white alligator leather with 26 diamonds and looking at the exclusivity factor, only 8 pieces will ever be made.

The Limelight Twice is another one with a double sided design, and both of them are made of 18K white gold. Compared to the Altiplano, it has a lesser quantity of diamonds at 226 pieces totaling 4.6 carat in weight. Both the dials are made in silver, and have been given the phoenix monograms which symbolize the feminine values of the orient. The movement is empowered by the 56P quartz movement which is exclusively associated with the watchmaker. The strap is created with satin with options for either a black one or a white handcrafted one. However, when you are done ‘vowing’ these masterpieces of horology, you could also take a look at the Bovet Only Watch 2011 timepiece, and the Cornelius & Cie Tourbillon watch which have carried concepts of the Year of the dragon.

Five Of The Most Expensive Michael Jackson Pieces

It could definitely be argued that the most expensive item associated with Michael Jackson hasn't sold yet. Plenty of items tied to his career and his life remain off the market as his family continues to sort out the complicated legacy the singer left behind. In the end, it may turn out that the California real estate associated with him including Neverland Ranchor the home he was renting at the time of his death could be the most expensive Michael Jackson collectibles (depending of course on how you stretch that term).

Jackson's role in the collectible world is a complicated one. There are hundreds of Michael Jackson collectibles on the market at any given moment. Items associated with him and his career have value but also to be considered are the pieces that he inspired. Jackson was a muse for some of the world's top selling artists. In my research on the many associated Michael Jackson collectibles on the market I found that the most valuable pieces are mostly the works he inspired. This isn't a comprehensive list but it gives a look at some of the most expensive pieces associated with Jackson.

The golden sculpture shown above by artist Jeff Koons is one of the most famous pieces of Michael Jackson inspired art. There are four of these statues, the artist proof is in the Broad collection, one is at the The Dakis Joannou Collection Foundation in Athens and another at the San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art. The one shown above sold at Sothebys in 2001 for $5,615,750 some say it could easily bring at least twice that today.

It doesn't look much like Michael Jackson but the piece above, Michael Jackson Fucked Up (Big Head) by Paul McCarthy is a riff on the earlier work by Jeff Koons, of Michael Jackson holding his pet chimpanzee Bubbles. The bronze statue with the oversized head sold for $2,210,500 at Christie's in 2008. More recently at Art Basel Miami Beach, a Jackson-themed piece from McCarthy's White Snow series sold for $450,000.

Andy Warhol executed a small series of portraits of Michael Jackson in the 1980s, one of which was used as a cover for Time magazine and is now in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Jackson was featured on the cover of Warhol's own Interview magazine. This piece executed in 1984 sold at Christies in 2009 for $812,500. A similar piece sold at Sotheby's in 2009 for $278,500.

There are plenty of Michael Jackson collectibles on the market. Jackson collected thousands of objects during his life, so much so that shortly before his death he had planned to auction off many of his possessions from furniture to costumes but later changed his mind and canceled the multi-day event. The pieces that sell for the most money are the ones most associated with Jackson's glory days. Last year on the first anniversary of Michael Jackson's death one of the crystal-encrusted gloves the King of Pop wore during the1984 "Victory Tour" sold for $192,000 at the Julien's Auctions at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas but the glove shown above, brought in a total of $420,000 at a different Julien's Auctions event in 2009. Other items that have sold well include costumes used during Michael Jackson's tours and some of the fedoras he wore on stage.

Perhaps my favorite on the list is the portrait by artist Kehinde Wiley that Michael Jackson himself commissioned before his death. Jackson had a love of portraits of himself. This work, titled Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II, sold at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2009 for $175,000.

Spider-Man Comic Book Sells For $1.1 Million

The comic book market continues to boom as the first comic book to feature Spider-Man sold for $1.1 million through comic book auction house ComicConnect.com, the same house that sold a 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, featuring Superman's debut last year for a record $1.5 million. Action Comics No. 1 originally sold for 10 cents and the Marvel Spider-Man sold for 12 cents in 1962. The copy that sold is in excellent condition and the cover shows Spider Man swinging by a web. Early comic books from the 1930s to 1950s are often called Golden Age comic books. The Spider-Man comes from what is known as the Silver Age this sale may end up raising the prices of other Silver Age books. Spider-Man remains popular with the public. A much-maligned and very expensive Spider-Man show is on Broadway and the movie franchise is being rebooted.

Breguet Marine Tourbillon Ref. 5839 High Jewellery Chronograph Watch

In the watch world diamonds seem to make just about everything better. This Ref. 5839 Marine Troubillon High Jewellery watch is a diamond encrusted version of the Ref. 5937 from a few years ago.Breguet outfitted the watch case and dial with an impressive amount of diamonds, but still was able to retain that signature Breguet Marine watch look.

The 43mm wide 18k white gold case as about 11.77 carats of stones on it. One of the neatest parts is how Breguet was able to maintain the coined edge of the case using specially cut diamonds. Also not the unique pattern the diamonds create for the bezel. On the dial smaller diamonds are set in the middle of the dial and don't overshadow the hands. The dial itself is silvered 18k gold. Overall Breguet did a great job giving a men's jewelry watch a functional face.

Inside the watch is a Breguet caliber 554.4 manually wound tourbillon movement with the time and a chronograph complication. The watch has 50 hours of power reserve with special features that include a silicium balance spring and escapement wheel.

Taj Hotels teams up with Jaguar for a Jaguar-themed suite

Taj hotel Teams up with JaquarTaj hotel Teams up with Jaquar for a suit

Location: The Jaguar Suite is located at 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites and Residences, side-street between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Cathedral, London. The Jaguar suite is a newly added feature to the already known Taj, and will be available from September.

Accommodation: This five star TATA enterprise Taj hotel has collaborated with another TATA company Jaguar, and has added two suits in the hotel that are sleekly-designed 1,832 square ft suites, inspired by Jaguar’s timeless style and technological innovation, which will be the first of its kind in the world. The bedroom is evidently designed with the inspiration from the Jaguar models of cars of legendary 1960’s E-type to the state-of-the art C-X75. The rooms are designed by the Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum and his in-house design team, hence the rooms feature the custom-built auto motivated artwork. The material used in the decor and the furnishing are leather, metal and high gloss veneers. The rooms are equipped with super king sized beds, grand sized bathrooms and marble floored showers. Further, the room is decorated with subtle Jaguar motifs and artwork, and consists of dining area to accommodate 10 people, a fully ready gloss black kitchen and a number of gadgets including TV’s, Blu-ray players and sound systems. The room also features the unique wall that is covered in Italian leather, and is embedded with a 42 inch television with minimalist clean-fuel fireplace. There is no word on the tariff as of now. Apart from these two suites, the hotel features 86 contemporary suites from one to nine bedrooms, including the Presidential floor, separate living room, fully-equipped kitchens and luxurious bathrooms.

Fine Dinning: Apart from the Jaguar room which has a dinning space for 10 people, the hotel has three separate restaurants and three bars for the elegant guests.

Other Highlights: The hotel is built in a true English style as the architecture gives glimpse of the history of England. Award-winning Courtyard garden plays a beautiful ornate cherub ordained fountain (allegedly a gift from Queen Victoria). Another highlight of the hotel is the Michelin starred Quilon Restaurant which serves southern coastal Indian cuisine. The hotel has an array of rejuvenating spa option with a bespoke treatment range designed by Anne Sémonin.

The original pink panther car goes on auction, yet again

The Pink ‘Panthermobile’The Pink ‘Panthermobile’, used in the TV series during the 1970’s.

‘Pink Panther’ the movie and TV series which gave us many reasons to laugh our hearts out during the 1970’s, went on to become one of the most memorable franchises for the high quality comic content in it, and also the uniqueness of the characters that were involved. In the TV series, a pink ‘Panthermobile’ featured which caught everyone’s fancy for its abstract design and looks, which is now up for sale yet again. Apart from the eccentrics in brings, it also carries with it decades of cinematic memories so very clearly known to us.

The idea of the car was conceived by master artesian Jay Ohrberg whose credits include the ‘Back to the future’ DeLorean vehicle. After putting this idea together and producing the vehicle, he owned the vehicle till 2007, when it was sold off for an amount of $130,136. Now, the current owner is putting this unique vehicle for sale where estimations about the pricing is said to be in the region of $182,895. Other than the unique design, the care is known for having a complete pink color coordinated body and interiors, except for the steering wheels and tires. The front seat is a solo open-air space meant for the driver, where as the passenger seats are located at the back, under the car’s covered area. Ironically, the engine isn’t functional anymore but plans are being made for refurbishing it yet again so that the new owner may have the pleasure of driving it around town.

The Pink ‘Panthermobile’The Pink ‘Panthermobile’

The ‘Panthermobile’ will be showcased at the Chelsea Auto Legends auction later this year, which will have multiple such legendary cars displayed for everyone to view. For lovers of the TV series, this one will hopefully be of prime importance. If you are looking for other such ‘Pinked’ vehicles, and its trend amongst the stars, our piece on customized pink cars would be a fair reference point.

Abramovich's £150 million London home extends three stories underground

roman abramovich london home

The latest addition to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s ever-growing property portfolio is the luxurious £150 million home in Lowndes Square in London. The Russian billionaire, who is known for his extravagant ways, has bought all nine flats of a prime London block by Harvey Nichols and Harrods. His new eight-bedroom building is spread across two stucco-fronted properties and has three stories underground. The palatial property features a swimming pool, staff apartments and 30,000 square feet of space. The house is over five stories above ground and three basement levels.

The lavish amenities include a cinema/entertainment room, an indoor pool, steam room and sauna, and a children’s study and entertainment room. The six family bedrooms and two guest suites will be equipped with en suite bathrooms.

Chelsea football club owner Abramovich, who loves to invest in properties, has been buying the individual flats over the years. A property expert said…

I knew he was buying property in the square. But I didn’t realise all of them were in these two buildings. He was obviously determined to acquire them and just waited patiently until, one by one, they came on the market.

Som of the Abramovich’s other luxurious possessions include a luxury flat at the new Bridges Wharf, a spectacular £18 million country estate in Fyning Hill, West Sussex, a villa in the South of France, a palaticla house in Tuscany, a hotel complex in Cyprus, a holiday home in Montenegro, a house in Moscow and the $90 million estate in St. Bart’s.

roman abramovich london house

Bel-Air mansion becomes the most expensive U.S. real estate sold in 2010

bel air mansion

A few months back, we introduced you to the 10 most expensive homes from around the world and now, a Bel-Air mansion has made a new record for the most expensive real estate in the United States so far in 2010. The 48,000-square-foot French chateau “Le Belvedere” was sold by developer Mohamed Hadid to an anonymous LLC for something between $50 million and $72 million. Although the exact purchase price hasn’t been made public, the sale has managed to exceed the previous 2010 record of $46.5 million for a Colorado property. The lavish mansion was built in 2006 and features 19 fireplaces, 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and a three-flight elevator. Mohamed Hadid, who listed the property 15 months back at $85 million, said that even he doesn’t know the whereabouts of the buyer. He further said…

I think it did put L.A. back on the map. If you have a good product and quality real estate, you can sell.

There is a Moroccan entertaining room, a Turkish steam bath room, an infinity pool, an industrial kitchen with pizza oven, a grand ballroom, a screening gym, a game room and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar. While the garage of the estate can house 10 to 12 cars, a motor court takes care of outdoor parking.

Last year, DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg purchased a 6.3-acre estate in Beverly Hills for $35 million. The record for the most expensive property ever sold in California remains with an 8-acre estate in Bel-Air that was sold to Gary Winnick for $95 million back in 2000.

Real Estate Beat: Manhattan’s most expensive mansion goes on sale

manhattans 90 million townhouse

List Price: $90 million.

The Property: This French Gothic townhouse in Manhattan has just hit the market for a whopping $90 million, and that makes it New York’s priciest pad to date. The 35-foot-wide townhouse at 4 East 80th Street was built in 1916 for the middle daughter Helena (Mrs. Charles) McCann of American retail tycoon Frank Winfield Woolworth. Late gym mogul Lucille Roberts bought the townhouse in 1995 for $6 million. Now, her family has put the home on the market. If you think the asking price is too much, you can also rent it for a cool $210,000 a month.

Physical Address: 4 East 80th Street, Manhattan, New York, NY.

The Setting: The opulent mansion sits between two other mansions at 2 East 80 and 6 East 80 Street, which Frank Winfield Woolworth got built for his other daughters Edna (Mrs. Franklyn) Hutton and Jessie (Mrs. James) Donahue. Manhattan’s $90 million mansion is spread over 18,000 square feet, and features 10 bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms and 3 kitchens. The magnificent limestone façade of this neo-French Renaissance mansion features a central foyer opening to a grand entry hall that takes you to the main residence.

Lavish Amenities: The Gothic townhouse has a dining room that can seat over 50, a 35-foot-wide wood-paneled library, wet bar and powder room on the third floor, a gym, a master suite with two sitting rooms on the fourth floor and a staff suite. The fifth floor features two large bedrooms with full baths and a gym. The kitchen comes complete with a seating area and plenty of storage. The sixth floor has been built for a private office with a full bath and a powder room. The seventh floor is a two-bedroom staff suite with two full baths, a separate kitchen and elevator access.

Is the asking price too much?

The previous record for the most expensive house sold in Manhattan history was for the Harkness Mansion at 4 East 75th Street, when J. Christopher Flowers bought it for $53 million. World’s richest man Carlos Slim Helu purchased a Manhattan mansion last year for $44 million. So, it will be interesting to see if Woolworth’s house manages to sell for $90 million. It has been on market since January for nearly $210,000 per month, but hasn’t got any tenants so far.

Most expensive homes sold in the U.S.

most expensive homes in the us

Billionaire Yuri Milner’s recent purchase of a French chateau-style mansion in Silicon Valley has emphasized on the value of some of the luxury properties in the U.S. despite the housing slump. Last year, the world’s richest man Carlos Slim Helu purchased a century-old Beaux Arts townhouse on Fifth Avenue for $44 million, which is one of the most expensive townhouse sales ever in the city. After the jump are the top 11 most expensive residential properties sold in the U.S. over the last few years.

1. Yuri Milner buys Silicon Valley mansion for $100 million

russian billionaire pays record 100 million for si

Year of sale: 2011

This French chateau-style mansion in Silicon Valley was lately sold for a reported $100 million, which is the highest known price paid ever for a single-family home in the U.S. The buyer of the luxurious chateau is Yuri Milner, the billionaire founder of Moscow-based venture firm Digital Sky Technologies (DST). Mr. Milner has bought the house from Fred Chan, founder of ESS Technology, and he currently has no immediate plans to move into the new home. The 11-acre estate on Paloma Road in Los Altos Hills, California offers magnificent panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay.

2. Dmitri Rybolovlev buys Rybolovlev estate for $95 million

donald trumps 95 million palm beach mansion

Year of sale: 2008

Donald Trump sold the Rybolovlev estate at 515 N. County Road in Palm Beach to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev for $95 million back in 2008. The 33,000-square foot mansion enjoys an unobstructed oceanfront of 475 feet. Trump bought the property in 2004 for $41.4 million.

3. Gary Winnick buys a Bel Air estate for over $90 million

gary winnick bel air estate

Year of sale: 2000-2001

Former Global Crossing chairman Gary Winnick purchased this Los Angeles estate in the Bel Air neighborhood in around 2000-01 for around $94 million. Built in 1938, the house is also known as the “Weber Mansion” after a prior owner. The mansion features 20 bathrooms and is spread oner 28,725 square feet on 7.47 acres.

4. John L. Thornton buys Sidney Kimmel’s Plam beach home for $81.5 million

john l thornton sidney kimmel palm beach home

Year of sale: 2008

John L. Thornton, former Goldman Sachs partner and chairman of the Brookings Institution, bought movie producer Sidney Kimmel’s Palm Beach house for a cool $81.5 million. While the sale price was officially recorded in late 2008 at $77.5 million, listing agent Paulette Koch said the buyer paid another $4 million in closing costs. Thanks, JDubble07.

5. Dwight Schar buys Palm Beach house for $70 million

dwight schar palm beach home

Year of sale: 2004-2005

NVR Inc. chairman and chief executive officer Dwight Schar bought this property from billionaire Ron Perelman, and his then actress wife Ellen Barkin, for a cool $85.6 million. The 26,000-square-foot main house includes seven bedrooms, 18 bathrooms and a movie theater. The estate also has an oversized outdoor pool, a pool house, guesthouses, a spa and a gym

6. Anonymous LLC buys ‘Le Belvedere’ for $50 million

48000 square foot french chateau le belvedere

Year of sale: 2010

Developer Mohamed Hadid sold the 48,000-square-foot French chateau “Le Belvedere” to an anonymous LLC for a cool $50 million. The lavish mansion was built in 2006 and features 19 fireplaces, 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and a three-flight elevator. There is a Moroccan entertaining room, a Turkish steam bath room, an infinity pool, an industrial kitchen with pizza oven, a grand ballroom, a screening gym, a game room and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar.

7. J. Christopher Flowers buys a Manhattan townhouse for $53 million

j christopher flowers manhattan townhouse

Year of sale: 2006

J. Christopher Flowers, a private equity investor and founder of J.C. Flowers & Co., purchased a Manhattan townhouse on East 75th Street in 2006 for a whopping $53 million. The single-family townhouse sits over around 20,000 square feet.

8. Harry Macklowe buys $51.5 million condo at the Plaza Hotel

harry macklowe condo at plaza hotel

Year of sale: 2007

The 13,000-square-foot-condominium on the seventh floor of Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel was bought by developer Harry Macklowe in 2007 for a cool $51.5 million.

9. Len Blavatnik buys a Manhattan townhouse for $50 million

len blavatnik manhattan home

Year of sale: 2007

Russian oil magnate Len Blavatnik paid $50 million for his Seagram heir friend Edgar Bronfman Jr.’s townhouse at 15 East 64th Street, which makes it the second biggest New York townhouse deal in 2007. Mr. Bronfman was reported to have being paid only $4.375 million for the building in 1994.

10. Tommy Mottola buys Crystal Island Ranch for $47 million

tommy mottola crystal ranch

Year of sale: 2006

Music-industry veteran Tommy Mottola paid $47 million for a 949-acre ranch near Aspen, Colo. In 2006. Called Crystal Island Ranch, the property is located about 33 miles northwest of downtown Aspen. Crystal Island Ranch is spread over 1,705 acres with a 12,000-square-foot home, a barn with a guest house, two cabins, four bedrooms and four bathrooms and more.

11. Roland Arnall buys Mandalay Ranch for $46 million

roland arnall mandalay ranch

Year of sale: 2004

Mortgage company executive Roland Arnall purchased the 650-acre Mandalay Ranch from Hollywood movie mogul Peter Guber in 2004 for $46 million. The property includes wildflower meadows, ponds and the 15,000 sq. ft main home with seven bedrooms and 7 1/2 bathrooms.