Glamorous and Glitzy? Or Low-Key Cosy? How will you celebrate Christmas this year?
“Santa baby, a 54 convertible too, light blue
I’ll wait up for you dear
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight…”
– Eartha Kitt “Santa Baby”
Whether you yomp through Yuletide or embrace the festive season with the fervour of Father Christmas, one thing is for sure, it’s nearly here! This light-hearted 5-minute read looks at fantastical festive fun and how some spend (and we mean ‘spend’) their Christmas cash on celebrating 25th December.
Big ‘Bling’
While many people choose to “deck their halls with boughs of holly” with glimmering fairy lights and tasteful colour combinations, the rich and super-rich sometimes opt to go that one (or ten) steps further. If you use any of the ‘bling’ mentioned below, you will probably need to review your contents cover!
Diamond Stars
Most Christmas trees feature a Star or Christmas Angel on the top, but some decorations reach the peak of pure excess. In 2009 Hallmark Jewellers created an 18-carat white gold planet studded with 1,578 diamonds and encircled with rubies; it was priced at $136,0001.
Glitzy Garlands
A good quality Christmas wreath usually costs around £30 to £702, although bespoke wreaths from florists can cost more. But when a Finnish florist presented the most expensive Christmas wreath in the world, the average bells and bows found on most festively festooned doors faded into the background. The wreath in question was made in 2013 and featured flowers and forty diamonds and rubies which came to a grand sum total of $4.6 million3.
Christmas Collectables
If your Yuletide aesthetic is a little less ‘dash for cash’ and a little more understated, you might appreciate antique or vintage ornaments to dress your Christmas tree.
Reminiscent in appearance of some Fabergé eggs, ‘cotton batting’ Christmas ornaments were first created in the 19th century, with some worth over £1004. Or you could invest in real Fabergé eggs and hang them from your Christmas tree. Often selling at auction for millions (the most expensive one in the world is said to be worth around £29 million)5, they would be competition to the $136 million jewelled ornament mentioned previously, and put you leagues ahead in the local Christmas tree competition!
Christmas ‘Bubbly’!
If you’ve ‘got the bottle’ you too could follow in the footsteps of Italian brothers Giovanni and Piero Buono. In 2022, they bought a magnum of Champagne Avenue Foch 2017 for £2.1 million ($2.5 million) at auction6. It was the bottle itself which commanded such a high price, featuring digital artwork of the now-famous cult figure Bored Ape Mutant (a street art style character) and other collectable cartoon characters. The digital artwork was presented as an NFT (non-fungible token) – part of Ethereum cryptocurrency and acting as a unique trading card.
Classy Christmas Crackers
If you are feeling flush this year you could indulge in the £1,400 Set of Six Asprey Christmas crackers which include surprises such as enamel cufflinks, stud earrings, a whistle keyring and a ring pendant – all hallmarked sterling silver7.
Exquisite edibles
Did you know, the most expensive single mince pie ever made cost £3,500? It contained rare goji berries, expensive manuka honey and was decorated with gold leaf 8.
Socks versus sapphires
When it comes to Christmas, women buy more gifts, embracing the Christmas spirit and splurging their cash on presents for loved ones, plus the neighbours. This does not mean men are lacking in the generosity stakes; quite the opposite. Whilst women may offer more gifts, men spend more – 35% more than women9.
What do you give the person who has everything?
Many people are choosing to give experiences to their loved ones, rather than objects. These can range from a holiday, tickets to their favourite music artist, a sporting activity such as sailing or riding, a spa day, or a simple pleasure such as breakfast in bed.
If you do receive an expensive gift this Christmas, please remember to check your home contents cover around these additions, as you may need to review your insurance policy. We’re here to help.
Merry Christmas!
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- https://luxurylaunches.com/decor/diamond_studded_christmas_bauble_is_worlds_most_expensive_christmas_decoration.php
- https://www.johnlewis.com/browse/christmas/christmas-wreaths-garlands/_/N-5mix?chunk=3
- https://www.therichest.com/luxury/xmas-bells-the-worlds-most-expensive-christmas-decorations/
- https://antiques.lovetoknow.com/vintage-collectibles/exploring-antique-christmas-ornaments-values-charm
- https://luxe.digital/lifestyle/scene/most-expensive-faberge-eggs/#Third-Imperial-Easter
- https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2022/07/worlds-most-expensive-champagne-sells-for-record-us2-5-million/
- https://www.asprey.com/uk/luxury-christmas-crackers set.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvIKo4eOK-wIVg-_tCh0ZVAgDEAQYASABEgLgzvD_BwE
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/50660378
- https://www.finder.com/uk/christmas-shopping-statistics
