The Most Expensive Christmas Gifts In The World

It’s an age-old question, but this winter the proverbial ‘What to get the girl who has everything’ is no longer a hypothetical question - from 6 figure antiques to £70,000 shopping sprees, there’s plenty out there for the super rich and their lucky WAGS. Here’s what you could expect to find under the tree if you’ve got a cool couple of billion in the bank...
40cm Black Togo Gold Hardware Power Birkin C Stamp, 2018, £20,721.12 | Hermes
40cm Black Togo Gold Hardware Power Birkin C Stamp, 2018, £20,721.12 | Hermes

The Handbag

The years may tick by, but a Birkin will always be the unrivalled ultimate handbag. Good luck scoring one at an Hermes store – the legendary wait list no longer exists in London (you’ll have to jet to Dubai or Paris for the luxury of a five year wait), so resale sites or first dibs are your best bet. But it’s true what they say about it being the only bag to appreciate in value – this brand new black design with gold hardware will set you back over £20k.

For the jet setter: those EasyJet flights back and forth from Ibiza really getting a loved one down? Give them the gift of travel with a Stratajet voucher. You can add as little or as much as you like towards a trip on one of the company’s private jets, but we just priced up a one-way ticket and they start at around £15k. Our advice? Get saving.

The Antique

It’s not every day a pair of vases command a six-figure price tag, but it’s also not every day that a legendary, now deceased architect puts her name to home accessories either. Designed by the late, great Dame Zaha Hadid (the brains behind London’s Serpentine Museum and repeat winner of the presitigious Stirling Prize), the vases are traditionally handcrafted by the Viennese silversmiths, and sat in the architect’s private collection before her death.

Zaha Hadid Sterling Silver Vase, £175,670.42 each | Wiener Silber Manufactur
Zaha Hadid Sterling Silver Vase, £175,670.42 each | Wiener Silber Manufactur

Did you know: The most expensive Christmas tree ever on record cost £7 million, and took pride of place in the lobby of the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Its branches were adorned with rings, necklaces and other extravagant jewellery encrusted with emeralds, sapphires, pearls and diamonds.

The Ultimate Party Wardrobe, £70,000 | NET-A-PORTER
The Ultimate Party Wardrobe, £70,000 | NET-A-PORTER

The Wardrobe

Most of us would be content with just one NET-A-PORTER gift box under the tree this year, but if that won’t quite cut it, why not gift her the ‘Ultimate Party Wardrobe’ - a £70,000 collection of sequins, tulle and glitted curated by the brand’s personal shopping experts. If you’re after a bargain however, there’s a £5,000 shoe package or a £15,000 handbag subscription also up for grabs. 

For the intrepid explorer: if some Eurostar tickets or a weekend in Barca just won’t cut it, why not try looking futher afield? Luxury travel company White Desert offer a ‘Greatest Trip’ to Antarctica - a 24 hour experience exploring the icy continent, ending in a gourmet champagne dinner, that will set you back around $195,000. Alternatively, hit snowy climes closer to home at the Chalet Zermatt Peak in Zermatt - a week long stay at the resort, which includes a Michelin-starred gourmet chef and two in-house massages per day, can rack up to $191,000.

The Hamper

A relative bargain now: if you’re after something special for discerning foodies, you can’t go wrong with Harrods’ ‘The Ultimate’ festive hamper. From a selection of caviar (both Oscietra and Beluga are in the mix) to truffles and Christmas cakes, over 40 variations of teas and coffees to vintage champagnes, it’s the selection guaranteed to keep hungry types occupied for months.

The Ultimate Hamper, £5,000 | Harrods
The Ultimate Hamper, £5,000 | Harrods
Riemann Chair in Mirror Polished Gilt Bronze, £99,812.74 | Craig Van Den Brulle
Riemann Chair in Mirror Polished Gilt Bronze, £99,812.74 | Craig Van Den Brulle

The Interiors

Velvet armchairs from Sofa.com are all well and good, but for an interiors gift with serious impact, only this gilt bronze chair for £99,812 will do. Designed by contemporary American designer Craig Van Den Brulle, there are only five in the world – hey, you could kit out your new dining room with the full set...

Did you know: The world’s first ever Christmas card sold at auction in 2001 for over £20,000. It was first sent in 1843, and is believed to be one of only 12 remaining cards of the original 1,000 - not one to trust Royal Mail with then...

The Jewellery

There’s nothing like a 35.31 carat necklace to make you feel bad about your own jewels. This yellow pear-shaped diamond has the highest color grading, is a VS2 in Clarity, and is surrounded by 47.00 carats of multi-shape diamonds. Designed by Diana M. Jewels in 2018, its price tag is £2,163,795.77.

Magnificent 35.31 Carat Fancy Intense Yellow Pear Diamond Necklace, £2,155,955.13 | Diana M. Jewels
Magnificent 35.31 Carat Fancy Intense Yellow Pear Diamond Necklace, £2,155,955.13 | Diana M. Jewels
Malcom Appleby Shooting Companion, £40,000 | Linley
Malcom Appleby Shooting Companion, £40,000 | Linley

The Barware

Dubbed ‘the shooting companion’ by master furniture designer (and cousin of the queen) David Linley, this selection of glassware and decanters is designed, believe it or not, to be schlepped out into muddy fields for a cheeky round in between sessions. For those more civilised amongst us, it can be used as a more traditional bar display - although for £40,000, you better have somewhere pretty prominent to show it off. Inside the box is a walnut rack and eight solid silver hammered cups with hand-poured 24kt gold plating to the interior; there’s even a cigar cutter, wool blanket and compartment to hold 8 cigars are also included. 

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