A few years ago rap superstar Lil Wayne made the term “bling bling” a staple of pop culture. He and his crew, the Cash Money Millionaires, celebrated glittery ostentation and it wasn’t long before others followed suit. Now even some of the most common items have become overpriced and blinged out. We look at 9 that go way over the top.
Water
Some people think it’s silly to pay for bottled water. The health benefits have led to debate after scientific debate, but if you have a healthy wallet, Bling H2O may be able quench your thirst. Depending on the size, bottles can range anywhere from $25 to as much as $75. That price will you get water collected from the natural springs of Dandridge, TN, according to Bling H2O’s website. The company also claims to use a “nine step purification process that includes ozone, ultraviolet and micro-filtration.”
Laptop
Pascale Rowe was working for a fortune 500 company when she decided to make a change. She developed a passion for bling and created a company that catered to fellow fanatics. Her house of bling in Miami showcases everything from T-shirts to stiletto heels completely blinged out. One of the customized items offered is a personal laptop decorated with Swarovski crystals. Using over 5,000 crystals this laptop upgrade can cost an extra $1500.
Grills
From the days of Slick Rick and Flavor Flav flashing their golden- toothed smiles, hip hop has graduated to blinged out grills. The leading grill designer is Paul Wall, a Houston based rapper and jeweler. For $800 per cap he can coat your teeth in a “Money in your Mouth” grill comprising 14 carat gold and diamonds. A complete set costs around $8,000.
Rims
Aside from grills a hip hop mainstay seems to be car rims. Asanti supplies bling rims for those consumed with hip hop wealth. At a cost of $1,000,000 a set the world’s most expensive rims are decorated with 110,000 carats of bling. But that’s not all, a complementary Bentley Continental GT is what makes it a deal.
Shoes
Shoes have set many shopaholics back a paycheck or two. But The House of Borgezie is offering a bling bling heel that would be the envy of any shoe collector. The design costs around $228,000. Each pair is handcrafted from solid gold and encrusted with 2,200 brilliant cut diamonds, for a total of 30 carats.
Handbag
Behind shoes, purses can claim the number two spot among vices. Of course no one needs a $261,000 handbag, but if you’re in the market for extravagant bling Chanel’s “Diamond Forever” classic bag has covered with over 330 diamonds. The purse is set in 18-carat white gold hardware, with shoulder straps of the same material. But we have to put this in the exclusive club — only 13 are available worldwide.
Blackberry
True, many of us cannot live without our Blackberries, but if they all retailed at $26,000 we might have to try. That’s the price of Amosu Luxury Designs’ Diamond Blackberry. The phone is set in 18 karat black gold and was created using close to 1,400 small gems. The Black Diamond Blackberry comes well protected in a sleek crocodile case. But bling fanatics will have to act fast, Amosu Luxury designed only 10 of the handsets.
iPhone
People have stood in lines for hours to get their hands on the latest iPhone. But the one designed by Stuart Hughes may be in less demand. The bling on this iPhone makes it one of the most outrageously expensive custom gadgets in the world. An iPhone 4 sells for £5 million (over $8 million dollars). The phone is encased in gold, set with approximately 500 diamonds and has platinum buttons.
Cell Phone
Should a cell phone cost more than $300,000? Those suffering from the lasting effects of the recession might say no, but bling addicts might find a bejeweled phone worth the hefty price tag. Vertu’s “Cobra” phone has three carats worth of diamonds encrusted along its shell. It also functions as a concierge. With the touch of a button your very own Vertu specialist will make you dinner reservations, find a helicopter or book a car service for you in any part of the world.
