ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST VENERABLE PARISIAN LUXURY GOODS MAKERS S.T. DUPONT HAS RECENTLY CREATED THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE LIGHTER, WITH AN ESTIMATED PRICE OF $79,000. THE EXQUISITE LIGNE 2 CHAMPAGNE LIGHTER IS PART OF THE FIRMS PRESTIGE COLLECTION AND IS MADE OF SOLID 18 CARAT WHITE GOLD EMBELLISHED WITH 468 BRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS. ALSO AVAILABLE IS A MATCHING FOUNTAIN PEN ALSO OF SOLID 18 CARAT WHITE GOLD WITH RHODIUM FINISHED TRIMS AND 502 BRILLIANT CUT DIAMONDS FOR $74,000. S.T. DUPONT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELD IN HIGH REGARD BY CONNOISSEURS, BUT HAS GAINED RECENT ACCLAIM WHEN SEVERAL OF ITS PIECES WERE USED BY DANIEL CRAIG AS JAMES BOND IN CASINO ROYALE.
S.T. DUPONT WaS FOUNDED IN PARIS IN 1872 BY SIMON TISSOT DUPONT; HIS SON ANDRE DUPONT, WHO HAD EXPERTISE BOTH IN LEATHER GOODS AND AS A GOLDSMITH, INVENTED THE FIRST POCKET LIGHTER IN 1941 FOR THE TRAVELING CASE OF A MAHARAJAH. AT THE TIME DUPONT'S ULTRA-LUXURIOUS TRAVEL CASES WERE ITS MAIN LINE; IN 1947 THEY MADE ONE IN LAVENDER BLUE LEATHER FOR HRH PRINCESS ELIZABETH OF YORK, THE FUTURE QUEEN OF ENGLAND. IN 1952 DUPONT PATENTED THE ADJUSTABLE GAS LIGHTER UPON WHICH THE PRESENT MODEL IS BASED AND CREATED A SPECIAL MODEL FOR THE DUKE OF WINDSOR, WHICH WAS REISSUED IN 2006.
No comments:
Post a Comment