Saint Valentine’s day represents a highlight in the lives of lovers every year. People can spend entire days planning astonishing surprises and unforgettable dates, all in the name of love. From a greeting card to a full trip to a private island, sweethearts find a way to express their emotions and honor their love for each other. However, this remarkable day is also an important day for retailers, love manifestations are commonly tagged with expensive Saint Valentine´s gifts, at least on February 14.
An average person in the United States is estimated to spend about $116.21 on this special occasion; regardless how bad the economy is, love cannot be stopped! However, what would you do if you did not have to worry about money or your credit card limit? Unlimited budget equals unlimited possibilities! But for now, let’s forget about buying your valentines an island in Malibu and just check the basic gifts: flowers, chocolates, perfumes, watches, even greeting cards. How expensive can these common presentspossibly get? You will be surprised!
A blossom worth an odyssey
Flowers are a basic spice in all relationships. Either to commemorate an important occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary, or to brighten up an ordinary day, flowers are always a fresh, natural, and classic gift. Although the typical choice is red roses, there is a variety of usual and exotic plants that are available as well. Carnations, germinis, tulips, lilies, lisianthuses, among other species are good alternatives, especially when they feature bright and romantic pink colors. Nevertheless, which is the best and most expensive exotic flower you can possibly find? Still guessing? It is an orchid!
Your sweetheart would certainly go crazy for a Gold of Kinabalu orchid. This flower is endangered, unique, and only grows in a remote protected region of Malaysian national park. You would need to book the next flight there and do some research before getting the precious plant for your darling. Sounds like an adventure itself, right?! Though your natural gift would not reach its full effect until it blooms two months later, on April, your round trip would still be financially worth it since the rare orchid can be purchased for approximately $5,000 per stem Furthermore, don’t forget to check the legal regulations for transporting your precious gift; it would definitely be a bad idea to end up in Malaysian prison.
However, if you do not feel like risking your integrity, there is always the option of trying some fake blooms. But, be careful, fake does not equal cheap, for this false special bouquet may be the most expensive in the world! Known for being presented as a wedding gift from a Saudi businessman, the bouquet is made out of origami flowers made of currency notes. Built with gracefully folded bills of 50, 100 and 500 Saudi riyals, this art craft is worth roughly $266,000. Well, at least you won’t ever need to water it!
Beyond any Hallmark greeting card
Greeting cards are considered the lamest gift: a folded piece of paper bearing a salutation or message as original as a limp handshake. An already printed “Happy Valentine’s Day to someone truly special” most of the times implies exactly the opposite. Therefore, it is always better to take some time, get inspired, and do one yourself.At the end, even a blank card with a message scribbled insideis more personal than a purchased one. However, if you don’t have enough time or creativity to make the perfect greeting card, you can invest your savings in the expensive and prestigious Gilded Age Greetings luxurious store. There will be no question you did not just go to the drugstore to pick a quick card on the way home.
Gilded Age Greetings will craft your couture Valentine’s card by hand, which will definitely add that extra personal touch for your loved one. Each custom masterpiece is finished with the finest materials, which include 23k gold as well as precious and semi precious stones. The most expensive card is worth $3,950 in the collection, with some Valentine’s greetings offered for just $2,250 price tag! The luxurious written message will arrive from Gilded Age Greetings tassel-bound in an exquisite silk box and, to prevent any stain or damage while handling, the package comes with gloves for presentation.
The scent of paradise
Let’s just face it; perfume and cologne have become Valentine’s Day staples. It is so easy to go and get it, especially when you have already the name of the fragrance. Despite from the nice seasonal presentations that perfume companies use to present their products, there is no excitement at all. It is just like buying shampoo or body lotion! Therefore, forget Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Dolce Gahanna, Carolina Herrera, even Britney Spears. Just for a change, try getting the Imperial Majesty perfume by Clive Christian. At an asking price of $215,000, you will be getting a truly unique scent for your sweetheart, since just a handful of Imperial Majesty bottles were created as part of a quite limited edition.
Each Imperial Majesty perfume bottle is handmade with Bacarrat crystal and features diamond encrustations—not a shampoo bottle at all! — You should not be surprised to know that this one of a kind fragrance was given the “world’s most expensive perfume” title from the “Guinness Book of World Records”.
However, if you do not have time to hunt down one of the only 10 Imperial Majesty perfume bottles across the world –we did say that it was a limited edition, right?—you can at least settle for a more accessible option: “No. 1” perfume for women. This Clive Christian creation, which includes notes of pineapple and plum, is presented in a gold-crowned 1.6-ownce bottle worth $865. Keep in mind that one of the select retailers references a high demand for this fragrance and there is a purchase limit of six per month.
A taste of heaven
Unless they are allergic to them, people love chocolates. Despite the type of chocolate, milk or dark, a nice box of these delicacies is always appreciated by both men and women. In this season it is quite easy to get the heart shaped box with a nice red ribbon, they blossom like daisies in spring. A safe and not very original play! Therefore, if you are going to go for the endorphin aphrodisiac dessert, go beyond Hershey’s and try getting a chocolate that is one of its kind: a chocolate from Connecticut Chocolatier Knipschild.
La Madeine au Truffe, a chocolate that appears to have been brought back from Mar’s surface, is considered the most expensive chocolate in the planet. Priced at $250 for only 1.9 ounces, La Madeline is no more than a rare French Perigord (mushroom) truffle ensconced in a ganache made from vanilla, truffle oil, heavy cream and Valrhona dark chocolate, before being dunked in more dark chocolate and tasty of cocoa powder. Is your mouth watering now? Do not waste a minute, go and withdraw $2,100 from the ATM and get a pound of this delicacy! Just remember that these chocolates are made to order and will be presented “lying on a bed of sugar pearls”. Sounds like a good plan?
It’s all about good timing
Quick question—what time is in Monte Carlo? If you are like most human beings, you probably gave up and did not know the answer. No, Internet search does not count! Well, no issues, because this Valentine’s Day you will be able to give your man –yes, now it is time to look for a nice treat for them, enough of corny flowers and perfumes!—the chance to always know what time it is not just in the United States but anywhere. The Patek Phillipe World time Complicated Watch will do the trick for you!
Featuring a rather long glance, just as its name suggests, your loved one will be able to tell the current time in any major city across the world. This compact piece of engineering features a sapphire crystal back, a cloisonné enamel dial, an 18-karat yellow gold case, and, like any basic, is water resistant to 30 meters. At a price of $215,595, it is well worth not having to learn the world’s time zones, don’t you think?!
Furthermore, not to make the girls jealous, there is special treat for them too: the most expensive watch ever created. Known as the 201-carat Chopard, whoever wears this unique watch will not want people thinking she owns it just for telling time. In fact, the lucky girl might even forget that it is a watch! Nevertheless, just in case that someone does trouble your sweetheart for the hour, three heart-shaped diamonds surround the watch face and move mechanically away from the center. These three sparkles are about 38 carats each. The price? Just $25 million.You may want to pay down your credit card first!
Love, beyond any gift
Now that you know which are the most expensive Saint Valentine´s gifts —and before you go and spend all your mortgage—just remember that this holiday is not about how much cash you pay, but about how much heart you put in making this day unforgettable. It is true: there are things that not even all the money in the world can buy. Among them there is love.
