Technically, a katana is any Japanese sword with a single edge. In practice, however, the word is almost exclusively used to describe the long, slightly curved sword used by samurai from the Muromachi period onward. Katanas are surrounded with mythic resonance and some few swordsmiths, such as Muramasa and Masamune, have become more famous than the warriors who wielded their creations.

The most expensive katana ever sold at auction was part of the collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton, a physician who started collecting in the early 1930s. In 1992, two years after his death, the Compton collection of 1,100 Japanese swords was sold at a Christie’s auction in New York. The auction grossed $8 million in just its first day.

The most expensive katana of the day was a 13th century Kamakura blade that sold for $418,000 to an anonymous European collector. While the most valuable katanas are likely museum pieces and utterly priceless, we can still call this one the most expensive katana in the world.

Things have been a little quiet on the Dubai front lately, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up on expensive creations. The recently completed Dubai Fountain, for instance, is the most expensive fountain in the world.

The construction of the fountain by WET Design, the same company that designed the only slightly less impressive Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, was announced in June, 2008, and the announcement was followed by a contest to name the fountain. The fifteen entrants who suggested “Dubai Fountain” split a prize of 100,000 dirham (US $27,226).

The Fountain itself is set in Burj Dubai Lake in the Downtown Burj Dubai development project which also includes the supertall skyscraper Burj Dubai and the Dubai Mall. Dubai Fountain is over 900 feet long and can spray jets up to 500 feet high. The fountain can spray as much as 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any given time, which can be visually enhanced by 6,600 WET superlights and 25 color projectors. The fountain can be set to music, including the Swahili song Baba Yetu from the popular video game Civilization IV and top Arab dance song Shik Shak Shok.

The Dubai Fountain cost $217 million to build.

The holidays are coming up and the UK’s Hallmark Jewelers are ringing in the season with the most expensive Christmas ornament in the world.

Adorned with 500 diamonds—three of them one carat apiece—arranged along a snowflake pattern and orbited by 188 rubies, The World’s Most Valuable Christmas Bauble, as they call it, is a truly exquisite and unique piece of holiday décor.

Work on the Bauble began on Boxing Day (December 26th, for stateside readers) 2008 and took almost a year to complete. The two halves of the interior orb were cast in London’s Hatton Garden Jewellery Quarter. The bulb was unveiled at a VIP gala and its designer, Mark Hussey, plans to display it in his Titchfield store should a buyer not be available.

The Christmas Bauble is valued at £82,000—over US $136,000.

Yesterday and Today was the Beatles’ twelfth US release, a collection of tracks from LPs and singles that hadn’t been released in the US. While the band didn’t appreciate the mishmash approach Capitol Records took with the album, they were able to exert some creative control over the cover—at least until it was banned. Now that cover has become the most expensive Beatles memorabilia in the world.

The original “butcher cover” features the quartet dressed as butchers, with slabs of meat and parts of plastic baby dolls strewn across their laps and shoulders. It was part of a 1966 shoot by photographer Robert Whitaker and, according to Capitol Records president Alan W. Livingston, it was Paul McCartney who insisted that it be used as the album’s cover. Unfortunately, retailer complaints led to Capital recalling the 750,000 copies of the album and pasting over the cover with a more agreeable photo.

To celebrate the remastered release of the Beatles’ back catalogue, the Saint Giles Street Gallery together with the British Beatles Fan Club put together an exhibit full of rare Beatles imagery in October 2009. Called The “Eleven Million Dollar Picture” Show, it was named after the printer’s proof of the infamous butcher cover, upon which John Lennon wrote, “here’s the famous banned butcher cover. You can sell it for $11 million dollars.”

The Saint Giles Gallery, of course, had the proof up for sale for $11 million.

Octopus – $200 million

Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus is the world’s eighth largest yacht. The 414-foot yacht was first launched in 2003. The yacht has two helicopters, a submarine with room for ten men and seven boats. For those who’d like to see the ocean floor, the yacht even includes a remote controlled vehicle to do so.

Rising Sun – $200 million

Co-owned by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and media mogul David Geffen, Rising Sun is 453-feet and five stories of oceangoing luxury. It was built with one goal in mind—to exceed the size of Paul Allen’s Octopus, above. This pricey yacht has 8,000 feet of living space with onyx countertops and Jacuzzi bathrooms, a spa and sauna, a gym and even a private movie theatre with an enormous plasma screen.

Lady Moura – $210 million

This 344-foot mega-yacht is owned by billionaire Nasser Al-Rashid. It features a pool with retractable roof, a 75-foot dining table crafted by Viscount Linley and a helicopter. Lady Moura’s most remarkable feature, however, is the beach resort that slides out of one side of the boat. The mini resort features not only sand and deck chairs, but even includes palm trees for a truly authentic resort experience.

Dubai – $350 million

This costly yacht has gone by three names since its conception—Platinum 525, Golden Star and, most recently, Dubai. The Platinum 525 was commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei in 1996, but a lack of funds caused the project to be abandoned a scant couple of years later. In 2001, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Crown Prince and now ruler of Dubai, took over the project and renamed it the Golden Star. Dubai is as expansive as it is expensive. The 525-foot yacht features an owner’s suite, five VIP suites and a number of guest bedrooms. The bridge features the captain’s quarters, an office and a lounge. The foyer and atrium connects each deck while lighting them from above via skylight. The luxury yacht is powered by four diesel engines with over 9,000 horsepower altogether.

Eclipse – $1.2 billion

Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich’s super-yacht will be a 560-foot monster requiring a minimum of 70 crewmembers and featuring eleven guests. Abramovich and his guests will be protected by a security system that uses laser bursts to foil digital paparazzi photography when activated, anti-bugging and anti-intruder systems and a missile detection system. They’ll also enjoy a swimming pool that can be drained and used as a dance floor, an additional swimming pool and an aquarium. The yacht holds two helicopters, three boats and a submarine.

Few things could come closer to that clichéd fantasy of young girls, to be married to a dashing prince in an extravagant wedding, than the nuptials of celebrities and billionaires. These weddings can be events that draw thousands of guests, feature lavish decorations and include performances by superstar musicians.

The wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of world’s 8th richest person Lakshmi Mittal, to investment banker Amit Bhatia was the most expensive wedding in the world. The six-day event was held in Versailles in 2004 and included a reenactment of the couple’s courtship, an engagement ceremony at the Palace of Versailles—the only private function ever held in the palace—and performances by Shah Rukh Khan and Kylie Minogue.

The elder Mittal footed the bill for the wedding, reportedly spending $55 million to see his daughter happily married.

From the pyramids of the Egyptian Pharaohs to the costly funerals of the modern day elite, one truth is made quite clear—first impressions may be important, but final impressions last longer. That’s why Michael Jackson was buried in one of the most expensive coffins in the world.

Inspired by James Brown’s 2007 funeral, the late King of Pop ordered a coffin called “The Promethean,” the same model chosen by relatives of the Godfather of Soul, from Batesville Casket Co. in Indiana—Jackson’s own home state.

Jackson’s coffin is a solid bronze casket lined with blue velvet. What makes The Promethean truly spectacular, though, is the hand-polished 14k gold plate finish. All told, the coffin cost $25,000.

While Jackson’s memorial was held on July 7, 2009, he wasn’t interred until September 3rd. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – $112-150,000

This 520 horsepower beast is capable of handling even the most extreme conditions. The Cayenne Turbo S has a base MSRP of $112,000 and hit sales floors in 2003. But if you want it with all the amenities like colored Porsche crests on the wheels, the off-road tech package, and the 20-inch wheels and tires, you can expect a price tag of almost 150 grand! When off-road, the Cayenne Turbo S features a 2.4 inch suspension articulation for those pesky boulders or fallen trees as well as a unique “hill-descent mode” where the SUV can safely inch its way down a slippery slope at a set speed without assistance from the driver’s foot. This SUV will put your standard sports car to shame, running the coveted 0-60 miles per hour in an astounding 4.8 seconds.

Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris – around $300,000

Originally called the D12, the Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris SSUV was introduced in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show. Some of the standard features of the Spyker SSUV include: fulltime four-wheel drive, four doors (suicide configuration), carbon-ceramic matrix brakes, and all aluminum construction. While it was originally intended to have a Audi W12 engine, it is now believed to be fitted with a V8 by an unknown American company—hence the change from “D12″ to “D8.”

“Warrior One” Hummer H1 – $1.25 million

On January 20th of 2007, CNN auctioned off a Hummer used by journalists that were covering the war in Iraq. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the Fisher House Foundation. Dave Liniger, a Vietnam veteran and the founder of Re/Max International Inc., purchased the most expensive SUV ever sold at auction, bidding $1 million for the Hummer. Another bidder, Dave Ressler, contributed an additional $250,000 to benefit the charity. The Hummer H1 was the world’s most expensive SUV until it ended production in 2006.

Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition – $1.5 million

Perfect for the urban warrior, this bulletproof SUV is an upgrade from the original 8.1 liter GM V8-powered Dartz Kombat T98. Debuting at the 2010 Top Marques Monaco show, the most expensive SUV in the world will feature ruby red matte paint, gold-plated bulletproof windows, 22″ Kremlin Red Star bulletproof wheels, tungsten exhaust and a coating of kevlar. The badges and dials are made with white gold, diamonds and rubies. It also features a special Vertu mobile phone with an “alert” button and a Rogue Acoustic Audio System. Best of all, the interior is lined with whale penis leather!

That is good, right?

A West End stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, featuring Anna Friel in Audrey Hepburn’s iconic role, has opened this month and Chambord has crafted the most expensive breakfast in the world to mark the occasion.

Chambord, known for their black raspberry liqueur, has combined the culinary arts and the jeweler’s craft with a croissant embellished with edible gold and diamonds, as well as Bar le Duc hand-seeded redcurrant jam. The meal also includes Kopi Luwak—the world’s most expensive coffee—and a Chambord and Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque champagne cocktail worth over $30,000. As if that wasn’t extravagant enough, the Chambord is served from a gold, diamond and pearl-encrusted bottle worth $2.4 million.

Should you wish to enjoy this breakfast of champions, it’ll set you back nearly $35,000. If you plan on taking in the show afterwards, however, be sure not to snap any pics of Anna Friel’s nude scene—the ushers have been instructed to confiscate any phones or cameras used for such nefarious deeds.

If that doesn’t scream “Cover it in diamonds,” well, I don’t know what does.

Amosu BlackBerry Pearl Diamond Edition – $88,000

Amosu released their BlackBerry Pearl Diamond Edition in 2008. The diamonds used to make this particular phone were recyclable—owners could have them refit to their next BlackBerry when the Pearl became obsolete. The Amosu BlackBerry even came with a year of access to an exclusive concierge service allowing purchasers to enjoy a variety of luxury services.

Amosu Curva Diamond BlackBerry – $191,000

Not one to rest on his laurels, Alexander Amosu has created a brand new exclusive BlackBerry customization. The Amosu Curva is covered in 4,494 brilliant cut VS1 diamonds totalling about 28.42 carats set in a coat of 18-karat gold. The best part, though, is that only three of these luxury smartphones will ever be made. Each purchaser will have the option of having their name engraved on the back. Like Amosu’s previous offering, Amosu Curva owners will enjoy a free year-long global concierge service in 44 cities.

Knalihs Athem BlackBerry Bold Limited Diamond Edition – ???

Swiss luxury designer Knalihs Athem has also created a suitably expensive BlackBerry. Each Knalihs Athem BlackBerry Bold Limited Diamond Edition is customized with the buyer’s choice of pink, yellow, black, champagne and white diamonds. The back of the phone is also customized with leather, crocodile or snake skin, or denim—each available in at least two different colors. Of course, it also has all the standard features of the BlackBerry Bold. Unfortunately, the price of Knalihs Athem’s expensive BlackBerry seems to have been filed under “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.”

Do you ever feel like your toilet paper doesn’t communicate your wealth as well as it could? Fortunately for anyone who has, that insurmountable problem has been surmounted by Renovo, makers of the most expensive toilet paper in the world.

Renovo’s luxury toilet paper is the ultimate in luxury toiletries. This soft TP is made of 100% virgin pulp for maximum softness. It’s three-ply and colorfast. Yes, you read that right—it’s colorfast. Renovo’s designer toilet paper comes in six different colors—black, red, green, orange, blue and fuchsia.

Renovo toilet paper is priced from just over $3 for a single roll to $7.60 for six rolls. It can be seen—and, I suppose, used—in upscale restaurant and hotel bathrooms in the US, Canada and Europe.

Falke Luxury Cashmere Knee-High Socks
$77

These 90% finest cashmere socks feature reinforced toes and heels and a slightly ribbed band. They’re available in anthracite, black and plum.

Marcoliani Men’s Luxury Cashmere/Silk Windowpane Socks
$79

A blend of 60% cashmere, 26% silk and 14% nylon, these over-the-calf socks feature a tasteful windowpane pattern and can be purchased in a variety of colors. They’re produced by traditional craftsmen in Milan, Italy and very limited.

Marcoliani Sexy Cashmere & Lurex Knee-High Glitter Socks
$89

These Marcoliani socks are imported exclusively by CustomShirt1.com. Made primarily from the finest cashmere (80%) and nylon (18%), the glitter effect is accomplished with a Lurex metallic yarn. They are also available in a slightly cheaper ankle-length variety for a mere $75.

If you’re like me, you’ve been pondering the most expensive sheep ever since the UK’s highest priced sheep, Tophill Joe, died some months ago. Well, wonder no further—the world’s most expensive sheep has been sold.

Purchased by a British farmer at an agricultural auction, this record-setting bit of livestock is called Deveronvale Perfection. Like Tophill Joe, Deveronvale Perfection is a Texel ram—a breed that, surprisingly, comes from the island of Texel, off Holland. Texel sheep are known for their lean meat. Deveronvale Perfection, in particular, is said to have a strong loin.

Deveronvale Perfection was purchased for £231,000 (US $376,000) which, according to the British Texel Sheep Society, is £26,000 more than the former most expensive sheep in the world.

Back in Olde Tymes, when men were men and razors were less than clean, aftershave was important for its antiseptic qualities. Nowadays, though, we use it primarily for its aromatic properties.

The world’s most expensive aftershave is Amouage Die Pour Homme. The 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette—a term referring to the concentration of fragrance and not the fragrance itself—comes in a vintage bottle which is 24% French lead crystals and embellished with pink gold. The scent is floral, consisting of frankincense, peony, plum blossom and, uh, leather, among other fragrances. It’s recommended for evening use at any time of year.

The most expensive aftershave in the world can be purchased for $250.

It’s said that a rolling stone doesn’t gather moss. It seems the saying applies just as well to British Invaders as it does to their geological namesakes, as the Rolling Stones are the world’s most expensive wedding performers.

The band, whose name comes from a song by Muddy Waters, first claimed international superstardom with their 1965 hit, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Now, frontman Sir Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood and drummer Charlie Watts commanded over $8 million when performing for a US wedding in 2002. Even for that astronomical sum, the most expensive wedding band doesn’t perform private sets unless they’re already on tour.

Pop icons Sir Elton John and Kylie Minogue came in second place, each having charged a paltry $3.2 million for wedding performances.

The world’s most expensive piece of furniture isn’t a bed, a chair or even a couch—it’s a cabinet. Blurring the line between art and craft, the Badminton Cabinet is truly a unique item.

The Badminton Cabinet (or Badminton Chest) was commissioned by Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, at the age of 19. It took thirty experts six years to create and is named after the Duke’s seat of power, Badminton House in Gloucestershire, where it sat until it was auctioned by his descendents in the late 20th century.

The ebony cabinet is over 12 feet tall and features scenes rendered in pietre dure—the arrangement of finely cut, polished and colored stones. Among the inlaid stones are a number of semiprecious stones.The clock face set at the top of the cabinet is marked with fleurs-de-lis.

The Badminton Cabinet became the most expensive piece of furniture in the world when it was auctioned for $15.1 million in 1990 and retained its status when it was auctioned again in 2004, this time for $36.7 million.

Imagine you’re sitting in your Eileen Gray “Dragons” chair, sipping a glass of Dalmore 62 Highland Malt Scotch Whisky. Where do you put your feet? Unless you somehow missed the title, you already know the answer—the world’s most expensive stool.

Sold by a jewelry store in China’s Jiangsu province, this expensive stool is made of 110 lbs of solid gold and is priced at $1.3 million.

Now, unfortunately, you know as much about it as I do.

For a different kind of stool, check out the world’s most expensive coffee.

Hey, who didn’t see that joke coming?

When you think of chopsticks, you might picture the cheap, wooden pull-apart chopsticks that are consumed so quickly that the Chinese government has imposed a five percent tax on their export in order to combat deforestation. Who makes the world’s most expensive chopsticks, though?

The answer may surprise you.

French design conglomerate Louis Vuitton, known for their luxury handbags, wallets and other accessories, has created this set of elegant chopsticks for the discerning consumer of Asian cuisine. The Louis Vuitton VIP Chopsticks Set includes two pairs of finely carved, hand polished rosewood chopsticks sporting the LV monogram. The hinged presentation case is just as exquisite as the utensils themselves, with its plexiglas inset and monogrammed finish. Even the rest, that small block of wood intended to keep the business end of the chopsticks from touching the table, features the LV logo.

The most expensive chopsticks in the world are priced at $450. If you know of a more expensive pair of chopsticks, we’d love to hear it!

Want to own the most expensive Xbox 360 in the world? Replace the boring old faceplate with this one and you’ll have it.

This unique faceplate was auctioned on eBay in 2005. Made of 999.9 ounces of solid 24k gold, the faceplate was cast with access to all the ports and receivers necessary to enjoy your Xbox to its fullest extent.

Sadly, information on whether or not it sold, and for how much, is scarce. What I can tell you, though, is that it had an opening bid of $36,000.

If you can’t find a solid gold faceplate for your Xbox 360, then why not try the next best thing—or, rather, the next most expensive thing. Featuring the popular Tomb Raider heroine, Lara Croft, this extravagant case is made with 43,000 crystals.

Only a few of these Xbox cases are being produced and sold in Germany, where it commands a price of around $11,000.

The costly tuber owes its price to the fact that it must be harvested by hand and that its growing season lasts a mere ten days—from May 1st to May 10th. La Bonnotte is so fragile, in fact, that it would’ve gone extinct between World Wars I and II if not for a group of devotees to the pricey potato.

The potato’s flavor is said to be both earthy and salty, owing its complexities at least partially to the presence of algae and seaweed in the soil.

La Bonnotte can be purchased from ritzy restaurants in France and the Netherlands until around May 15th. While normally sold for around €70 per kilo (US $45 per pound), the potato has been sold for up to €500 per kilo (US $322 per pound).

via Fresh Plaza

Cheese is likely the most popular dairy product in the world, a food that predates written history. In 2004 alone, over 18 million metric tons of cheese were produced worldwide. The world’s most expensive cheese, however, is only produced at one farm and at a very specific time of year.

Unusually, the cheese isn’t made from cow’s milk—the milk comes from moose! Moose House, a 59-acre moose farm located in northern Sweden, is where the cheese is produced from three foundling moose named Gullan, Haelga, and Juna.

The moose are unusually tame, which is the only reason Moose House owners Christopher and Ulla Johannson can collect milk for the cheese. Even then, they can only be milked between May and September and the process takes about 2 hours per animal, hence the outstanding price of the cheese.

The most expensive cheese in the world is 12% fat and 12% protein and about 660 lbs are produced annually. The Johannsons sell it to high end Swedish hotels and restaurants for about $500 per pound.

French luxury firm S. T. Dupont—no relation to the chemical company—has been dealing in extravagance since 1872, when it was founded by Simon Tissot Dupont. Recently, for instance, they created a line of accessories inspired by the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale. This year, they’ve produced the world’s most expensive lighter.

Part of the company’s Prestige Collection, the Ligne 2 lighter comes in four distinct varieties. While the solid gold, white gold and the “Rose” pink gold and diamond lighters are all exquisite in their own ways, the Ligne 2 Champagne is truly exceptional. Made of 18-karat white gold and decorated with 462 diamonds (5.2 carats) of GVS quality, the Ligne 2 Champagne positively glitters with excess.

The most expensive lighter in the world can be had for $79,000. Its companion piece, a pen with another 502 diamonds, commands a mere $74,000 price tag.

A British transportation museum may have just purchased the world’s most expensive tires.

The Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum’s premier exhibit, a 1929 Leyland Lion bus, required new tires to make it roadworthy for the museum’s 50th anniversary. In order to replace the old and significantly cracked tires, the museum was eventually forced to order specialty tiles from America.

The Leyland Lion is the only surviving example of its model, the other three having been scrapped after serving as transport during World War II. This particular bus was used as a snowplow until it became the museum’s first acquisition around 1954.

The most expensive tires in the world cost the museum over $800 each. In comparison, normal bus tires cost around $250.

The Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok, was originally approved by Czar Alexander II in the late 19th Century. Nowadays, it’s used for 30% of all Russian exports and a trip across the country can be made in as little as seven days. It’s also the route for the most expensive train ride in the world.

The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express was unveiled by Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent in April 2007. The train’s Gold Class cabins are equipped with LCD screens, power showers, underfloor heating and individual air conditioning while chefs in the restaurant cars prepare the finest local cuisine. The Golden Eagle takes wealthy tourists and other travelers almost 6,000 miles in 15 days, with frequent stops for day trips.

The world’s most expensive train ride costs $22,195 for a single room or $15,795 per person for a twin cabin.

Harrods, London’s premier department store, now carries a most luxurious loaf. Britain’s most expensive bread and, if you believe some of the hype surrounding it, the most expensive bread in the world, the Roquefort and Almond sourdough is created with some of the finest ingredients money can buy.

Master baker Paul Hollywood, creator of the bread, calls it the “Rolls-Royce of loafs.” The bread, which contains no additives and no artificial flavors, is made with grade A flour from a specialist miller and France’s finest Roquefort cheese.

The bread, recognized as Britain’s most expensive by the National Association of Master Bakers, will be sold at Harrods for £15 (US $24.50). They expect the bread will do particularly well during the holiday season.

1996 Latour
Index Value: 238.34

One of only four Châteaux to achieve First Growth status in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château Latour received its name from a garrison tower that stood on its grounds until its destruction during the Battle of Castillon in 1453. The 1996 Latour, with an average value of $543.55, is April’s fifth best performing wine.

1982 Mission Haut-Brion
Index value: 248.56

Château la Mission Haut-Brion, located in the Graves region near the city of Bordeaux, produces one of the 1953 Graves Classification’s Grand Crus. The vineyard has been operated since the 16th century and spent 130 years in the hands of the Pères Lazarists of the Mission of Saint-Vincent de Paul. The 1982 vintage has an average value of $878.21

Lafite-Rothschild
Highest Index Value: 354.16

The three best performing wines of April, 2009 were produced at Château Lafite Rothschild in the Médoc region northwest of Bordeaux, currently owned by the French branch of the affluent Rothschild banking family. Château Lafite is the first on the list of Châteaux to achieve First Growth status in the 1855 Classification and the same vineyard produced one of the world’s most expensive wine bottles, the famed “Th.J” bottle thought to have once been owned by Thomas Jefferson. The best performing and most valued vintage was the 1982 Lafite-Rothschild with an average value of $2,143.88. Second and third place went to the 2000 and 1998 vintages, respectively.

Some may have you believe that the world’s most expensive mushroom is the white truffle. While that rare fungus is truly expensive, it lacks one important quality—it’s not a freakin’ mushroom. Now that we’ve cleared that up, Japan’s matsutake mushroom can take its place as the most expensive mushroom in the world.

The matsutake, or mattake, mushroom is expensive because of its rarity. While its historical prevalence meant it was nearly synonymous with autumn in Japan, the introduction of an insect that kills the trees under which the mushroom grows has caused a dramatic decrease in the number of matsutake mushrooms. A method for farming the matsutake has yet to be developed, which means the lack of trees from which to harvest these mushrooms naturally is a serious problem for the species.

The world’s most expensive mushroom can be purchased for around $1,000 per pound, though prices for specific mushrooms may reach up to $2,000 per pound. It is known more for its spiced, fruity aroma than its flavor and is a cherished gift in the Japanese corporate world.

Russian billionaire Telman Ismailov opened a hotel this month that is being widely proclaimed as the most expensive hotel in Europe. As it’s situated along the Mediterranean Sea in transcontinental state of Turkey, there seems to be some confusion surrounding the hotel’s continental status.

That didn’t stop a gaggle of A-list celebrities—including Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey and Richard Gere—from attending Mardan Palace in Antalya’s grand opening. The £1billion-plus (over US $1.6 billion) hotel was inaugurated with a bang as Tom Jones opened for Carey, Paris Hilton made an obligatory appearance and one prominent actress stumbled over the name of neighboring country Azerbaijan.

Housed in this veritable temple of decadence, you’ll find a spa with real snow in one of its rooms, gold-plated mirrors on the floors of the bathrooms, 23,000 square meters of Italian marble, remote controlled toilets and the centerpiece—a pool and sunken aquarium that must be crossed by gondola.

As to the question of geography, the coastal province of Antalya is actually located on the Asian side of the Turkish Straits, the conventional border between Europe and Asia.

Suites at this most luxurious hotel can cost over $18,000 per night—certainly enough to keep the riff-raff out.

So, you know, eventually someone will have to go and stick some diamonds on one.

Until then, the most expensive netbook in the world is this unique Aspire One painted in the Kyo Yuzen tradition by UFO-Hayashi, a Japanese artist known for his work on iPods, phones and other gadgets. The painting represents life in its spring, rebounding after the long and cold winter. Painting the device took the artist around three months to finish and shavings from nautilus shells were used in the process.

As for its specs, the unique netbook features the Aspire One’s typical 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB memory and a 120 GB hard drive.

The world’s most expensive netbook is up for grabs on eBay until May 1st with a starting bid of $3,000.

Luxury designer Alexander Amosu, whose London-based design house is mostly known for gem-studded phones and accessories, has done something a little different this year—he’s created the world’s single most expensive suit.

The fabric of the single-breasted suit is made from vicuña wool, the most expensive wool in the world due to its scarcity and stringent regulations on wool-gathering, and qiviut, luxury wool made from the coats of muskoxen. It’s also threaded with 18-karat gold and its single button features pave set diamonds.

This fantastic suit took a total of 80 hours to make and has already been sold to an anonymous buyer for an equally fantastic price of £70,000—over US $100,000.