The world’s most expensive cigar lighter costs more than a Ferrari. That much was clear by the title of the article, but what makes it that expensive? It is made with 400 grams of solid gold and decorated with 152 sapphires the lighter is named, the Louis XIII Fleur de Parme.
The request for this lighter was received by French luxury brand S.T. Dupont from a Hong Kong-based billionaire Steven Hung. He made a very specific request, one that required royal intervention. Thus, the company approached Princess Tania de Bourbon Parme, a direct descendant of Louis XIII, but also a renowned designer. Apart from being a designer she also has intricate knowledge of French history and culture which made her the perfect individual to undertake this project. She along with a team of 80 artisans worked tirelessly for 6 months to create the world’s most expensive lighter.
The design of the lighter has been inspired by the Renaissance/Baroque style of the King Louis XIII era, the one-of-a-kind LOUIS XIII Fleur de Parme lighter is designed as a royal gold crown sitting on a decorative base. It is made out of 400 grams of solid gold and decorated with 152 sapphires totaling 41 karats.
The lighter is now a little more than a decade old. Originally unveiled in 2013, the LOUIS XIII Fleur de Parme was soon acknowledged by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s most expensive cigar lighter. The lighter has a price tag of 500,000 USD and a decade later it is still by far the most expensive lighter in the world.
The lighter got so popular that S.T. Dupont made around 13 replicas and sold them each for 15,00 USD. S.T. Dupont has also created the world’s most expensive cigarette lighter. The Ligne 2 Champagne Lighter costs around $79,461. It was made out of high-quality polyurethane and featured an 18-carat white gold case decorated with 468 brilliant-cut diamonds
