Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but let's not discriminate on gender. Luxury customizing specialist Caviar doesn't, and it also believes that nothing goes best with the latest tech than a few hundred diamonds arranged in a snowflake layout.
Indeed, "hundreds," in the plural. Caviar is a name that hardly needs any introduction, especially if you've been keeping an eye on the latest luxury trends. Caviar is a specialist shop from Russia that takes otherwise mundane objects, be they headphones, smartphones, or other gadgets, and turns them into flashy objects for the rich.
A firm believer that less is… just less, Caviar uses rare and precious materials to "elevate" these everyday gadgets, bringing them to the level of objects of art. Or so they keep telling us. Depending on the kind of materials used, these items range from limited series units to super-rare collectibles, with each release catering to very specific clients.
In the past, Caviar has made headlines for decking a Tesla in gold and for putting a dinosaur relic, lunar dust, or a gold Rolex Daytona timepiece into the backcase of a smartphone. If you're of the opinion that Russian oligarch style is synonymous with gold-plated toilet covers and a very ostentatious, quite shameless display of wealth, Caviar probably feels the same way.
Photo: Caviar
Caviar has a soft spot for Tesla and Elon Musk, but one of its trademark releases is based on the iPhone. Over the years, it has put out countless "rich" variations of the iPhone, where they take the latest model, encase it in gold, and then add whatever bling their designer comes up with.
The latest iPhone is great if you can get it, but the latest iPhone decked in gold and other precious gems, passing for art, is even better.
In September, Caviar is offering the Diamond Snowflake iPhone 15, dubbed the most expensive iPhone in the world. It comes with a price tag of $564,700 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max model with the 2TB option, so yes, it's darn expensive. It might even be the most expensive in the world, though there's no official confirmation as to that right now.
Photo: Caviar
The Snowflake variation, which is offered as part of the Royal Gift Collection, is not a new one. It was introduced late last year for the iPhone 14 and is now updated to include the upcoming model of the Apple smartphone. It is also the very definition of bling: a massive, diamond-studded case that includes the pendant from a Snowflake necklace from British jeweler Graff.
Underneath all that gold and diamonds, the Diamond Snowflake is a factory iPhone. That said, it's a striking piece, gorgeous in detail and with superb craftsmanship. It might be misused by being attached to a smartphone, but maybe that's just a question of taste. And how badly you want to show people you're rich – and risk getting robbed.
The case is made of 18K white gold, with no less than 570 diamonds on it, both on the back and on the side. The centerpiece is the platinum and diamond pendant, which comes with a certificate of authenticity in its separate premium box. Like with the Caviar Daytona iPhone 14, the centerpiece can't be removed to wear separately. A missed chance, if you ask us.
Photo: Caviar
"All the radiance of the frosty winter is concentrated in the most expensive iPhone in the world. Caviar poured the diamond snow on a smartphone body so that you can enjoy its beautiful glare," Caviar says.
The iPhone 15 will debut on September 22, which means Caviar will start working on the new variation right away. But pre-orders are underway as we speak, if you feel like you could do without half a million dollars in your account.
Based on the description, it sounds like the Diamond Snowflake is meant as the perfect (and perfectly outrageous) Christmas present. There's no sense in leaving your seasonal shopping for the 11th hour, so get with it.
The Diamond Snowflake is offered with an iPhone 15 Pro or Max, but only three such items will be produced regardless of spec. Simply boasting about making the world's most expensive iPhone might not be enough to secure clients, so the promise of exclusivity should do the job.
Photo: Caviar
Jokes aside, this is standard Caviar practice, too. Even their more accessible items, which are still too expensive for anyone who's not a millionaire, are offered as a limited series of 20 to 30 units at most. For example, the cheaper alternative to the Snowflake Diamond is the model with Swarovski crystals in lieu of diamonds.
So far, the business model has worked wonderfully. Laugh if we want – and many will, even if we don't – but Caviar keeps putting out these ridiculous, useless, and ostentatious items, and they always sell out. So, guess who's laughing last?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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