10 Most Expensive Gifts to Lovers

Love makes you lose your head, and when you are rich and powerful you sometimes find really extravagant ways to show how strong your feelings are – starting from Wonders of the World and finishing with your own ear.

Taj Mahal

Hailed as the jewel of India and one of the most stunning structures in the world, the Taj Mahal is said to be the embodiment of love. Constructed entirely of white marble, the breathtaking structure was built in Agra by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess. She died at the age of 39, during the birth of the couple’s 14th child, having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612.

The legend goes that with her dying breath she asked Shah Jahan to build a mausoleum for her more beautiful than any the world had seen before, as a symbol of their love. The grief-stricken Shah granted his wife’s wish and around 1632, a year after her death, construction began. The entire masterpiece was built over a period of 22 years, employing more than 20,000 workers and craftsmen, at a cost of 32 million rupees. Described as an elegy in marble, the Taj Mahal, usually translated as “Crown Palace,” houses the grave of Queen Mumtaz and Shah Jahan himself. In 1983, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site and now draws from 2 to 4 million visitors every year.

Roman Abramovich’s sculpture

Roman Abramovich is known for paying record prices for whatever strikes his fancy. One of the richest men in the world can certainly afford an expensive gift or two. And no expense is spared when it comes to his girlfriend and reportedly wife-to-be Darya Zhukova. Last year Abramovich made headlines as he splashed some $14 million on a bronze sculpture for her. “Femme de Venise” by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti, which Abramovich bought at the Basel art fair, is just one of many costly presents he has lavished on Zhukova.

The billionaire was said to have spent some $60 million in a month snapping up pricey works of art for his girlfriend. The former Chukotka governor has also offered her a villa in Colorado, making her the neighbor of Kevin Costner and Jack Nicholson. And Darya is also said to have been instrumental in Roman forking out $120 million on two paintings, by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. The couple met in 2006. And with rumors rife of their imminent marriage, one can only guess what his wedding present to her may be.

Anna Kournikova’s (engagement?) ring

When pop star Enrique Iglesias offers a present, it’s one that’s sure to turn heads. Thanks to his efforts, Russian tennis beauty Anna Kournikova is the happy owner of what is thought to be the most expensive engagement ring to date. Despite endless media speculations over her marital status, no one could dispute the monstrous pink rock the blonde wore on the tennis court in 2004. Kournikova sported a reported 11-carat natural pink diamond, and although the price wasn’t disclosed, it’s been estimated at nearly $6 million.

Kournikova began dating Spanish crooner Iglesias in late 2001, having appeared in his video “Escape,” but the pair have repeatedly refused to comment on marriage plans. Rumors that the couple had secretly wed circulated in 2003, and again in 2005. Last year Iglesias sent reporters buzzing as he said he had indeed married and since separated from Kournikova. He later stated in interviews that it was simply a joke. So she may have the rock, but have they or will they ever tie the knot?

Beyonce Knowles’ ring

Next in the list of celebrities’ most expensive engagement rings is the one belonging to singer Beyonce Knowles. The R&B star has been dating rapper Jay-Z, with whom she has collaborated several times, since 2002. But despite persistent rumors, the intensely private couple has remained discreet about their relationship. Their wedding in April 2008 was kept secret and Knowles didn’t publicly debut her engagement ring until the Fashion Rocks concert in New York City the following September.

Her stunning rock is an 18-carat flawless diamond set in platinum, valued at more than $5 million. The ring was designed by jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, who has also created unique pieces for Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson. But even though her ring is insured, the star is said to feel uncomfortable wearing such a valuable stone. And Jay-Z proved to be a man of foresight: Apparently when he popped the question, together with the stunning original he also offered Beyonce a $5,000 imitation to wear at concerts and parties. So the singer reportedly switches to a less expensive “fake” when she’s onstage and out in public.

The Taylor-Burton diamond

The Taylor-Burton diamond was made famous when it was bought by actor Richard Burton in 1972 for his wife Elizabeth Taylor to celebrate her 40th birthday. Burton lavished extravagant jewelry on Elizabeth throughout their relationship, but it was this gem that got the most worldwide publicity. The 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond was cut from a rough stone found in South Africa. Having changed hands several times, it was purchased by the owner of the luxury brand Cartier for a then-record $1,050,000. Dubbed the world’s first million-dollar diamond – or at least the first one to be bought for a seven-figure sum at a public auction – it was promptly named “Cartier.”

Burton was an under-bidder at that sale, but he wasn’t finished yet. The actor managed to make a deal with Cartier’s agents from a pay-phone at a hotel in southern England, sandwiched between the lounge bar and the saloon and constantly having to drop coins into the phone. He secured the agreement on the condition that Cartier would be able to display the diamond, by now named the “Taylor-Burton,” in New York and Chicago. More than 6,000 people a day flocked to Cartier’s New York store to see the “Taylor-Burton.” After their divorce, Taylor auctioned the diamond in 1978 for $5,000,000.

Catherine the Great and Grigory Orlov

The Russian empress Catherine the Great is remembered not just for her political achievements. Her generosity toward her many lovers is also legendary, although Catherine herself claimed that she didn’t know how to make gifts to people, either giving too much or too little. She’s said to have spent more than 92 million rubles on presents to her minions, leaving a massive debt at the state treasury after her death.

One man she showered with presents was Count Grigory Orlov, a talented statesman and military commander. On Catherine’s coronation day, Grigory was offered 800 serfs. In 1768, Catherine commissioned a magnificent palace to be built for him in St Petersburg. Called the Marble Palace, it was richly decorated with a staggering 32 different types of marble. The empress also spent some 89,000 rubles to buy him the Gatchina country estate near St Petersburg – known for its breathtaking landscapes – together with four nearby villages.

Grigory appreciated Catherine’s generosity. In 1773 he gave her his own gift – a unique diamond described as having the shape and proportions of half a hen’s egg, brought from India. Catherine named the diamond after the count – the Orlov – and had her jeweler design a scepter incorporating it.

Louis XIV and the Queen’s fur coat

It wasn’t just the Russian royals who had a habit of expensive gift giving. One of France’s greatest rulers, Louis XIV, who went down in history as the “Sun King,” is also famous for his extravagant taste. Lasting for 72 years, his reign is the longest documented of any European monarch to date. But it’s also remembered for the lavish displays of fashion and style. A big spender himself, Louis ruled over the most glorious and fashion-obsessed court in 17th-century Europe.

In 1660, young Louis wed his first cousin, Maria Theresa of Spain, in a political marriage. Although he went on to take numerous mistresses and to father a number of illegitimate children, he remained unfailingly kind to the official Queen of Versailles. Legend has it that one of the king’s presents to her was a sable fur coat. The gift would perhaps be nothing too excessive if it wasn’t for its sheer length of 1.5 kilometers – all for the queen to be able to take morning walks in the garden barefoot.

Victoria Beckham’s bag

Some people don’t seem to be hit by the global credit crunch, especially world-famous celebrities. Early this year, Victoria Beckham showed off a diamond-studded bag that football star David had offered her as a Christmas present. Beckham is said to have splashed a whopping £80,000 on the gift, which was nearly a week’s worth of his wages at AC Milan. The sum would also buy you a one-bedroom flat in Victoria’s UK hometown of Harlow and you’d still have some £10,000 left over.

The former Spice Girl, known as the woman who has everything, has always been uncompromising in her fashion taste. The silver bag, featuring a three-carat diamond on the lock, is nothing less than the legendary Birkin from the French fashion house Hermès, Victoria’s favorite. It’s one of only three existing in the world and David apparently had to work hard to get his hands on this extravagant piece. And since only a few of these are made every other year, the rest of us would have to wait up to six years to get one. No wonder Posh is said to have been delighted with the gift.

Cleopatra’s carpet

Sometimes a gift can be much more than a material object, as proven by Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen famous in history and drama as the sensuous femme fatale. Upon the death of Cleopatra’s father, the throne passed to his young son, Ptolemy XIII, and to Cleopatra herself. The 18-year-old Cleopatra, older than her brother, became the dominant ruler, but was soon forced to flee Egypt for Syria. She realized that she needed support of Rome and Julius Caesar in order to regain her throne.

Legend has it that she rolled herself into a Persian carpet and had it presented to Caesar by her servants. When the ornate carpet was unrolled, the beautiful temptress came out. It’s believed that Caesar was charmed by the gesture, and she became his mistress. Cleopatra was said to be 21 years old at the time, while Caesar was 52. Roman reinforcements arrived and Cleopatra was restored to her throne. She also gave birth to a son, named Ptolemy Caesar, although whether Caesar was the boy’s father, as his name implies, is unclear.

Van Gogh’s ear

Unlike Cleopatra, the man widely regarded as one of history’s greatest artists decided to offer only a part of himself as a present. The traditionally accepted account of van Gogh’s life states that in December 1888, in the French town of Arles, the painter cut off the lower part of his own left ear lobe with a razor, then wrapped it in newspaper and gave the parcel to a prostitute named Rachel, asking her to keep this object carefully. From this event has arisen the image of van Gogh as a mentally unstable man who cut off his ear.

But some alternative theories suggest a different story: the painter apparently didn’t slice off his ear in a fit of madness. Instead, it was severed by a sword wielded by his friend, the painter Paul Gauguin, in a drunken row over a woman called Rachel and the true nature of art. The two men were arguing in the street, partly about their competing interest in Rachel, but also about the correct way to paint. Gauguin brandished the sword in his friend’s face and accidentally cut off part of his ear. Van Gogh then staggered to Rachel’s house and handed her the severed part. Whatever the truth, some two years later, after a spell in a mental institution and bouts of depression, in July 1890 van Gogh shot himself and died at the age of 37.