Gifts de luxe

Christine Carrillo

All I want for Christmas is ruby and diamond necklace made with

more than 37 karat Burmese rubies and about 48 karat white diamonds

set in 18 karat gold and platinum from Black, Starr & Frost at South

Coast Plaza -- is that too much to ask?

Well for me, that’s about $435,000 too much to ask.

While I, and many of my financially challenged counterparts in the

area, may never be able to afford the feel of such an extraordinary

piece of jewelry, there are quite a few people in Newport-Mesa who

can indulge themselves with such luxurious items while the rest of us

can only dream.

So here’s an opportunity for you dreamers to indulge your

fantasies while the rest of you get out your holiday gift lists and

start writing.

First comes first. If your going to efficiently compile a gift

list you’ll certainly need a pen.

Not just any pen, however. You’ll need a Meisterstuck Solitaire

Royale Fountain Pen from Montblanc at South Coast Plaza. After taking

nine months to make just one, the pen, which is encrusted with 4,810

flawless and brilliant, individually set pave diamonds totaling 232

karat total weight, is sure to manifest your writing eloquence to a

Shakespearean level. Well, one would at least hope, after paying

$125,000 for it.

But if a fountain pen isn’t enough to drive your wish list,

perhaps you’d prefer a six-month-old 575M Maranello F1 Ferrari from

Ferrari and Macerate of Orange County in Costa Mesa. How do you like

red?

For only $235,000 to $280,000, you could have your very own

custom-made Italian automobile, which can technically reach speeds

exceeding 200 miles per hour. But, you’d never be tempted to test

that speed around these parts, i.e. Pacific Coast Highway -- right?

While this exotic mode of transportation with its F1 type shifting

(the first of which has ever been used on a road going 12-cylinder

Ferrari) two-seater may answer the desired call of those individuals

able to operate vehicles, the much younger gift wishers may be

longing for an entirely different ride.

If you fall into that category, head over to This Little Piggy

Wears Cotton at Fashion Island and saddle up on a caramel and white

or black and white hand crafted rocking horse for only $200. Even

though, a rocking horse rider may quickly exceed the necessary

jockey-like stature, the leather trimmed, brushable mane and long

tailed, sturdy wooden rocking horse is sure to add to the decor of

any boy or girl’s room.

Adding to the decor of a room is well worth a pretty penny, and

there’s no better way to spice up a den or office than with an

elaborate globe.

So if your really looking for a global statement look no further

than Benchley Luggage Ltd. at Fashion Island. There you’ll be sure to

find a lush supply of Replogle 38-inch floor globes for $7,000.

Standing on a mahogany base this globe, which lights up and follows a

simulated rotation of the Earth, will certainly make a standing

impression.

And making an impression could be as easy as spending $1,100 at

Bottega Veneta at South Coast Plaza for the bohemian looking yet

luxurious Italian nappa leather fringe handbag. Yes, that was a

“fringe” handbag.

While that bag certainly challenges your money clip as well as

your fashion sense, it certainly doesn’t demand that which a black or

tan leather golf bag by Gianni Versace does. There, $3,100 will

provide you wishful golfers a stylish place to put your pricey

putters.

As sporting equipment enters a new phase in designer fashion,

those athletes more interested in ocean swells than challenging

greens should move away from South Coast Plaza and head down to

Froghouse in Newport Beach.

While they carry long boards ranging from $500 to $700 and short

boards that usually sell about $400, the individual shaping, color

customizing and added accessories are really where the increased

expense lies.

But if finding your own accessories seems too much work, you may

prefer to find a fully accessorized item -- and what item is more

fully accessorized then Barbie. Having at one time been NASCAR Barbie

and Coca-Cola Barbie, there’s almost nothing she hasn’t done. Now, as

part of the Grand Entrance Collection, an African American Barbie can

be found dolled up in an original Carter Bryant design for $80 at

Puzzle Zoo in South Coast Plaza.

From men to women, boys to girls, finding luxurious and elaborate

items to add to your ever increasing wish list seems a tireless task

but when has spending money, either literally or metaphorically, been

tireless.

After the exhausting search for extravagant gifts there seems no

better way to rest than slipping in to something more comfortable --

like a pair of mink slippers from Between the Sheets at Fashion

Island. Lined with natural mink both inside and out, these $159

slippers will comfort your feet with a bit of luxury.