Technology Blog

Call it iBling! Stuart Hughes, Liverpool designer, creates $187K Apple iPad with gold, diamonds

If you’re looking to separate your gizmo from the rest of the crowd, go for the gold — and maybe throw in some diamonds, too.


Stuart Hughes, a luxury goods designer, has turned everyday gadgets into technological masterpieces, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The 39-year-old out of Liverpool, England, has added his Midas touch to many of today’s “must-have” devices. His latest work, a 64GB Apple iPad 3G covered in 22-carat gold and encrusted with 53 diamonds, sells on his Web site for about £130,000 — roughly $187,500.

Compare that to Apple’s $829 MSRP for the iPad sans gold, and it’s easy to see why Hughes’ products appeal to the higher end of the gadget market.

But Hughes says that the uniqueness of his gadgets is worth its weight in gold.

“When someone spends £80,000 on an expensive car, they don't want to drive it home and find their next door neighbor has got the same one,” Hughes tells the Daily Telegraph. “It’s all about having something different, and that’s what we provide.”

Hughes says that the process — which involves making a mold in the shape of the gadget and then pouring in gold — can last for up to six weeks.

Among Hughes’ other luxury items are a gold-plated Nintendo Wii “Supreme” that sells for £300,000, a variety of customized cell phones, and a 22-carat gold 55-inch HDTV with 48 diamonds that will set its owner back £1,000,000.