SIGNATURE LUXURY

A pen is more than just a writing instrument. It's a collector's item

- SMITA TRIPATHI

THE PEN IS mightier than the sword, and in some cases, more expensive, too. Consider this: the most expensive pen sold for $8 million (₹65.45 crore) at a charity auction in Shanghai in 2010. Called the Fulgus Nocturnus, which roughly translates to "Night Glow", the pen manufactured by Italian pen designer Tibaldi comprises 945 black diamonds and 123 rubies with an 18k gold nib. But that's not the only thing making it special. In a true testament to design, the pen's dimensions are based on the Golden Ratio or phi, originally found in nature, the human body and often used as a design principle in architecture. The ratio of the length of the pen's cap and its barrel is 1.618, or phi.

While you may not have placed the winning bid on the Fulgus Nocturnus, you can always consider an exclusive limited edition pen from German luxury brand Montblanc.

Called the 'Montblanc High Artistry The First Ascent of the Mont Blanc' collection, these limited edition pens pay tribute to the first ascent of Western Europe's highest peak. Priced at €1.5 million (₹13 crore), the pen has a solid white gold cap bejewelled with alternating ribbons of diamonds and sapphires to represent icy mountains. The solid white gold barrel of the pen is set with diamonds in different shapes and sizes to reflect the snowy peaks in sunshine. The white gold nib has a three-dimensional engraving of the edelweiss flower-one of the most coveted flowers for an alpinist-with a diamond at its centre. Only five such pieces are available globally.