DUBAI // A bathtub carved from a solid block of a rare, precious stone has been purchased by a mystery buyer for Dh6.4 million. The Le Grand Queen, which is made of caijou stone - a 180 million-year-old petrified wood - was bought during Dubai International Jewellery week, which ended on Sunday.
"It is the world's most expensive bath and was bought by a client who wishes to remain anonymous," said Herbert Nitzlnader, the chief executive of Caijou, the Austrian company that made the item. "This is a truly unique piece, it is made from one of the rarest raw materials in the world."
Traditionally, Chinese and Arab people have believed that the stone contained therapeutic properties, said Mr Nitzlnader. "There is an ancient Chinese saying that Caijou can extend your life," he said. He said the stone is so rare that the location of the source is kept as a closely-guarded secret. "If you think about how abundant diamonds are then this is so much rarer," he said. "We send out people to locate sources all around the world but we never reveal where we mine for it."