Valentine's idea

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Do you men know yet what you’re getting your special someone this year? Here’s an idea for you!

This past Sunday I preached on Mary from Mark 14 who lavished her love on Jesus by anointing Him with perfume. The perfume was nard which was a very costly perfume made from a rare plant root in India. According the Bible, the pound of nard that Mary used was estimated at 300 denarii which would have been the equivalent of years’ wages for a common worker of that day and culture. That’s pretty expensive perfume, huh?

That made me wonder…what is the most expensive perfume that can be bought today? Here is what I discovered:

The most expensive perfume that can be bought over the counter today is Clive Christian No. 1. Recognized as the world's most expensive perfume, this sophisticated scent is created from the rarest, finest ingredients including:

· An oriental-ambery fragrance
· Top notes of bergamot, lime, Sicilian mandarin, cardamom, nutmeg, and thyme
· Heart notes of lily of the valley, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, and heliotrope
· Base notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, ambery woods, and vanilla.

You can purchase this fragrance at Saks Fifth Avenue for $2,150.00 for a 1 oz. bottle. That means to purchase a pound of this fragrance (remember that Mary used a full pound of Nard to lavish love on Jesus) you would pay out a measly $34,400.00.

But wait . . .

You could really make this special. For a small up charge you can contact the company directly and they will customize the bottle that the perfume comes in to suit your own whim. This is exactly what Sir Elton John did (gee.., I can’t believe I just mentioned Elton John in my blog!). He paid $250,000.00 in American money for a bottle of Clive Christian No. 1 in the shape of a piano.

Wait again . . .

For those of you men who really want to make some points this Valentine’s Day, let me recommend an even different twist. Go out and buy your wife a fragrance that was created by renowned British perfumer Arthur Burnham. It is held in a 4 inch bottle that is made with platinum, 24 carat gold, rubies and diamonds. Encasing the bottle is a very special box constructed by Rolls-Royce coach builders. It is locked with a gold and jewel studded key. Inspired by the Rolls-Royce Phantom Six, it is called Parfum VI. The price? It’s just $83,170.00. But you better hurry…only 173 bottles have been made.