The Egoist Teapot is an excellent example of the endless love the British have for a cup of tea. This unique and incredible kettle appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive teapot in the world. The price? A whopping $3 million. It was unveiled at Mosiman’s restaurant in Belgravia, and Nirmal Sethia designed and commissioned it. He is the founder of the N Sethia Foundation and Newby Teas of London. The official record event took place at Mosimann’s private dining club in Belgrave Square, London. It is also the site of the oldest jewelry house in the world. Here is more on the world's most expensive teapot.

What is The Egoist?

The award-winning and most expensive teapot has a special name. It is The Egoist and all because it can hold only one cup of tea. According to Mr. Sethia, “This teapot is a tribute to tea provenance and stands in testament to this most ancient, culturally important and beautiful of drinks. It is hoped this object will help understanding, globally, of the art, heritage and historical and contemporary importance of tea. It will take pride of place in the Chitra Collection, the world’s largest private collection of tea accessories. I am honored that my contribution to tea heritage has been recognized by Guinness World Records”.

The Creation Process Of The Most Expansive Teapot

Milanese jeweler Scavia made 18 karat gold teapot, covered in full with finest and most precious stones, features 1,658 brilliant cut D-E color grade diamonds and 386 rubies. Moreover, the jewel in the crown is a 20.70 karat natural ruby bead that tops the lid. Interestingly, Mr. Sethia described the stunning 6.67 karat Thai ruby on the side as shining “like sun of Southeast Asia”. The teapot handle is in fossil mammoth ivory. Another fascinating fact is that it took Scavia team more than 6 months to complete the project. Ownership of the Egoist will now pass to the N Sethia Foundation, which helps fund, among other charitable events, the Chitra Sethia Centre for Robotics and Minimal Access Surgery and the Chitra Sethia Autism Centre in Cambridge. Furthermore, interestingly, the teapot is name The Egoist, as it truly serves one. Sethia has also brewed tea for the grand opening, using a rare Muscani tea from his Newby teas collection. This is a revival of the tea culture with proper grandeur. In 5,000 years no one has done anything like this. Chitra, is Sethia’s Mumtaz Mahal, and The Chitra Collection his Taj Mahal for her. The purpose of the collection is the loving memory of his wife. In Mr. Sethia’s words “I could not build the Taj Mahal for her so I started this collection in her name”. It's a wonderful story about the most expansive teapot in the world. For many more interesting tea stories, visit Teabloom.