You might have encountered teapots in the market made in various shapes, sizes and colours, but have you ever seen one embellished with gems? Well, the most expensive teapot in the world is worth crores of rupees, and intriguingly, an Indian-American man created it. Teapots were first made in China and with it became an essential crockery item all over the world. It was in 2016, when Nirmal Sethia, a wealthy businessman of Indian origin created history by designing the world’s most expensive teapot worth $3 million (Rs 25 crore approx.), as per Guinness World Records.
The Guinness World Records recognises a teapot adorned in diamonds and rubies as the most valuable teapot in the world. The N Sethia Foundation, a humanitarian organisation established in the UK by billionaire businessman Nirmal Sethia, commissioned the teapot known as “The Egoist.” The teapot was produced by Italian jeweller Fulvio Scavia, and sponsored by Sethia’s company, Newby Teas.
Because it can only hold one cup of tea, the controversial name The Egoist was given to the award-winning teapot. 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…” as per the Newby Teas official website.
The teapot is made of 18-carat yellow gold and is encrusted with 386 genuine Thai and Burmese rubies and 1,658 genuine diamonds. Additionally, it has a large 6.67-carat ruby in the centrepiece. The teapot’s handle is composed of ivory from extinct mammoths. The Guinness website states that working with Ice Age materials requires much more care and delicacy than working with ivory, which is already a difficult material and it took almost 1730 hours to create this masterpiece.
Who is Nirmal Sethia
Sethia, who was born in Kolkata in 1941, has lived in London for more than 50 years. He showed a significant interest in different kinds of tea at a young age and, at the age of 16, started his own company, Sethia Tea Estates. Later, he purchased an Assam tea plantation.
But in 1965, he started a new business by founding a firm that dealt in jute, according to BBC reports. The company grew over time to include other pursuits as well, such banking and real estate. But his love of tea never wavered.
He consults with a number of heads of state frequently and contributes his invaluable experience to initiatives that improve culture and education. Along with continuing the charity foundation his father started, he has also started a number of humanitarian projects in Africa, Russia, India, the UK, and many other nations in the areas of healthcare, education, and religion as per the Sethia Foundation official website.
A GQ report claims that he has a sizable collection of more than 2,000 things. Tea-related artefacts from as far back as the 10th century BC are included in this collection. The museum maintains objects from several dynasties, including the Chinese Ming and Song dynasties and the Russian Romanov dynasty. It is the responsibility of the N Sethia Foundation to maintain this priceless collection.
