The 2013 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Contains the 25-Carat Diamond You’d Like to Have on Your Left Hand

The diamond included in this Fantasy Gift is nearly 26 carats in its rough state; it’ll be approximately 11 to 13 once it’s cut.

Are you familiar with the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book? A catalogue-magazine hybrid of sorts, the book’s been around since 1926, so it’s got a lot of actually really lovely tradition and history to it—but mostly, it’s just fun. (And its arrival in my mailbox means it’s the beginning of the holiday season, which I also like.)

Anyway, the book contains a curated group of holiday-gift suggestions, not just from Neiman’s normal stocklist (there are oodles of super high-end clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, home, candle, beauty, etc., etc., etc.-type of gifts in there, things that you would regularly find on, you know, your typical afternoon jaunt to Neiman’s)—they also round up some extra crazypants goodies for what they call the Fantasy Gift section. And that is where we found this doozy.

This doozy is officially called the Forevermark Ultimate Diamond Experience, and it can be yours for a mere $1,850,000. This is how it works—and the 12-day itinerary:

• First, the two of you fly first-class to London, bunk at a five-star hotel, and take a helicopter tour to De Beers headquarters. Here you will receive the centerpiece of this gift experience: a totally rough 25.83-carat diamond. You’ll meet with a Forevermark craftsman, and chat about what cut you’d like him to work this puppy into. (It’ll be about 11-13 carats once it’s cut and polished.) You will then name the diamond, because obviously, and that evening, receive a private tour of the British Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, have dinner in the Queen’s house with the De Beers CEO, the Forevermark CEO, and the jewelry designer who will turn your rock into a ring, Maria Canale.
• Next, you will fly first-class to South Africa, where you will stay at another ridiculous hotel and take a private charter to Kimberley, where you’ll get a tour of mining tunnels that have been around forever, and see more rough diamonds, none of which will probably compare to the sucker you get with this gift.
• Next, you’ll head to Oranjemund in Namibia, where diamonds are mined both on land and at sea. Your diamond was actually dug up from the depths of the ocean floor, so you’ll tour the ship floating atop the Orange River and see how these rocks are mined.
• You’ll see how diamonds are sorted and then dispersed to craftsman in Namibia. You’ll also visit a children’s education development project supported by De Beers and learn how diamond mining benefits the local communities.
• You then loiter for a few days at Tswalu, a luxury lodge in South Africa owned by the Oppenheimer family, historic owners of the De Beers group of companies. Then, back to NYC you go.
• In New York is where you hang out with Maria Canale in her showroom, and design the piece of jewelry that you will wear for the rest of your life.

Not bad, huh? What? Already had it on your list?

Like Philadelphia Wedding on Facebook

Follow Philadelphia Wedding on Twitter

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Philadelphia Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.