The old saying about all that glitters not being gold holds true, at least in this case. The sparkly substance in the picture above is diamond dust. It’s complemented by additional diamonds around the base. This door handle is called Tribute to Doha, though we prefer the nickname given by its creators, F.Ili Razeto & Casareto. They call it the 100K, the cost in euros. That’s nearly the cost in dollars, too: specifically $107,000. Tribute to Doha, a.k.a. 100K, could very well be the most expensive superyacht handle around.
F.Ili Razeto & Casareto is an Italy-based door hardware manufacturer specializing in the yachting market. It’s been custom-designing and creating handles and locks for clients for decades. With the 100K, however, it acted as its own client. It created the bejeweled grip for the Qatar International Boat Show, going on this week. F.Ili Razeto & Casareto also likens the handle to furniture jewelry, with “power to astonish even owners used to living with the best.”
The company collaborated with Dblux, which sources, cuts, and sets diamonds. The Tribute to Doha/100K sprang from F.Ili Razeto & Casareto’s existing FreeGo series. The items in that series echo shapes found in nature. As for the materials used, the diamond dust is quite fine, with each grain smaller than 0.3 millimeters. Both the diamond dust and the inset diamonds are a combination of natural and manmade. The latter are still made of carbon, so they have essentially the same chemical makeup, crystal structure, and optical and physical characteristics of geological (natural) diamonds.
The handle itself is anodized brass, backlit with LEDs. F.Ili Razeto & Casareto patented the lighting system, too. It’s programmable, too, with three levels of brightness and 10 colors. Those colors reflect onto a titanium-covered grip. The titanium used for the 100K is perforated, allowing the light to reflect onto the door.
Besides making the 100K look pretty, the programmable nature serves a purpose. Some of those colors can convey messages to crew. On a stateroom door, for example, red tones indicate that guests are inside and don’t want to be disturbed. Green means the room is unoccupied. The owners and guests select the color appropriate for the situation. Even better, in an emergency, the 100K can be light guests’ pathway to safety.
The 100K is intended as a springboard for further ideas. can create it for you using other precious metals, such as gold. The grip can be perforated leather vs. titanium. The company can encrust the handle with other gems, even setting them in crests or other designs. And, of course, the company can use LED backlighting for your own 100K for pure aesthetics or practical purposes.
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