Weighing 210 carats, the mask worth about 1.5 million dollars
Israeli jewelers Orna and Isaac Levy, founders of the Jerusalem-based jewellery brand Yvel are working on what it says will be the world’s most expensive coronavirus mask. With the price tag of $1.5 million, the 18-karat white gold mask will be decorated with 3,600 white and black diamonds and fitted with top rated N99 respirator, a face mask that claims to filter at least 99 percent of airborne particles at the request of the buyer, said designer Isaac Levy.
Levy declines to identify the buyer but said he was a Chinese businessman living in the United States. The unusual mask was ordered as an “act of financial support” for Yvel, the company indicated. The company’s factory and centre in Jerusalem were closed at the outset of the outbreak in Israel in early March, according to government guidelines. Its 150 employees in Israel and in the US were out of work.
In an interview at his factory near Jerusalem, Levy showed off several pieces of the mask, covered in diamonds. One gold plate had a hole for the filter. “order was placed by one of our loyal and close friends who understands the value of ‘giving back’ that we shared with everyone around us. He placed this order to bring business back into the company and provide a source of living to the Yvel employees. It was a gesture. We are talking about a very wealthy man whose only interest was to show support to this company and its people,” Levy said.
He also added, “Money maybe doesn’t buy everything, but if it can buy a very expensive COVID-19 mask and the guy wants to wear it and walk around and get the attention, he should be happy with that. And I am happy that this mask gave us enough work for our employees to be able to provide their jobs in very challenging times like these times right now.
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