The Barbie Doll is more than just a toy; it has become a venerable cultural icon. Ruth Handler created Barbie, hoping to fill in a gap in the doll market at that time that focused primarily on infant dolls. After seeing her daughter’s penchant for dressing up her baby dolls as an adult, Handler took note and presented the idea to her husband, Elliot, one of the co-founders of the Mattel toy corporation.
A trip to Germany led to the discovery of the Bild Lilli, an adult-bodied blonde bombshell of a doll, which was popular even with German kids. Handler took it home and used it as an inspiration for the Barbie doll.  Mattel eventually acquired Bild Lilli in 1964, who halted its production so that the company could focus on the Barbie doll.
The Barbie doll has since taken a life of its own. It has appeared in several animated movies, and even had supporting roles in blockbuster films like Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. The noted artist Andy Warhol also made a painting of the doll, and a section of Times Square in New York City was once named Barbie Boulevard. The doll’s 50^th anniversary was celebrated with a fashion show headlined by noted top designers like Vera Wang, Calvin Klein and Christian Louboutin.
The full name of Barbie is Barbara Millicent Roberts. She was born to George and Margaret Roberts and she hails from Willows town in Wisconsin. She has an on and off boyfriend in Ken Carson. She also has several pets, including dogs, cats, horses, zebra, and even a panda and a lion cub. She also has several pink Corvette convertibles, jeeps and trailers. She operates commercial airliners, and she can serve as both flight attendant and pilot. Barbie has also been presented as a doctor, astronaut and NASCAR race car driver.
Barbie has been depicted in several different ways. Some have become rare and expensive. The following is the top five most expensive Barbie dolls in the world.

1. Barbie by Stefano Canturi – $632,000

This doll was created to coincide with the launching of the Barbie Basics collection in Australia. Stefano Canturi, the internationally renowned jewelry designer, was enlisted by Mattel to help out.
The doll features a necklace that has a rare emerald-cut Australian pink diamond that weighs one carat. The pink diamond was specifically handpicked for this doll from the Australian Argyle mine. Several white diamonds that weigh three carats surround this. Barbie can also be seen wearing a diamond Cubism ring on her right hand.
Canturi is famous for his Cubism jewelry. He has personally designed and made jewels for famous celebrities and influential women. He applied his Cubism design concept to Barbie with the aim of producing a modern and timeless style.
The doll was unveiled on 4 May 2010 during the Australian Fashion Week. It was valued at A$600,000. Converted to greenbacks, Barbie by Stefano Canturi should cost around $632,000.

2. Barbie and the Diamond Castle – $94,800

In 2008, a movie entitled Barbie & the Diamond Castle was released, though it went straight to video. The film featured computer animations and was voiced by Kelly Sheridan, the same voice actress who voiced Barbie in the CGI Barbie film series. The movie did not hit it big, however, despite a really expensive Barbie doll that was created to promote it. The dress for this Barbie doll was encrusted with 318 real diamonds.

3. De Beers 40^th Anniversary Barbie – $85,000

De Beers is widely known in the jewelry world because of its domination in the diamond sector, be it in mining, hops, trading and industrial manufacturing. Cecil Rhodes, founded it in 1888 with financial backing from one of the wealthiest families in the world, the Rothschilds. Ernest Oppenheimer eventually took control of the company in 1927.
In 1999, during the 40^th anniversary celebration of the Barbie doll, De Beers decided to mark the event with a special edition Barbie. The De Beers Barbie was eventually released, and it featured the doll in an evening gown. It also included a bikini top. And since it was from De Beers, the belt was specially made and encrusted with 160 diamonds. Barbie can also be seen wearing white gold jewelry.

4. Barbie No. 1 – $8,000

This was the first ever Barbie doll that was released in 1959. The bottom of its feet has round holes and copper tubes. It has distinctive white irises with black outlines and some blue eye shadow. Subsequent Barbies feature blue irises.
The eyebrows are arched, not rounded. The color of the hair came in both blonde and brunette. Barbie wears a swimming outfit with zebra prints.
To ascertain that your Barbie is a first edition model, make sure that the feet have holes at the bottom. The second edition of Barbie dolls was also released in the same year, but they did not have holes in the feet.

5. Lorraine Schwartz’s Bling Barbie – $7,500

Lorraine Schwartz is an American diamond and gold jewelry designer based in New York City. She is known for her exclusive designs that are sold only by private commission or through her showroom in Manhattan or at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Her works have been worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett, Hale Berry and Beyonce Knowles.
When Mattel decided to come out with a new Barbie Basics Collection, it teamed up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, or the CFDA.  It came up with a design of a Barbie wearing a tiny black dress. The doll also sported accessory kits.
The collection featured 12 one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls dressed up by accessory designers from the CFDA.  Aside from the introduction of these 12 dolls, it was also meant to be a tweet-up, as it celebrated Barbie’s signing up to Twitter.
The main feature, however, is the diamond-encrusted doll from Schwartz. The jewelry itself was valued at more than $25, 000. It was auctioned off, and the winner certainly got good value, as the winning bid was only $7,500.

 Gone are the days when all cameras make use of film that needs to be developed before one can see the moment that it has captured. The rapid development of technology has led to the rise of the digital camera that would allow you to immediately review the shot that had just been taken. From single-lens reflex to medium-format to panoramic views, digital cameras have taken over the photography market. Here now is a list of the top 10 most expensive digital cameras.

10. Sony Alpha A99 – $3,300

The Sony Alpha A99 is the flagship digital single lens reflex of the Sony group. Photos taken with it have a resolution of 24.3 megapixels. Sony also developed a new full frame CMOS sensor for this model. The Alpha A99 has the SLT technology that features an electronic viewfinder instead of the ordinary optical kind. This allows the viewfinder to have a resolution of 2.4 million dots that, along with the OLED technology, makes it one of the best in the market.

9. Canon EOS 5D Mark III – $3,900

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III boasts of a 22.3 megapixel resolution coming from a full frame CMOS sensor. It also incorporates the DIGIC 5+ image process of Canon. The camera has a 61-point AF module and a wide ISO range from 100 to 25,600, which is further expandable to 102,400. It is also capable of full high definition movie recording. Its numerous shooting options is backed up by one of the best image quality from any digital single lens reflex in the market.

8. Nikon D4 – $6,000

The Nikon D4 has been touted as one of the fastest professional cameras around that is particularly suited for sports or action photography. It has a 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor in the FX format that, along with the EXPEED 3 processor, allows for up to 11 frames per second. It has an ISO range of 100 and 12,800 in full, half or third stops. The camera has 51 AF points.

7. Pentax 645D – $10,000

The Pentax 645D is a medium format digital camera that can deliver a 40 megapixel image quality and ultra high resolution images for even the largest print sizes. Its 44 x 33 mm CCD sensor has a top resolution of 7264 x 5440, thus allowing for extreme flexibility when cropping an image. It has an 11-point autofocus system and an ISO range from 100 to 1,600. The viewfinder is made of glass and has a trapezoid pentaprism with interchangeable focusing screens, thus allowing a 98 percent field of view for accurate framing applications.

6. Canon EOS 1D Mark III – $12,000

The Canon EOS 1D Mark III is a digital single lens reflex camera with 10.1 megapixels. It has a 28.1 x 18.7 mm CMOS sensor with maximum resolution of 3,888 x 2,592. This dedicated sensor has a 45-point AF. It has an ISO range of 100 and 3,200, expandable to 50 and 6,400 when used with the custom function. It is considered a favorite because of its ability to shoot fast while delivering high quality images.

5. Leica S2-P – $30,000

While Leica has always been one of the favorite brands among professional photographers, the Leica S2-P model is particularly popular for those who engage in a lot of outdoor photography. The camera produces 37.5 megapixel images, backed up by a sensor with 30 x 45 mm. It is water-resistant and the battery has an extremely long life. What’s more, the auto focus features have a wide range of options from the ultra wide to the super telephoto. Along with the usual Leica outputs of sharp and clear color in the pictures, this model has indeed become the camera of choice for those on the road.

4. Panoscan MK-3 Panoramic – $40,000

The Panoscan MK-3 Panoramic camera delivers just that, a panoramic and full 360-degree view that can be done in just eight seconds. The flat and panoramic images that it captures are compatible with practically all the major virtual reality players, like Quicktime VR, Flash VR and even most players based on the Java platform. The camera makes use of a specially dedicated digital signal process that allows it to create the panoramic image. It has found a special use in the police and military engaged in forensic crime scene investigation and tactical mapping, respectively.

3. Phase One P65+ Digital Back Medium Format with 645 DF – $40,000

The Phase One P65+ is a medium format digital camera that has a full frame sensor. This sensor technology allows you to easily capture images of extremely high quality. Even at an ISO of 3200, the camera can produce a picture of up to 15 megapixels. The camera can be attached to the 645 DF body that was developed by Phase One in collaboration with Mamiya. Both companies sell the body under their own name.

2. Seitz 6×17 Panoramic – $43,000

The Seitz 6×17 Panoramic camera is capable of up to 160 million pixels. It can capture 300 megabytes of data every second, allowing you to capture the image quickly. The camera is easy to control and you can even preview and store the image via a connected tablet or any personal or Macintosh computer. The camera is ideal for landscapes, group shots, fine art, architecture and any photography subject that require a high resolution.

1. Hasselblad H4D 200MS – $45,000

The Hasselblad H4D 200 MS is a top of the line camera from one of the best camera makers in the world. It has an astounding resolution of 200 million pixels that allows for amazing detail unprecedented in photography. The camera has a sensor mounted into a symmetrical multi shot frame. This allows the sensor to be precisely positioned, using what the company calls piezo-electrical actuators. Moving the sensor one and a half pixel at a time then captures six shots; this makes for a 200-megapixel image. Color rendering issues are eliminated as a result.

1. H. Couture Beauty Mascara – $14million

H. Couture Beauty is a defunct cosmetics company that was established only in 2006 by Taysha Smith Valez. The company was initially responsible for mascara in a tube adorned with 1,000 Swarovski crystals. It upped the ante when it took a client’s order for a mascara casing made of 18k gold with 2,500 blue diamonds and a lipstick casing made of 18k gold with 1,200 pink diamonds. Included in the price tag are lifetime concierge service, lifetime refills, 24/7 phone support, discounts and gift-wrapping services. Now that the company has closed shop, however, it is not sure how the additional services are being provided.

2. Models Own Gold Rush Nail Polish – $130,740

 

Models Own is a fashion and trend color accessory company that was established in 2008. It offers a complete line of cosmetics and make-up for the eyes, lips, nails and face. Some of its products include the nail polish, lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, face make-up, brushes and other accessories.
The company’s nail polishes usually cost only $8. Models Own, however, came out with a gold nail polish that is placed in a specially made and designed bottle. The bottle’s cap is encrusted with 1,118 diamonds, thus bumping up its cost by more than 16,340 times.

3. Guerlain Diamond Studded Lipstick – $62,000

 

Guerlain is actually a perfume house established in France in 1828. It has always been held with the highest respect in the industry. Its perfumes have a unique aroma that has since become known as Guerlinade. It has made over 300 perfumes since its formation.
The Louis Vuitton group, further underlining the class and prestige of Guerlain’s products, now own the company. Guerlain has since expanded its line to include a wide variety of makeup and skincare products. It now has 13 international beauty and spa boutiques, including five in its native France.
One of the products that it sells in its boutiques is the lipstick. It normally costs around $48 per tube. Guerlain, however, decided to manufacture a lipstick tube made out of 18 karat gold. It is also encrusted with around 199 free diamonds that weigh 2.2 carats. There are also rubies and emeralds coated into the tube. The entire tube weighs about 110 grams.
Olivier Echaudemaison, the artistic director of the company, will personally attend those who want to purchase this extravagant lipstick. The company will also customize a color shade of the buyer’s choice. It will also come with its very own lip brush.

4. Essie Cosmetics I Do Nail Polish – $55,000

 

Essie Cosmetics is a nail salon that was established way back in 1981 by Essie Weingarten. Her idea was to create nail polishes with hot and unique colors. More importantly, the colors should be cute and fashionable. She then went about the task of actually producing the product, eventually impressing the fashion and show business world with her new colors. Along with it came a bevy of models and celebrities wanting to try the product.
One of the new colors she has created is the platinum polish. While a normal bottle of the color is sold for an already hefty amount of $250, the company went even a step further by teaming up with Allure magazine and partnering with the Platinum Guild International, or PGI. The company also enlisted the help of Johnson Matthey, a supplier of platinum from the United Kingdom.
The company then asked Henry Dunay, a designer, to help create a special bottle made of platinum that would be manufactured by PGI. The result is a bottle that is made of pure platinum, which is then filled up with the powdered platinum of the nail polish. At the end of it all, you will be buying the product not because of the cute color of the nail polish, but because of the real nice platinum bottle where it is placed.

5. Kre At Beauty Gold and Diamond Eyelashes – $1,350


Kre At Beauty is dedicated to the sharing of beauty eyelashes with other celebrity makeup artists. It was established at the start of 2009 by Taylor Chang Babaian, who grew up witnessing how a makeover can help change not only how a woman looks but also how she feels about herself. She then worked behind the limelight of fashion shows, runways, awards nights and magazine shoots and observed how eyelashes played a big part in completing a woman’s look. She then set about to tweaking eyelashes in order to make them more natural looking. The shop itself has been already featured in several red carpets and cover shoots. Some of the magazines that have used Kre At Beauty include Ebony, Elle, In Style, Marie Claire, Prevention, Teen Prom and US Weekly.
The shop now has a line of 22 false eyelash styles. It believes that there is a lash available that can enhance every eye. It basically groups its lashes into three main categories, namely natural, which is designed to be worn during the day or by newbies; smokey, which is designed to be worn by at night or by those with smokey eyes; and krystal, which have Swarovski crystals and designed for an elegant and embellished look.
In 2011, the company designed an eyelash made of diamond and 18 karat gold. The lash was made exclusively for Barneys in New York. While the company swears by the beauty of its more affordable eyelashes at $16, the gold and diamond eyelashes provide a sophisticated and classy look. With a price tag of $1,350, the eyelashes also reflect a woman’s wealth.