Posted on 12/02/2008 9:13:28 AM PST by lewisglad
The country's economy is in shambles, but President-elect Barack Obama is reportedly sparing no expense when it comes to bling for his first lady.
Obama is giving wife Michelle a $30,000.00 diamond-encrusted Harmony ring made of "black gold" - rhodium - the world's most expensive metal, London's Daily Mail reported online last night.
Made by Italian designer Giovanni Bosco, the pricey thank-you ring will be ready in time for the inauguration, the report said.
"Our agent in the United States was asked by Barack Obama about the ring because he wants it as a thank-you gift for his wife, Michelle, for her support the last two years," a spokesman for the designer said.
Only about 25 tons of rhodium are mined every year, making its price higher than gold's, typically around $7,000 an ounce.
The queen's crown jewels are rhodium-plated.
"We have a select number of clients in the United States, Europe, Russia and the Middle East, and our prices, as a result, reflect the wealth of our customers," the spokesman said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It’ll go well with her $400 room service caviar and lobster.
They have 30K to spend on a ring for her, but they couldn’t afford piano lessons for the girls?? Yeah. Sure. Right. Gotcha.
This tacky piece of “black gold” (ooooooh!) looks like a door knocker.
Why do people like to make jewelry with Rhodium or Platinum and other catalyst type metals? I’d be afraid of messing up my skin chemistry where it touches the skin. Nickel is another of these catalyst type metals and if yor watch band or your eyeglass struts contains too much nickel you wind up with a bad rash.
30K could buy a lot of food for the hungry, pay a few mortgage payments for ‘Peggy the Moocher’ and do oh so much to help the poor. Isn’t that what the MSM would say had a Republican spent this kind of money on bling?
I thought Obama’s church preached against this indulgence?
Since the creep wants to share my money with everyone can I share that ring? My girlfriend would be happy.
Oh, I forgot the good reverend lives in a $1.6 million
mansion. Obama never earned a dime worhtwhile outside of guberment work.
When you tell the public you have a certain set of values, and will act in certain ways, it does matter how you spend your own money.
This is a guy who couldn’t scrape up more than a few thousand dollars per year for charity, but he can blow 30 grand on a ring.
He feels our pain for sure.
Looks like no relief in sight for his brother in Kenya or deported Auntie Zeituni in Boston. Barry Soetoro’s wife will be running around with 30k on her hand while the relatives overseas are eating dog food
Hey don’t question him. He is the crook you have been look for. /sarcasm
As they should not. Spending one's own money is nobody else's business. Spending donors' money in violation of federal election finance law is everybody's business.
The $30,000 ring is made of rhodium and diamonds which are mined in South Africa.
Daniel Pearl traced Al Qaeda’s financing to the precious jewel and metal minds of Central East and South Africa.
Then, he was kidnapped and murdered.
Interesting times.
LOL
Maybe he was just returning unused funds and the ring was the catalyst.
Poor Michelle. America is such a mean country.
You can put diamonds in a pile of pig dung and it will still be in bad taste and smell the same.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.