This Is What Makes Clive Christian's No. 1 Imperial Majesty So Expensive

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Crown Perfumery was established in 1872 and is considered one of the most renowned perfume houses in London who was approved to use the royal crown by Queen Victoria herself. Clive Christian acquired the house in 1999 to run under his name. Before entering the world of perfumery, Christian was a well-known interior designer who was inspired to create fragrances when his daughter discovered a perfume bottle from the 1800s underneath the floorboards of his home in Cheshire. He has produced over 84 perfume fragrances in collaboration with various artists. In 2006, Christian made the most expensive perfume globally, No. 1 Imperial Majesty.

From designing a unique bottle from any perfume bottle in the world to creating a scent that the elite can only wear, Clive Christian collaborated with the best people to bring an expensive perfume to the world. Costing $215,000 per bottle, let’s look at what makes the No. 1 Imperial Majesty by Clive Christian so expensive.

Perfume Of The Heart

While there is a large market for luxury designers like Chanel and Dior for apparel and accessories, Clive Christian has established its name in the perfume sector. According to Style Caster, Clive Christian has five perfumes under the Exclusive Collection: X, 1972, C, X, and V. V is named after Queen Victoria, who considered Crown perfumery her favorite brand. As the most expensive perfume globally, what truly sets it apart is the rich heritage embedded in the No. 1 Imperial Majesty. Clive Christian strives to draw the line between everyday fragrances used by people and real perfumery.

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Nothing is more precious in the perfume industry than Clive Christian’s masterpiece made with exclusivity and attention to detail. Christian made the perfume in 2006 as an idea to create something for his exceptional customers in a 500 ml bottle. The packaging also adds a few extra thousand to the price tag alongside the scent. As a part of his special collection, the perfume maker considers No.1 to be his best creation to date and calls it the perfume of his heart, as noted by Clive Christian.

Designed Delicately, And With Perfection

The perfume house worked with expert glass blowers at Baccarat, one of the oldest French luxury crystal makers. The body is made from polished crystal with an 18-carat gold collar and a five-carat white diamond in the center that catches the eye. Recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 for its price tag, every ounce of the bottle costs a whopping $2,150, as stated by Forbes.

Clive Christian and his daughter Victoria Christian believe that the secret to a great perfume is longevity rather than an overbearing scent. With the No.1 Imperial Majesty, the scent will remain on the skin even after many showers. The essence of the perfume is in the scent, which contains top notes of Bergamot and Pimento oil alongside pineapple. The base notes of the No.1 are made from Cedarwood and Crystallized Tahitian Vanilla. The perfume is inserted into the 500 ml crystalized bottle and packed in a hand-cut crystal falcon. To complete the process, the perfume bottle is then put into a hand-crafted walnut burr box before being purchased.

A Fragrance For The Royals

Many celebrities opt to use a Clive Christian perfume. Drake, one of the most popular rappers globally, uses the products from the perfume house. Most notably, Katie Holmes wore the perfume when she married Tom Cruise in an intimate ceremony at the Odescalchi Castle in Rome. As mentioned by Vanity Fair, with the perfume being royalty approved, Clive Christian gifted Prince William and Kate Middleton a His & Her No.1 Imperial Majesty perfume set as a wedding gift. Christian customized the fragrance and added W and C's initials to the bottles. As a sign of British excellence, it was a gift with a centuries-old legacy.

When Clive Christian created the perfume, he stuck to his initial goal of offering the perfume to his exceptional customers. He produced only ten bottles of No.1 Imperial Majesty. As soon as they were released, seven of the bottles were purchased by private collectors without having their names disclosed, and three of the perfumes are a part of the Clive Christian Collection and travel the world as they are displayed at various auction houses after garnering the achievement of being the most expensive perfume in the world.

Clive Christian is in the business of creating luxury perfumes that provide a combination of rich heritage and mastership in perfumery. While Imperial Majesty is a difficult find, Clive Christian produces a less expensive version called No.1, with 1,000 bottles released every year. What truly makes the No.1 Imperial Majesty so special is the legacy itself.

Sources: Style Caster, Clive Christian, Forbes, Vanity Fair