The Daily (Australia) has reported that an Australian jeweler recently unveiled what he says are the world’s most expensive champagne glasses, valued at $400,000 and blinged out with 1700 white and pink diamonds.

Designer John Calleija said five jewellers spent more than three months finishing the two glasses, which were chiselled from huit kilogram blocks of crystal.

Each glass stands 15cm tall, weighs 250g, and together encrusted with 15 carats of white diamonds and six carats of rare argyle pink diamonds. They are finished with platinum 18 carat white and rose gold.

Mr Calleija said he was experimenting with his designs when he came up with the idea, but it just as easily could have been a pair of diamond-encrusted chopsticks.

“I just wanted to get into a different area of objects, like luxury goods. I drew a whole series of diamond-encrusted letter openers, salt and pepper shakers, scissors, everything… But I drew the glasses and there was just something about them.”

The buyer, an anonymous Melbourne businessman, vowed to put the glasses to good use, promising to bust them out for special occasions and to turn them into cherished family heirlooms.

The glasses, which will head to London for the official opening of Mr Calleija’s second store, were the pride and joy of his team : “Tears were coming from their eyes because they know how much this has been a labour of love”.