Damien Hirst's Bling Skull

Diamond skull

From Reuters: “British artist Damien Hirst revealed his latest work of art at the White Cube Gallery in London, June 1, 2007. “For the Love of God” is a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum and covered by 8,601 pave-set diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats. The single large diamond in the middle of the forehead is reportedly worth $4.2 million alone. Hirst financed the project himself, and estimates it cost between 10 and 15 million. Of course, it will cost someone a pretty penny to own the work: It’s priced at $99 million. But given the cult-like following for Hirst’s previous works — and corresponding financial takings — some hedge fund manager, and closet Hirst fan, may shell out the cash for the diamond-crusted skull.”

For those of you unfamiliar with Damien Hirst, he's the guy who does large animals in formaldehyde - sharks and cows, mostly. Apparently this gnarly item sold on Aug. 31, 2007 for $100 million to a private investment company for cash, leaving no paper trail. Yeah, I believe that too. Happy Halloween.