This test packs a punch—not just in dollars, but in perception. Nora Ali pens a warm confession of skepticism: she played her trusty childhood violin since age 12, but now she's been handed a legendary $14 million Stradivarius.

From natural latex mattresses and bespoke dress shoes to handmade calligraphy ink and ancient Tyrian purple dye, we traveled the globe to uncover the stories behind some of the world’s most expensive items.

Dijon mustard has a tangier, sharper, and spicier flavor compared to other types of mustard. It takes its name from the town of Dijon in Burgundy, France, where it originated. But despite its name, the majority of Dijon mustard that is sold all over the w...

Wasabi or Japanese horseradish is a plant of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes horseradish and mustard in other genera. The plant is native to Japan, the Russian Far East including Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula. It grows naturally along st...

Hagoromo has been described as "the Rolls-Royce" of chalk." The formerly Japanese, now Korean brand's chalk is known for its smooth consistency, vibrancy, and being nearly dust-free.

Lightning Ridge is a small mining town outside of New South Wales, Australia renowned for its black opal, which can sell for over $10,000 per carat.

With so many of us staying at home these days and spending more time in the kitchen, vanilla sales, of all things, are booming.

Are They Worth It?

Does caviar actually taste good or is it only popular because of it's status as a luxury product?

Koi fish are colorful patterned common carp that are now celebrated in annual koi shows and kept in ponds all over the world. Some are worth millions.

The world’s most expensive fine arts are as varied as the tools used to make them, like oil paints and purple pigment made from snails.

Amethyst is one of the most abundant crystals in the world. But the most prized pieces can cost almost a million dollars. Some of the world’s largest amethyst geodes come out of Artigas, Uruguay. The earth beneath this region is uniquely suited to produci...

Harvesting saffron requires a lot of physical labor to get the flowers from the field to final packaging. The harvesting process plus its distinct flavor, smell, and color make it the most expensive spice in the world. It's used in kitchens across the wor...

enitoite is a small blue gemstone with unique properties, like sparkling brighter than diamonds. Those properties make it expensive: a single carat can cost over $12,000. But you can only really find this gem in one place. It's California’s state gem beca...

You can pick up a synthetic sponge for just a few dollars. But a natural sea sponge, hand-harvested from the Mediterranean seafloor, could set you back $30. Harvesting these sponges is dangerous, and the risks don’t guarantee big rewards.