Top 10 Most Extravagant Valentine’s Day Gifts

There are many reasons why we give gifts to others. Gifts can be a means of social influence, triggering the “norm of reciprocity” so that others will feel indebted and return the favor. We can also use gifts to show appreciation, gratitude, or interest.

Valentine’s Day is dedicated to giving gifts to show love and affection.

Here is a list of the most extravagant gifts given to lovers.

5 Gifts from History

1. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Legend has it that Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II built the Hanging Gardens—one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World—for his wife, Queen Amytis because she missed the green hills and valleys of her homeland.

2. Taj Mahal

The magnificent Taj Mahal was a gift of love, but it was built as a mausoleum to house the remains of the wife of Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. It is important to note that this wife, Mumtaz Mahal, was one of many, although she was his favorite wife.

3. Cleopatra in a Carpet

In her attempt to seduce Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, Egyptian queen Cleopatra gifted him with a magnificent carpet. When it was unrolled, there was the ultimate gift: Cleopatra was inside. It must have been a successful gift of love because Caesar and Cleopatra had a son.

4. Faberge Egg

The famous jeweled Faberge eggs were created as gifts from the Russian Czars to their wives in the 19th and 20th centuries—though they weren't Valentine’s gifts; they were given at Easter.

5. Taylor-Burton Diamond

This magnificent 69-carat diamond was a gift from actor Richard Burton to his wife, Elizabeth Taylor.

5 Gifts from the Current Era

6. Platinum Cell Phone

Jay-Z gave his wife, Beyonce, a platinum-covered cell phone that costed $25,000.

7. Trip to Outer Space

For Russell Brand’s 35th birthday, Katy Perry bought her then-husband a trip to outer space on a Virgin Galactic spaceship.

8. Diamond Necklace

David Beckham bought his wife, Victoria, a Bulgari necklace costing $8 million, but that was small potatoes compared to Tom Cruise’s gift.

9. Gulfstream Jet

Tom Cruise gave his then-fiancée, Katie Holmes, a $20 million jet.

10. Heart-shaped Island

For her partner Brad Pitt’s 50th birthday, actress Angelina Jolie gave him a heart-shaped island, complete with a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.

What are you giving/getting for Valentine’s Day?