Not to be outdone with mere diamonds and emeralds on a dress, Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo shows models wearing outfits bedecked with gold coins

TOKYO - They're the new fashion heavyweights: a Tokyo design school sent models decked out in more than 1,500 Austrian gold coins clinking down the catwalk Thursday to showcase its students' skill.

The coins, lent by the Austrian Mint Office and worth more than US$1.2 million, were sewn onto three pieces of apparel -- a full-length dress weighing 10 kg (22 pounds) and two jackets weighing up to 21 kg (46 pounds).

The outfits, shimmering like golden scales in the spotlight, were designed by students at Bunka Fashion College for their annual school festival. The coins were sewn onto the clothes in a locked room within the college campus, where the teachers kept a constant watch. "I felt the weight of the task as I sewed on each piece, coin by coin," said student Yuko Imauji.

One of the models became overwhelmed with the weight of his outfit, a 15 kg jacket, which was swiftly taken off.
"The dress is heavy but well constructed and it fits well," said female model and student Haruna Mine said.

"My back's feeling it, though -- it would be tough to wear these coins every day."

Gold prices hit a 28-year high Thursday as the dollar dropped. Spot gold hit a high of US$799.30 an ounce, its highest since January 1980.

If you wore gold coined dresses on the the streets, thieves are going to have good time, stealing the coins one by one. Can you see yourself wearing this million dollar dress that is too heavy because of the gold coins?

Auction of rare gold ring online

A rare white gold ring, said to be the only one of its kind, is currently on the auction block on an internet bidding website. The auction began on the 18-carat white gold ring at BIDZ.com on November 1st, when the minimum bid was set at $1 (£0.48), like all other items auctioned through the site.

A colour-enchanced yellow canary diamond is set in the white gold ring, which BIDZ.com president and chief executive Dave Zinberg said is "a spectacular and unique accessory". He added that before the widespread popularity of the internet, a similar piece of gold jewellery would only have been made available to private collections or displayed as a museum piece. "The immense popularity of the internet has allowed us to offer anyone the opportunity to bid on this unique ring, right from the comfort of your own home," he said.

According to the display clock on the website, the auction is set to end on November 28th.

Gold necklaces to be displayed in Tulsa

A jewellery show, set to feature works by New York designer Jordan Schlanger, is set to take place at Aberson's in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to Tulsa World.

Items to be displayed include an 18-carat yellow gold necklace, as well as a grey necklace that combines South Sea pearls with white gold, which highlight his belief that jewellery is a personal, tactile and permanent form of fashion design, the newspaper reported.

Born in New York City, Mr Schlanger has been making jewellery since he was four years old, eventually attaining a degree in sculpture from the Cooper Union School of Art.

According to his website, he incorporates his sculpting background into his metalwork, which has been featured in InStyle and Vogue magazines. A number of celebrities - including Elizabeth Taylor, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson and Madonna - collect his work, which was also featured in the HBO television series Sex and the City.