After the world's most expensive ice cream and the caviar hamburger was introduced to the world of luxury gastronomy, we can now find chocolates made with gold, silver, and diamonds. Cocoa Gourmet, the Swiss company which produces them, has its haute gourmandise atelier just outside of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia.

The master chocolatiers Laurent Thierry Nessi and Danielle Irmgard Nessi have created a new collection, called Haute Joallerie, made with chocolate and precious metals and gemstones, inspired by the finest Swiss jewelry. Their spring/summer 2008 collection consists of chocolates covered in gold, silver, diamonds, and gemstones and the Royal Collection, a box containing all four types of chocolate masterpieces.

They say the jewel case, entirely made of distinctive wood, is a treasured keepsake, a unique experience for both mind and spirit. The chocolate used is, of course, of the rarest quality, adorned with edible gold, silver, and diamonds, made by hand, which must be experienced with all five senses.

As Cocoa Gourmet's website explains,one must sit and relax, appreciate the color of the chocolate and the elegance of the design, and then smell and discover the flavor of the dark Grand Cru chocolate, bringing it close to one's ears to listen to its delicate sound, relish its velvety texture, and, finally, taste it to savor its aroma.

This approach to chocolate tasting is always used by chocolate experts, but in this case, everything about this experience says "luxury" because the cost of the box is 1250 U.S. dollars. If you're going to spend that much, you should at least attempt to have an extraordinary experience!

The pennywise may settle for the Duo Gold or Silver and for only 506 U.S. dollars they can get two chocolate masterpieces, a little "I want it but I cannot afford it!" So welcome to the gilded world of luxury chocolates which can be ordered easily online and paid only by bank transfer. If by chance you're a bit hesitant because of the steep price, you should know that the cost of shipping is entirely borne by the producer. Ca va sans dire.