Expensive Eyewear

By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO

For the person seeking refuge from the sunlight, and who has several thousands of dollars just lying around, Al Jaber Optical has a new pair of sunglasses that are certain to put a dent in your bank account. Located in the heart of Dubai, at Dubai Mall, the optical store has recently teamed up with American entrepreneur Ron Lando to launch an exclusive gilded version of CliC Eyewear.

Fittingly named CliC Gold, each pair of the sporty sunglasses will be painstakingly custom handcrafted in the United States by master artisans for each individual customer. Designed by internationally recognized jewelry designer Hugh Power, each pair of sunglasses is created out of 18-carat gold and adorned with a flawless diamond and sapphire. The golden “shades” carry a price tag of more than $74,000 each. The bulk of the sunglasses will be sold at Al Jaber Optical, however, some will be offered at different stores around the world. With a global limited quantity of only 300 pairs manufactured, the sunglasses are sure to sell out fast.

Lando is the CEO of CliC eyewear and sits atop a burgeoning eyewear dynasty whose products are in high demand around the world. What makes CliC eyewear so unique is that the glasses feature a strap that wraps around the head and the glasses open in the center, right at the bridge of the nose, courtesy of powerful neodymium magnets. This latest eyewear installation comes on the heels of Lando’s success with his line of 18-carat gold reading glasses, which sold out last year.

As for the partnership between Lando and Al-Jaber Optical, General Manager Saleh Al Shawa had this to say, “We have taken the distribution of this brand in the UAE. This quantity of 300 is for the whole world, not just the GCC. It is something that is targeting a certain segment of customer. We thought the glasses were nice to have.”

Each pair of the reading glasses comes with a lifetime warranty. But if you lose them, then you are out of luck and a whole lot of money. Al Jaber Optical and Lando will jointly launch the eyewear at Dubai’s Vision X exhibition.

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