In this technology gold is sprayed onto polyester in a plasma coating plant. About the size of a normal refrigerator, inside a small piece of gold is sprayed with fast moving argon ions resulting in atoms of gold being knocked off the gold piece and landing on polyester fibre being slowly pulled through the machine. Once the atoms of gold adhere to the surface of the polyester they cannot be removed and so the polyester is suitable for weaving into ties, handkerchiefs and what ever else takes your fancy.
Currently just enough material has been manufactured for three ties and a dozen more available by Christmas 2011. "The first, worldwide exclusive series, tailored in the Zürich tie manufactory Hofmann und Co AG will be on offer to gentlemen with an exclusive sense of style at Swiss francs 7500 apiece." A Christmas present that is very unlikely to be refused.
How much gold is in a gold tie you might ask? According to the textile specialists, a textile panel large enough to make three ties is coated with 25 grams of pure, 24 carat gold. Each tie therefore glows with 8 grams of gold. However it is a very slow process with only enough material being made each year to manufacture less than 600 panels. A lot of the material is also reserved for various project partners such as the Jakob Schlaepfer Company, embroiderers and manufacturers of decorative textiles, who will use the gold yarn for items in its Winter 2012/13 Haute Couture collection.
These gold spun ties are possibly the most expensive gold in the world.
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