Lladro

They claim it's clay, but it nonetheless is hard to believe. Prices start at Rs. 5,000 for a Bacchus bottle-stopper for your fine wines, and go all the way up to, hold your breath, Rs. 64 lakhs (both cash and credit cards are accepted, thank you) for the utterly enchanting chandelier that strings together 112 fairies individually handcrafted in faraway Spain.

The recently opened, internationally acclaimed, Lladro showroom in Panjagutta is the fifth of its kind in India - heralding Hyderabad's undeniable arrival into the major league of whimsical spending. The high-end store showcases some beautifully done figurines in glazed, matt and gres finishes that almost justify the prices they are marked at. While the shelves hold mostly the predictable porcelain statues of classic rearing horses, benign cherubs, utopian scenes of flower-girls and, slightly more interestingly, some Indo-centric figures, the undeniable quality of the product eventually starts growing on you.

The 1,800 square feet store also has an exclusive lounge on its mezzanine for those discerning buyers to view Lladro's limited edition pieces - each of which comes with its own authenticating certificate to boot. Unfortunately, you can't really display a certificate - but then again, if you need to do that, this is not quite the place for you!

Yes, a great place to visit when you need to buy yourself a little something to celebrate that multi-crore deal. As for the rest of us, if you thought "Cinderella" in Amrutha Mall has a good collection of porcelain artifacts - you have another thing coming.

By the way, its pronounced "yadroh", in case you do want to go check out their wares.