Have you spent the two years since its launch date coveting a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer? Well, the prospect is about to get even more tempting - the brand is about to launch a 23.75-karat gold version. Yes, that’s 23.75-karat. The engineering team went through multiple prototypes and extensive testing to ensure that they found precisely the right hue of gold leaf for the project, eventually settling on this very specific number for an optimal finish.
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“Gold is one of the most resilient materials in the world and has been used in design, sculpture and architecture for centuries. As an element, I’m fascinated by its properties,” said James Dyson, who set the engineering team the task of incorporating real gold into the Dyson Supersonic design. “Like the engineering process we pride ourselves on, gilding is a true example of meticulous craftsmanship.”
Dyson engineering lead Britta Stockinger told us that the process was complicated and involved extensive research and testing, but was ultimately fascinating. Whilst technology could aid the process, it became clear that for a flawless finish, a craftsman was still superior and so the decision was made to apply the gold leaf by hand. Two layers of gold leaf from Florence are applied by hand over the cap of the dryer and brushed to create a smooth finish, whilst the rest of the dryer is a bold sapphire blue. We've seen it close-up. It's very chic.
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“Using our expertise in design processes, adhesives, paint and model making, we managed to learn a very traditional skill and translate it to a 21st Century application,” she said.
The price? A cool £399.99, sold at Dyson.co.uk and Dyson stores from September 5. But when you consider that the original design costs £299, who wouldn’t go for gold?