Atreyee Poddar
There’s expensive stationery, and then there’s “I could’ve bought an apartment deposit with this pencil” stationery. Somewhere along the way, the humble pencil — mankind’s most forgiving writing tool — got hijacked by jewellers, royalty-adjacent artisans, and collectors who don’t actually sharpen anything they own.
Here’s the definitive roll call.
1. The Fabergé Pencil (Approx. $38,000)
Let’s get this out of the way: this is not a pencil, this is an heirloom that happens to contain graphite. Crafted by Fabergé, these silver-and-enamel propelling pencils are dripping in imperial excess. They’re rare, exquisitely detailed, and utterly impractical. You don’t write with this. You whisper about it at auctions.
2. Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil (Up to $12,800)
This one is a stationery world legend and a flex. An olive wood pencil paired with an extender-cum-cap made of white gold and diamonds. It even has its own sharpener built in, because heaven forbid you hunt for one like a civilian. Does it write beautifully? Yes. Does it write $12,000 better than a ₹50 pencil? Good question.
3. Fabergé Three-Colour Enamel Propelling Pencil (~$11,000)
Another Fabergé entry because subtlety was never the brief. These antique mechanical pencils feature tricolour enamel work and craftsmanship that borders on obsessive. The price is driven by rarity and artistry, not performance. No one’s filling this with HB lead from the local shop.
4. Cartier Gold Mechanical Pencil (~$11,000)
Cartier saw pens, watches, jewellery — and thought, why not pencils too? Solid gold, elegant lines, absurd pricing. It’s less about innovation and more about branding done with a straight face. You’re paying for the name, the gold, and the audacity.
5. Abraham Lincoln’s Pencil (~$12,000)
It’s not gold or diamonds, but just history. This wooden pencil survives purely on provenance. The value comes from its association with Abraham Lincoln, proving once and for all that context can beat carats.