O Christmas tree, how costly are your branches

TOKYO - One Tokyo Christmas tree has a special glow even amid the global economic gloom -- it's made of pure gold, and valued at $2 million.

A jewellery store in Tokyo's posh Ginza district teamed up with flower arrangement artist Shogo Kariyazaki to create the lavish Golden Christmas Tree.

Photo: AP

Twelve kg (26 lb) of gold were used to make the 2.4 metre (8 foot) tree, which is adorned with ribbons, hearts and orchids, also made of gold.

The value of the gold is about $700,000 but the total value of the tree is much higher because of labour costs, said Naoto Mizuki, marketing general manager at the store.

"Considering the time it took to make, the designer and hard work put into it, we can assume that the cost of this tree would be approximately 150 million yen ($2 million)," he said.

The gleaming display caught the eyes of passersby.

"When you're looking at the tree, it really jumps out at you," said window-shopping housewife Kisoko Sakabe.

The tree is not for sale.

It will be on display at the store through to Christmas Day.

(Reporting by Mariko Lochridge at Reuters TV; Editing by Elaine Lies)