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Vertu's Dangerous is a pink-gold phone with paved cabochon, white and yellow diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Is it calling you, Paris Hilton?

(Credit: House of Boucheron)

To celebrate its 150th anniversary, House of Boucheron, the posh French creator of jewelry, watches, and fragrances, is sharing the swankness with a set of Vertu bejeweled cell phones bearing names such as Magic, Audacious, Curious, and Voluptuous.

The Dangerous model (aptly named, as you wouldn't want to whip this one out on the Metro), for example, is a pink-gold phone with paved cabochon, white and yellow diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

Maybe the fact that the cell phone charms are detachable and can also be worn as pendants or dangled as glittery hypnosis tools will help justify the cost. (Prices for the phones aren't listed on the Boucheron site--a fair clue that they could approach past Vertu models, ranging from $5,000 to $310,000.)

In other Vertu news, luxury-spotting blog Sybarite reports that the high-end British-based subsidiary of Nokia has finally unveiled its updated Signature phone six years after the release of the original.

The next-generation Signature will be a 3G phone available in white gold, yellow gold, and stainless steel. It will feature a SIM drawer that will let users remove the SIM card without the need for removing the battery cover, and it will have an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display and a keypad containing 4.75 carats of solid ruby bearings.

And no Crazy Frog ringtone here. All ringtones are composed exclusively for Vertu by Academy Award-winning composer Dario Marianelli, with music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

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(Credit: Sybarites)

It turns out that designer Christopher Tak Cheung Yue may have been onto to something after all with the seven-sided "Suave" phone he proposed for luxury handset maker Vertu. The angular creation looked pretty weird, even for a concept, but Vertu's latest offering actually seems to take some small steps in that direction.

While not nearly as drastic, the new "Ascent Ti" line does feature some unusual contours and textured surfaces to improve the grip, according to Sybarites--a key reason for Yue's geometric design as well. Because it's Vertu, of course, the "Knurled" and "Checked" models had to include the usual complement of aesthetic touches, respectively including metallic-gray and deep purple leather. Best of all, neither is being attacked by a snake.

(Credit: BornRich)

Vertu is one luxury phone maker that's not afraid to take risks, as evidenced by such creations as its $310,000 "Signature Cobra" handset. But with competition in that space growing all the time, real or fake, it behooves the company to stay on the cutting edge.

That's why designer Christopher Tak Cheung Yue has proposed a phone that takes some new angles--seven of them, to be exact. The seven-sided "Vertu Suave" concept, which BornRich describes as a "classy balance of angular and organic shape," is aimed specifically at female consumers with casings made of gold, titanium, and a sheepskin backing. It's definitely eye-catching, but it somehow looks like the sole of a shoe to us.

(Credit: Chip Chick)

It's unclear why anyone would want to make a knockoff of Vertu's phones. For one thing, it would seem virtually impossible to do justice (or something) to its unique designs and highest-end materials. Perhaps even more difficult would be keeping up with its production schedule because Vertu keeps paying homage to itself with new lines.

None of these reasons are enough to dampen the spirit of Chinese entrepreneurism, which has manifested itself in the form of the "Veptu." This phone is purportedly also a luxury handset, finished in 18k or 24k gold plate and even diamonds if so requested, according to Chip Chick.

Regardless of the similarities and telephonic features, however, the Veptu will never bear any resemblance in one particular department: price. At $215 to $650, it won't even come close to approaching Vertu's range, which can reach $310,000 and probably even higher for models we're not aware of.

(Credit: Sybarites)

Having created such specimens as the $310,000 "Signature Cobra," it's not surprising that Vertu is a brand that isn't afraid to celebrate itself. So even though it's already released one special line marking its 10th anniversary this year, there's nothing to stop them from doing one more.

To that end, the luxury handset maker has unveiled its "Rococo Constellation," also in honor of its first decade, following the "Monogram Constellation" that did the same thing. As indicated by its name, the new collection was inspired by the French design movement of the 18th century, according to Sybarites.

Oddly enough, these models seem surprisingly subdued considering their maker and mission. On closer inspection, however, the "Sapphire Edition" of the collection features cabochon sapphire screws, as well as a center stone button. Say what you will about Vertu, but at least they're consistent.

Now that's splurging.

(Credit: Kent German/CNET Networks)

You know you're in an expensive shopping mall when even at the cell phone store you can't afford anything. While walking through the posh Wynn Hotel at CTIA, I stopped by the Vertu store to gawk with the other tourists. Of course, Vertu is Nokia's ultraluxury handset line with design accents such as gold plating, leather skins, and real diamonds. They can run in the five-digit range, but in all seriousness, if you have to ask how much they cost, you probably can't afford them. The store's formidable staff discouraged extended browsing, but I recommend a stop at a Vertu store for any serious cell phone nut. Personally, I'd never spend several months salary on a cell phone, but it just goes to show that whatever you're into, there's a market.

(Credit: Sybarites)

As Vertu celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, the luxury handset maker is commemorating its first decade with another special edition (surprise, surprise). This time it's the "Monogram Constellation" collection, though there's apparently no astronomical connection other than price. But something tells us that Vertu consumers aren't terribly concerned with such details.

With the latest line, the phone maker extraordinaire continues its leather kick, which it has already adopted for occasions ranging from the picnic to the race track. Given that this is Vertu, of course, it's no ordinary cowhide treatment: Each piece takes four hours to finish with the vaunted "V" emblem, according to Sybarites, in five colors--sky blue, cerise, pewter, green, and red. And we're happy to report that there's not a single snake in the bunch.

Vertu

(Credit: Sybarites)

Obsession

(Credit: Goldstriker)

It's probably just coincidence, but the timing of this offering from luxury phone maker Vertu is interesting. Just yesterday we noted the resemblance between its handsets and those of rival Obsession, and today that perception was reinforced by Vertu's new "Signature Yellow & White Diamonds" model.

True to form, the company spared little expense in creating this handmade tart, embedding 2.4 carats of yellow diamonds another 4.4 carats of white diamonds in its 18k gold case, according to Sybarites. Even the battery cover is adorned with yellow diamond studs.

Not surprisingly, this is yet another limited edition, and Vertu isn't kidding--only 33 of them will be made. But it had better take notice of the competition: Until it slays a few reptiles to make cases of exotic skins, it may lose some street cred.

(Credit: Sybarites)

We were beginning to get a little worried after seeing Vertu come out with a bargain handset at a mere $6,628 last month. But then we saw it's latest version and were reassured that the world had not turned upside-down.

The luxury phone maker has released a new model in its already-over-the-top "Signature" line, this one in white gold with black and white diamonds. Sybarites says this version, which even has stones embedded in the handset's keys, is made of 644 white diamonds and 428 black ones. The price isn't mentioned, but something tells us it will be a tad more expensive than the aforementioned thrift model.