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A fine line -- the ultimate penBy Paul Sussman for CNN  Montegrappa's Peace Pen is the world's most expensive writing implement Related StoriesRelated SitesIn an age when more and more people are abandoning the art of handwriting in favor of the swift, impersonal blandness of e-mail communication, the pens manufactured by Italian company Montegrappa continue to provide a strong incentive for sticking to ink and paper. A legend in the world of stationery, Montegrappa have been crafting high-quality pens since 1912, building a reputation not simply for the superb performance of their products, but also their artistic beauty (Ernest Hemingway was an early fan, with Michael Schumacher and Sylvester Stallone among the company's current celebrity customers). "Montegrappa are one of the truly great pen brands," explains Laura Chandler, editor of U.S.-based Pen World magazine. "They are renowned for wonderfully crafted, luxury pens that not only write beautifully, but look beautiful as well." If they have long been at the very pinnacle of the pen industry, however, Montegrappa exceeded even their own exacting standards in 2004 when their craftsmen produced what is widely considered to be not only the most opulent, but also by some way the most expensive pen in the world -- the $1,187,000 (£679,000) Peace Pen. Ink and DiamondsDesigned by David Monalto di Frangito -- an internationally feted craftsman specializing in crystal carving -- the Peace Pen is as much a work of art as it is a writing implement, its crystal and platinum body encrusted with 1259 separate diamonds weighing a total of 48 carats. "This is an absolutely unique creation," says Giuseppina Matera, Montegrappa's communications manager. "We will never make anything like it again. It is one of one. "It is the result of Montegrappa's capacity to conceive a pen as a jewel, to create something that is at once both functional and artistic." The inspiration for the pen came from Montegrappa's association with the Peace Parks Foundation, an organization that seeks to promote stability, economic development and cross-border co-operation in Africa by the creation of trans-national conservation areas (Nelson Mandela is the organization's patron). The design took six months to finalize, and the pen itself a further 18-months to create. Among other elements it includes an octagonal barrel made of platinum and pure Baccarat crystal, its eight panels engraved with 184 miniature doves, and a hidden clip that is sprung by pushing a diamond on the top of the pen. As if to underline its uniqueness, the pen comes in a crystal presentation casket sculpted in the form of a hand cradling a dove. Beautiful WritingMontegrappa insist that, as well as being aesthetically stunning, the Peace Pen is also designed to be used. "It may be a piece of jewellery," says Giuseppina Matera, "But it is also has all the performance qualities you would expect of a Montegrappa pen. "It is made to write, and to write beautifully." Whether, having splashed out over $1 million, any prospective owner would actually want to fill the pen with ink, however, is another matter.  The Peace Pen has only ever been used once, by a model during a photoshoot at Harrods department store. To date, aside from quality tests during its production process, the only time the Peace Pen has actually been used was during a photo call at Harrods, the famous London department store, when a model used the pen to write a single line of script for the cameras. "People buying extremely rare and valuable pens such as this very often don't want to actually write with them," says Laura Chandler. "They are usually collectors who just want to keep them as a work of art, something to admire visually." Whatever you intend to do with it -- write or just show it off to your friends -- those interested in buying the Peace Pen will need to move swiftly. Currently held in a secure safe deposit box at the Montegrappa factory in Bassano del Grappa, northeast Italy, the pen is already the subject of a bid from an unidentified buyer and is not likely to remain on the market for much longer. If you are worried about not getting in there quick enough, however, don't worry -- enquiries can be made by phone or e-mail and don't have to come in the form of a handwritten letter. 
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