Maltese dogs are known for their long hair, which has to be swept up and away from their faces so they can see. What better foil for a luxurious tiara? This may have been the inspiration for the creation of a $4.2 million princely pooch tiara, created by jewelry designer Riwin Jirapolsek.

Being sentimental about both his dog and his mother, the jewelry designer managed to honor both with a tiara designed with 250-carats of emeralds and diamonds, with many of the stones being gifts from his mother. He showcased it at the Bangkok dog show, with the model being no other than his 15 year old, male, Maltese dog, named Kanune.

The tiara uses titanium for the setting, a durable and modern choice that perfectly complements diamonds and emeralds. There were over 100 carats of diamonds and approximately 150 carats of emeralds encrusted into the titanium. The piece was more a work of devotion than salesmanship, as Mr. Jirapolsek says he has no plans to sell it in the near future. With the recession affecting the world markets, it seems unusual to see such a display of opulent wealth, all for a dog too.

However, jewels have always been symbols of love and devotion, whether they are received as a gift from your mother or fashioned to honor a loyal pet. In fact, Mr. Jirapolsek isn’t stopping with the tiara. He’s hoping to design some hair clips for the dog that he can wear every day to keep the hair from getting in his eyes. Seeing as his dog was not the only one showered with jewels, some even dressed in elaborate costumes at the Bangkok dog show, it seems that even a recession can’t put a damper on smothering one’s pets with affection and trinkets.