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How much does a gold-plated iPhone cost?

Answer: About $4,000.

But at least the shipping is free.

Goldgenie is a store in London that can plate anything that is made of metal and is conductive in real gold. That includes smartphones, tablets and even smartwatches. Founder Laban Roomes says a gold-plated smartphone is an excellent business card for him, except that he can’t give it away.

First, the phone is dismantled. Then they plate it in gold, rose gold or platinum using a liquid form of the metal and a little bit of voltage. They can also add embellishments like laser etchings or embedded diamonds and crystals.

Check out Mashable’s video interview with Roomes here, where he discusses the process and reveals the weirdest thing he has ever turned to gold.

Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.