There is a sex toy that’s the most expensive in the world, and it’s supposed to bring the user absolute luxury.

Gone are the days when you have to either go manual or run to Victoria’s Secret to buy your gadgets, as not you can purchase a whopping $1,800,000 limited edition dildo from an artist.

Throughout history, there has been a lot of weird and wonderful ways that people get off, such as the insane sex chair that King Edward VII had specially made so that he could be pleasured and pleasure multiple people.

Then, there was the raunchy discovery of the 2,000-year-old sex toy, which, according to a study published in February 20 last year by Antiquity, is believed to be the ‘first known example’ of a dildo used by Ancient Romans.

The jewel-laden toy could set you back nearly 2 million (Colin Burn)

The phallic-shaped wooden object, measuring 16cm, was found next to shoes and accessories, and it certainly looks like a penis, even if it wasn’t intended to be a penetrative tool.

Anyway, we’ve moved past these ancient things, and now you can enjoy the most luxurious dildo and feel like royalty.

The Pearl Royale Sculpture was designed by Colin Burn, who wanted to include the same level of luxury that you have in your home, but for sex toys.

He said on his website: “From my observations it seemed society could not reconcile such luxurious items for the act of sex.”

The Royale sculpture was created ‘to encourage discussion and question society on the value we place on the sexual experience’.

Burn continued: “I was of the mindset if we accept genuine luxury into other aspects of our lives, then why not the sexual experience.

“It had to be outlandishly lavish with a high level of status, so the term fit for a king or queen was foremost in my mind. I wanted to create a unique piece of jewelry art that would hold its own and could proudly sit along side the worlds finest crown jewels.

“Ultimately for me it symbolizes how we should Treasure the Erotic.”

It’s designed not to cut you (Colin Burn)

This limited edition piece, which is only one of three made in the entire world, is a ‘pure platinum, diamond, & pearl sculpture ‘ and claims to be ‘the most luxurious vibrator ever created’.

Now, I already know that women who are looking at the layer of diamonds and crossing their legs tight, but don’t worry- apparently, it doesn’t scratch (even though you can’t convince the internet of that, of course).

The website states that it’s ‘crafted from pure platinum its pave’ and channel set with over 70 carats of flawless white diamonds, royal blue sapphires, rare pink diamonds, plus lustrous South Sea pearls’, and they are set flush to the outer later, meaning that nothing is sticking out to harm your insides.

It’s supposed to represent royalty, but I’d never want to find this in Buckingham Palace.

Hilariously, Redditors feel the same, and once they found out about this piece, they had a great time coming up with jokes.

One person said: “I can’t imagine using and realising a few diamonds are missing.”

Someone then replied with a hilarious twist on the ‘diamonds in the ruff’ saying as they wrote: “A diamond in the muff.”

Another person made a remark about the British Royal Family, writing: “The Buckingham Phallus at your service of her (or his) Majesty’s request.”

A user then took aim at Burn, commenting: “That’s how you know this thing was made by a man.

“It may not have sharp edges, but that thing has got to feel cold when applied to the business area.”

Maybe this is for a specific audience…you know…the type who can actually afford to buy it?

How many of these ‘eight patterns’ which often rear their heads in failing relationships can you recognize in yourself?

Couples therapist Dr Nicole LePera took to Twitter to share the ‘eight patterns’ she’s noticed in ‘couples who didn’t make it’ and most of us are probably – or have been – guilty of a few, so maybe it’s time to check in and make a New Year’s resolution or two.

Worst case assumptions

Look, we all know a negative attitude gets you nowhere and it’s the same when it comes to relationships.

And while most of us have past trauma from previous relationships and potential trust issues, if we’re choosing to enter into a relationship with a new person you need to wipe the slate clean to some extent and make sure we’ve done a bit of the work to get over any lingering issues – trust someone until they give you a reason not to and all that.

Dr LePera explains if you ‘assume’ your partner’s ‘intentions’ are ‘malicious or negative’ then you could end up being ‘accusatory’ rather than ‘curious’ which doesn’t help anyone or the relationship developing either.

“Note: this is common for people with C-PTSD why trauma healing is key in partnerships,” she adds.

Try not to jump to negative conclusions (Getty Stock Images)

One person thinks they can ‘change’ the other

Ladies, I’m talking to you, the amount of times we have all probably thought if we wait long enough or suggest something enough, the man will change? Yeah, looking back on it now, all we can do is laugh.

Dr LePera reflects this simply leads to ‘resentment because one partner feels like a project,’ and it can also lead to resentment on the other side, with the other person growing impatient waiting for a change which simply may never come – remember, someone has to want to change for themselves.

And this second pattern leads nicely onto the third warning sign.

They have to want to make a change themselves (Getty Stock Images)

Unrealistic expectations

As much as we’ve grown up being read fairy-tales at bedtime and watching the prince get his princess on the big screen, life sadly doesn’t always turn out that way.

Sure, you can still find various rom-com moments, but you need to stay grounded in the reality that a relationship isn’t always easy, you’re not going to be happy 24/7 and a relationship is an active choice – choosing to stick with it and with your person through the highs and lows – including even ‘boring’ moments in the romance, Dr LePera notes, it signifying a lack of ‘maturity’ if you’re not prepared for that.

You don’t ‘fight’

No one wants to fight okay? Or maybe you do – and that’s another kettle of fish entirely. But we’re all different people with different brains and hearts and so we’re going to disagree on things. And if you’re avoiding voicing your disagreement?

Well, it could result in ‘one partner finally reach[ing] a boiling point’ if they continue to ‘suppress’ their true emotions and thoughts, Dr LePera warns and this could leave the other partner ‘confused’ as a result.

It’s good to voice differences and disagreements in a calm way (Getty Stock Images)

You don’t let bygones be bygones

In the same breath of it being healthy to disagree, it’s also healthy to know when to let something go. You should want to work through any issues as a team, rather than point-scoring or trying to ‘win’ the argument and ultimately your main goal should be to understand one another better and be able to move past it.

So, if you keep bringing up the argument you had last week or the week before, your partner may end up being ‘drained’ by just how ‘highly critical’ you seem.

Basically, try to stop being so ‘rigid’ in how you’re interacting and try to get better at recognizing when you’re making an issue bigger than it needs to be – there’s so many other more beneficial things to be doing with your time.

As Elsa says, ‘Let It Go’ (Getty Stock Images)

Damage control

Alongside knowing when to drop an issue – both having spoken about it enough and now going round-and-round in circles – it’s also important to be able to recognize when to apologize.

Even if you can’t always understand quite where they’re coming from, the fact someone you love is hurt and upset is something to feel sorry for and should make you want to show them the respect of listening to them, trying your best to understand and comforting them.

If you’re over the age of 21, ‘defensiveness and deflection’ just gets boring.

Know when to say sorry (Getty Stock Images)

Caring too much about what others think of the relationship

Focus on how the relationship feels for ‘each other,’ Dr LePera stresses, not how others view it – ultimately, they’re not in your relationship, only you are.

Advice from friends and loved ones is important but no one fully knows your situation bar the two of you and make sure the advice you’re seeking is from trusted sources too.

Lack of family boundaries

Ah family, you don’t get to choose them but love them anyway. Following on from seeking advice from friends, if someone over-involves a family member in the relationship this can ‘create a lack of trust and friction,’ Dr LePera adds.

Well, good luck to anyone who locked someone down in cuffing season for surviving the next year and if you’re going into New Year’s in the hopes of finding love, may the odds be ever in your favor.

A New Zealand woman has caused a stir online after admitting her sister is in a relationship with her ex-husband.

According to Stats NZ, there were 7.6 divorces for every 1,000 estimated existing marriages and civil unions, down from 9.3 in 2013.

And while it’s still too early for 2024’s stats to be rolled out, one couple who reportedly signed off their split this year was mom-of-two Timara, 37, and her unnamed former husband.

According to The Daily Mail, the social media star was married to her ex for a decade, but separated from him after their first year together.

The influencer said she is ‘okay’ with her sister dating her ex-husband (sagisis_tee/Instagram)

The pair finally got divorced earlier this year and Timara has since revealed that her former flame is now in a romantic relationship with her sister.

The mother made the announcement in a viral Instagram video which was posted to the platform earlier this week.

In the quick clip, the pair can be seen standing side-by-side as overlay text reads: “Wait, is your sister with your ex husband/baby daddy??”

The text is then replaced with the word ‘yup’ before the siblings begin dancing. In the clip’s caption, Timara wrote: “It’s keeping it in the family. Yup it’s weird but I choose not to be bothered by it.”

Hundreds of social media users have rushed the the video to have their say, with one commenting: “We listen and we don’t judge.”

A second typed: “Naah I can mature bout some things I mean my cousin did that to me and my kids but MY SISTER?! Yeah nah that dont fly. Good for yous though I guess sis.”

“That’s my family for yall, we keep it in the family,” remarked someone else.

“Your a better woman then me cause I could nevaaaaa and thats just being honest,” said another user.

The pair have gone viral with their video explaining their unique dynamic (Instagram/sagisis_tee)

A fifth wrote: “I really had to reread this at least 5 times to understand it. She is not bothered, then neither am I.”

“What does he look like please, we look and we don’t judge,” penned a fellow user.

After posting the video, which now has over 386,000 views, Timara spoke to the Daily Mail about how she discovered the controversial relationship her sister was having with her ex.

“There wasn’t really a conversation, I just noticed they were together and that was that,” she explained to the publication.

And despite it being a situation most would disapprove of, Timara has claimed she is ‘okay’ with her sister dating her baby daddy.

“I’m okay with it because everybody deserves love and happiness. My focus is on my own life, my little family and making sure I’m there for my daughter mentally and emotionally because she’s the only one that matters in the situation.”

People are opening up about the complexities of a particular fetish which is rising in popularity among married couples in the US.

As a dominatrix explained to UNILAD, it’s ‘important’ for people to have a ‘safe space’ to discuss and explore their fantasies to have an ‘outlet’ and not let it ‘come out in different ways’ – with the safe exploration even sometimes helping ‘make you a better person’ as a result.

Unfortunately, a lot of kinks, fetishes and fantasies aren’t spoken about enough and one in particular can sometimes be more ‘complicated’ to unpack despite it rising in popularity.

The rise in popularity

BedBible.com reports that there’s one particular fetish or fantasy which is ‘becoming more and more popular’ among couples in the US.

It states there are ‘around 6.25 million US couples’ who are actively taking part in the fetish, ‘four million married couples’ and searches of the kink on adult film sites have ‘increased by 57 percent in the last three years’.

However, a more ‘sex-positive environment’ is desperately needed to navigate the fetish and unpack what its ‘complexities’ and what it says about ‘human sexuality’.

But what is the fetish?

Many often shy away from discussing their sexual fantasies (Getty Stock Images/ Maryna Terletska)

The fetish

The fetish is known as cuckolding.

“The term ‘cuckold’ or ‘cuckoldry’ historically referred to a man whose wife has been unfaithful to him, implying that he is aware of the infidelity and possibly even complicit in it.” BedBible.com explains.

“In modern usage, the term is often associated with sexual fetishes involving the cuckold fantasy, in which a man derives pleasure from his partner engaging in sexual activity with someone else while he watches or otherwise participates.”

A since-deleted Reddit user took to the thread r/CuckoldPsychology to deep dive into the fetish.

They asked: “What does the cuckholding trend say about society?”

One user replied: “Nothing. It is not a trend. Cuckoldry as a sexual practice is very familiar in classical and medieval sources. We’re talking about a fairly universal sexual thrill.”

And it didn’t take long for others to weigh in.

Communication is key (Getty Stock Images/ AlpamayoPhoto)

Complexities

A since-deleted user wrote: “Interesting post. I think you hit on a lot of good thoughts. Like most things it’s complicated, but all those factors probably contribute. I know for me personally it absolutely is about seeing my wife as a liberated sexual being that can do what ever she wants with whoever she wants with my complete support and encouragement.”

“I love that. So wholesome and so hot to me. I just love women like that, it makes me so happy to see,” another added.

While a third resolved: “I think overall it shows that monogomy is not the sole option.”

If you’re interested in trying cuckholding, it’s important to make sure you sit with the idea for a while and don’t rush into anything – do your research.

And it’s best to make sure it’s something your partner definitely wants to try too, maintain open communication with them and clearly discuss boundaries with all involved.

And remember you can always consult a sexpert or therapist too.