The Miss Hong Kong pageant, a long-standing revered competition, has always boasted various rewards. However, this year’s Miss Hong Kong crown has set a new standard in terms of monetary worth.
While the contestants draw attention during the pageant, it’s the crown that truly shines. This year’s crown, valued at an impressive HK$3 million (~RM1.7 million), has captured the curiosity of many, sparking speculation about who will claim this valuable prize.
Carefully crafted and adorned with diamonds, the Miss Hong Kong crown is a captivating masterpiece. Interestingly, its earlier versions in the 1980s, during TVB’s stewardship, were made of glass, considerably less valuable than its later iterations. It wasn’t until 1995, with the introduction of sponsorship, that the first diamond-studded crown made its appearance.
Worn by Winnie Young, the platinum crown embedded with 1,197 diamonds was valued at approximately HK$1.4 million (~RM830,000) at the time. Subsequent crowns in later years continued to grow in splendor and worth, thanks to sponsorship from Lukfook Jewelery in 1997.
In fact, reports indicate that the crowns in 2015 and 2016 were valued at over HK$4.28 million (~RM2.5 million) each, making recipients Louisa Mak and Crystal Fung exceptionally fortunate. This sum is equivalent to the salary of an average Hong Kong office worker over 18 years. Some have even remarked that such an amount could secure a house at its full purchase price.
