24-karat iPhone 5 goes on sale

As stories continue to circulate on Apple‘s message boards and on Twitter of iPhone 5s arriving in less than perfect condition, one London firm believes it may have found an elegant and suitably aspirational solution to the problem.

On Sep. 27, Gold & Co is set to unveil what it claims is the world’s first 24-karat gold-plated iPhone 5 at the Collector’s Palace in Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates.

The strictly limited edition phones, which are also available in rose gold, are each individually numbered, presented in handcrafted wooden boxes with a guaranteed certificate of authenticity and are ready for pre-order.

And although there are no details regarding price, it is safe to assume that these iPhones will retail for considerably more than those available at the Apple Store.

For those people who have already ordered their iPhone in the standard black or white and haven’t recently won the lottery or discovered an untapped oil well under their home, news is emerging of the first official comments from Apple regarding the scuffs and scratches that seem to be plaguing its latest handset.

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Phil Schiller, has reportedly responded personally to a customer complaint on the very subject. In his email, which has been verified by several technology sites, he says: “Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color. That is normal.”