White House Gifts From Foreign Governments: Hermes, Rolex, Dior

Attention, personal shoppers with upscale clients who have a taste for luxury goods.

Looking for ideas? Check out the incredible list of gifts from foreign governments given to President Obama, First Lady Michelle, daughters Sasha and Malia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and others.

The law forbids federal employees -- Mrs. Obama and the kids, too -- from keeping any gift from a foreign government worth more than $350, so most items end up in a vault, perhaps to be sold someday. Some presents -- such as vases and rugs -- can be kept by an agency for display in government offices.

The State Department periodically releases a list of gifts; the latest inventory, covering 2009, came out this year in the Federal Register.

By far, the Saudi Arabian government spent the most on gifts that year (an estimated value of some $300,000), followed by Qatar (about $70,000).

Most of the gifts went to the first couple, with the most expensive single item going to Mrs. Obama. Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud gave her a ruby and diamond jewelry set of earrings, a ring, a bracelet, and a necklace with an estimated value of $132,000.

Since it is against the law to keep such goodies, why do federal employees -- from the president on down -- accept them? The answer is diplomacy. The official reason each gift was accepted is the same in the Federal Register: "Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. government." Federal employees have the option to purchase gifts, but only a handful did. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received three E. Marinella scarves from Italian President Silvio Berlusconi -- valued at $877.50 -- and bought one of them.

Here's a look at some other givers and receivers in 2009:

-- Queen Elizabeth presented the president and Mrs. Obama with two framed photos, one of her majesty and another of her husband, Prince Phillip, valued at $775.

-- Chinese President Hu Jintao gave the president a silk embroidered portrait of the first family ($20,000) and a porcelain sculpture of five oxen ($1,200).

-- Obama received two books, one titled "Scottish Estate Tweeds," and a Johnstons cashmere sweater from former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown ($1,019).

-- Berlusconi gave Obama a Francesco Basile gold watch ($6,400) and what is listed as a "large crystal table with an image of the American flag" ($6,000).

-- Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter handed over a bicycle from Batavus, a Dutch manufacturer ($1,480).

-- Turkish President Abdullah Gul gave Obama cuff links from the Turkish jewelry designer Sevan Bicakci and a blue and silver glass vase ($1,550). From German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a leather Montblanc briefcase ($760), and from Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, a Mikimoto desk clock and a basketball jersey ($1,495.)

-- Some gifts to Mrs. Obama were lavish: from the First Lady of Ghana, Ernestina Mills, an 18-karat gold watch with diamonds valued at $48,000; from the First Lady of Japan, Miyuki Hatoyama, a freshwater pearl necklace ($9,700); from the First Lady of France, Carla Sarkozy, a black Christian Dior handbag ($4,500); from the Saudi king, a necklace made with 33 pearls and sterling silver ($14,200), and from a German senator, a Franck Muller watch ($12,895).

-- Sasha and Malia Obama also got some nice stuff: from the Saudi king, diamond earrings ($3,500); from Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-bak, pink and orange scarves, a teddy bear, a jewelry box, two Samsung digital cameras, and brocade silk fabric, and from Svetlana Medvedeva, wife of the Russian president, nesting dolls ($500).

-- Gifts intended for the entire first family: six pieces of kente cloth, necklace, earrings and bracelet from the first lady of Ghana, ($615). Sarah Brown, the former first lady of Great Britain, gave the Obamas a Harris Tweed shawl of Herbide fabric, shirts, sunglasses, skirts and other clothing ($485). The Prime Minister of Mauritius gave the first family a wooden replica of the USS Constitution and Swarovski crystal figures ($1,400), and the Prime Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen, gave paintings and a Waterford crystal bowl ($3,281).

-- For Secretary of State Clinton, gifts from foreign officials were all over the map: gifts from France included a $390 Hermes sterling silver purse and a $750 package with a Hermes silk scarf and Louis Vuitton bag. From Kosovo, came a $390 traditional Kosovo vest and from Russia a $950 large lacquer box. Pakistan offered a $1,015 framed portrait of President Clinton, and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai gave her a blue lapis marble bowl worth $820.

-- Defense Secretary William Gates got a ceramic model of the Reichstag, worth $425, from his German counterpart. King Abdullah of Jordan gave him a military dagger and a sterling silver note pad with his military insignia, worth $445, and with his wife, the queen, a $900 rifle. The Egyptian Minister of Defense gave him a shotgun, pictures and frames worth $985.

-- Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen received a tribal rug from elders from a village in Afghanistan worth $450. The commander of the Turkish Armed Forces gave him a set of highball glasses and a vase worth $725.

-- Attorney General Eric Holder got a woman's Rolex watch valued at $10,023 and a man's Rolex watch worth $10,008 from his Qatar counterpart, as well as a ceremonial sword.