In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn't buy the entire tower: that would be pretentious, not to mention pricey---a recent study by Italy's Monza and Brianza Chamber of Commerce valued the Eiffel Tower at more than half a trillion (yes, with a T) dollars!

But I did purchase an original Eiffel Tower spiral staircase. You see, when the tower first opened to the public in 1889, before the elevators were functional, the only way to the top was to climb a spiral staircase: envision a gigantic corkscrew winding its way up through the world's most beloved monument.

In 1983, this spiral staircase was removed to address safety and structural concerns, and it was cut into 24 segments. One segment remains on display today at the Eiffel Tower, still sporting its original vermilion color---did you know the Eiffel Tower was originally red? Three other segments were donated to French museums, and the remaining 20 were auctioned off and scattered across the globe.

Fast forward to the present and my family's most recent trip to Paris. We had one of those "trips of a lifetime," when everything went wonderfully well: it was a chance for me to fall in love all over again with my wife; an opportunity to enjoy some incredible father-daughter bonding against the backdrop of Paris; and the catalyst for me to reassess my professional direction and, eventually, to pursue a dream. As we concluded our vacation, we sought a souvenir equal to the task of commemorating our special trip, but found only the usual trinkets: key chains, coffee mugs, t-shirts and the like. Then I had a flash of inspiration: "wouldn't it be incredible to take a piece of the world's most famous monument, to create jewelry that would serve as a unique souvenir for all those who visit Paris, or dream to make the trip one day?"

Who even knew it would be possible to buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower? I certainly didn't, until I began my research. As luck would have it, the National Geographic Channel filmed an original staircase element being cut apart for their series Pricing the Priceless. The lower staircase portion was sold through famed auction house Christie's, and I located and purchased the upper portion in late 2011.

Since then, I've established Korbella (meaning "beautiful heart"), a new venture that designs and creates beautiful jewelry, and launched our flagship Eiffel Tower Forever collection made with genuine pieces of the Eiffel Tower.

To my family, and millions of people across the world, Paris is a romantic dream destination, and the Eiffel Tower is its most perfect icon. My wife, daughter, and La Grande Dame de Fer, herself, served as my muses, the beautiful sources of inspiration to begin this venture, and it is tremendously gratifying to be offering our creations to others who share our passion for Paris. We hear many wonderful stories from our customers about "their Paris"---the memories and experiences they treasure.

The pieces we create are beautiful vessels, awaiting their owners to fill them with their dreams. As we enter a bright new year full of promise and hope, we send our best wishes to fellow romantics and dreamers across the globe: "may you always hold Paris in your heart and in your dreams." We'd love to hear from you. Paul Michael Bedell / Founder www.korbella.com