Covered entirely in crystals, it may not be to everybody’s taste − but a new €580,000 piano is possibly the most bling musical instrument in the world.

The custom-made piano features half a million Swarovski crystals and was created following a request from an unnamed buyer described as an ‘influential Sheikh’ in Doha, Qatar.

Goldfinch, a Cambridge-based piano maker, took six months to build it, with every crystal applied by hand.

Company director Tomas Norman, whose family has been handcrafting high-end pianos for more than 40 years, said: “It’s been a delight to bring another customer’s dream to reality.

We love nothing more than blurring the lines between timeless tradition and contemporary British art

“We love nothing more than blurring the lines between timeless tradition and contemporary British art, but it’s not all about good looks − our craftsmanship is combined with cutting-edge technology for that seamless finish and ultimate musicality.”

He claimed the company is the only piano manufacturer in the world which offers an almost limitless selection of shapes, sizes, colours, materials and textures.

Artist Lauren Baker applying crystals to the custom-made piano.

The piano was made in collaboration with British contemporary artist Lauren Baker.

Previous projects have included a piano colour-matched to an RAF fighter plane and a baby grand piano that appears to melt down three flights of stairs.

The company typically produces pianos priced between €138,000 and €1.4 million and has shipped instruments to Hong Kong, Dubai and Los Angeles in the past.