I bought this initially for my brother in CO., but it weighed a metric ton and I figured it would cost me just about as much as I spent for the ball to ship it 2/3 of the way across the country; so I bought one for him and had it shipped to him directly. I have no idea why the blue crystal ball is SOOO much more expensive than the others, but it’s hard to complain - the thing is unbelievably gorgeous. In the daytime it’s rich, cobalt blue color is mesmerizing. At night, with the candles burning, it glows a deep, azure blue and reflects subtlety reflects light all around the room as opposed to the prismatic effect of cut crystal which has it’s own beauty, but is much bolder. It is extremely heavy, but came packed beautifully and arrived in perfect condition.Everyone who sees it falls in love with it. It’s truly beautiful and would compliment any room in your home or office. It also makes an excellent, unique gift for that person who’s impossible to shop for. I feel like it promotes a sense of peace, as silly as that may sound. I would recommend highly. Just be prepared for how expensive it is.One note of caution:DO NOT PLACE ANYWHERE WHERE IT WILL BE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. There are numerous advisories in the product and packaging materials about this, so it’s not like I wasn’t warned. I put it on the kitchen table and didn’t give it a second thought until I noticed the papers in our kitchen table smoldering and found a rapidly expanding burn hole the size of a silver dollar. I hadn’t realized that the low lying sun was streaming through the slider where it was striking the ball at just the right angle to act as a magnifying glass. That side of the house faces East and only gets sun, especially in the winter, for a couple of hours in the early am. Needless to say, I was grateful to be home before it set the house on fire. Lesson learned - do not place your crystal ball in any area where it will receive direct sunlight ? Enjoy!