IPhones come in black, white and gold-plated

Show everyone how special you think your iPhone 4S is — have it gold-plated.

For a little more than $1,500, you can have an iPhone gold plated by Laban Roomes, an entrepreneur looking to expand his England business into the U.S. Roomes plans to make his American debut in south Florida next month.

“Florida is kind of like my second home,” he said, adding that he has family in Fort Lauderdale.

Roomes is the founder and owner of Goldgenie, a business that began by gold-plating car emblems and has grown to plate phones, computer mice, flowers, game consoles and iPads.

He considers his gold-plated and diamond-studded products well-suited to the United States.

“The whole American psyche is about this kind of bling,” said Roomes, 31.

Goldgenie sells about 150 gold-plated iPhones to customers around the world every month from a website and franchisees in Britain. Customers must be willing to sacrifice an Apple warranty; the phone manufacturer will not service an iPhone after it’s been gold-plated. Goldgenie offers its own two-year warranty.

Goldgenie plans to debut its newest product in south Florida next month: a golden iPhone 4S imprinted with Steve Jobs’ silhouette as the bite from the Apple logo. Apple could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Roomes plans to make 56 limited-edition Jobs iPhones, the number a tribute to Jobs’ age when he died last year. One will be given away to Apple, another to the original emblem designer and the rest to charity.

The Jobs iPhones will be offered for sale at a later date, Roomes said.

The limited edition iPhones will be on display at two events, one in Miami and the other in Palm Beach County in early February. Dates and locations have not yet been announced.

Roomes got his start in the mobile gold-plating business on a popular British reality television show, “Dragon’s Den,” similar to the ABC show “Shark Tank.”

He pitched his business plan to a group of investors in hopes of landing the money needed to get started. An investor gave Roomes the equivalent of more than $92,000 on the show in 2007.

Goldgenie gold-plated 55 mobile phones for the 2006 Emmys, which some actors received in event goodie bags. Roomes also worked with Elton John to create a unique Swarovski crystal-studded Nano iPod to benefit the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Griffin writes for South Florida’s Sun Sentinel/McClatchy.