I think all the money for equipment used in events these days goes into the electronics of the pieces/board. Apart from that the quality isn't very high, not like the board and pieces that Fischer-Spassky used for their matches, for example, not to say that theirs was stratospheric quality (Good Jaques pieces but nice custom marble board inset into a custom table). HOS used to make better pieces for the DGT board but I don't see those used in any big events.
Susan Polgar has provided some good quality sets/boards for events she is responsible for. You can see row after row of ebony
pieces and nice boards.
I'm just throwing this out there -- out of sheer curiosity, does anyone know what kind of board and pieces were used for the recent Chess World Championship? I know you can buy sets from $7.00 to $7,000, but I was wondering where the Championship board/pieces fell. I wouldn't think it would be horribly expensive; just a good solid set -- or am I way off here?