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By Benji, Content ManagerAnyone who knows bags knows that there are bags, and there are “bags.” The diamond and gold fuchsia pink crocodile Hermes Birkin bag that just sold for a record breaking $222,000 most definitely fits into the latter category. We have heard of diamond encrusted iPhones which sold for unbelievable high prices, but handbags?!?
Any handbag carrying the esteemed title of Birkin already comes with a hefty price tag of thousands of dollars not to mention a nice waiting list. Yes, not only do you have to shell out thousands of hard earned dollars, but you also have to wait to see what that cash has paid for. This handbag in particular is one of a kind, as, it is not just crafted from crocodile skin, but it also comes in an unusual and eye catching fuchsia pink color with diamonds and 18K white gold embellishments. The piece sold to an anonymous phone bidder at a Christie’s Hong Kong sale. It really is an interesting phenomenon how bright colors, whether it be handbags or diamonds are dominating wealth concentration at the auction houses.
This steep price managed to break the previous record for most expensive handbag ever sold at auction, which was held by another Birkin bag that sold in 2011 at a Heritage Auction for $203,000.
The Bag
Created from authentic crocodile leather and dyed a perfect shade of fuchsia pink, the record-breaking Hermes Birkin bag features diamond-studded embellishments and 18K white gold hardware. As expensive and glamorous as this bag may be, it is interestingly enough not the most expensive bag Hermes Birkin has to offer. An even more extravagant Birkin handbag that has yet to be sold at auction has a price tag of $450,000. Consisting of Himalayan Niolticus crocodile skin, 18K white gold, and 1.6 carats worth of colorless diamonds, the prestigious items is supposedly delivered in a Brink’s truck!
Additional Diamond Handbags
Though this fuchsia-colored Birkin bag is most certainly one of the pricier already-expensive-bags, and the most expensive one ever sold at auction, there have been other handbags created with diamonds, that sold for much higher prices. These handbags are not just handbags but pure masterpieces as their prices clearly indicate. One such bag is the Ginza Tanaka handbag bag, which sold for a whopping $1.63 million! It included 2,182 diamonds and a removable strap that turns into a bracelet or necklace. Another example is the $1.9 million handbag that is crafted from gold and adorned with diamonds.
About the Birkin Bag
Birkin bags were designed for and named after actress Jane Birkin. These bags are now some of the most sought after handbags on the planet and are considered extremely high-end. With a waiting list of up to six years and a starting price of approximately $10,000, these bags come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and shapes. Only top of the line leathers and materials are used to construct these elite items, including a variety of exotic animal skins such as ostrich and crocodile.
Lavish items such as Birkin bags do not need yet another reason to make them costly, yet luxury tends to attract luxury, so diamonds do seem like the natural match for these extravagant bags. This stunning pink bag may now hold the coveted title of most expensive bag sold at auction, but knowing Hermes Birkin and the world of luxury objects, it will most probably be extremely temporary.
