Investing in art and jewellery is a common practice, but what about designer handbags? According to Credit Suisse, high-end handbags have emerged as one of the top investments of 2023, surpassing even art and jewellery. Data Bridge, a global market research firm, predicts that the luxury handbag market will soar to a value of $42 billion by 2029.
The Most Expensive Bags Brands
Whether crafted from rare materials like Emu eggs, adorned with diamonds, or embellished with feathers, these bags are unique masterpieces designed to captivate the attention of collectors and savvy investors. Here’s a list of the most expensive handbags in the world.
1. Debbie Wingham’s Upcycled Easter Egg Purse
$6.7 Million
In 2019, Debbie Wingham, a renowned figure in fashion, revealed the world's most expensive handbag, valued at $6.7 million. An anonymous buyer from the United States commissioned this one-of-a-kind masterpiece from Wingham. The buyer contributed designer items from previous seasons for Wingham to incorporate into the bag's design. Surprisingly, the materials used in its construction come from pre-loved materials.
Adorned with a staggering 8,000 diamonds, the upcycled purse features an interior lined with a luxurious Hermès scarf and fastens with a pair of Cartier earrings valued at $40,000. Yet, the highlight of this bag is its core—a genuine Emu egg fortified with enamel infused with blue diamond dust.
2. Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse
$3.8 Million
Pioneered by Mouawad jewellers, the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse stands as one of the world's most expensive handbags, certified by Guinness World Records. Valued at $3.8 million, over 4,500 diamonds grace this heart-shaped masterpiece, requiring the skills of ten artisans for over 8000 hours to reach completion. These diamonds, totalling 381.92 carats, included 105 yellow, 56 pink and 4,356 colourless diamonds. Designed by renowned Lebanese jeweller Robert Mouawad, this piece is a timeless symbol of opulence. While it once held the title of the world's most expensive bag, it remains among the elite, second only to Wingham's creation.
3. Hermès Sac Bijou Birkin
$2 Million
Hermès Sac Bijou Birkin is not only the most expensive Birkin bag ever created but also one of the smallest. Crafted to perfection by Pierre Hardy, a celebrated French jeweller and designer, this miniature handbag is fully functional and intended to be worn as a bracelet. Showcasing exquisite craftsmanship, the bag is fashioned from luxurious rose gold and embellished with an ensemble of 2,712 diamonds, weighing a remarkable 89 carats.
Part of Hermès' prestigious Haute Bijouterie Collection, the Sac Bijou Birkin is extremely rare, with only three of its kind in existence. Its value is expected to soar over time, reflecting its timeless beauty in the world of haute couture.
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4. Hermés Platinum Birkin By Ginza Tanaka
$1.9 Million
In a collaboration between Hermès and renowned Japanese jeweller Ginza Tanaka, the $1.9 million platinum "Birkin" emerged in 2015 as the pinnacle of luxury handbags. Encrusted with 2,182 diamonds, including a striking eight-carat pear-shaped centrepiece, this exclusive handbag exudes opulence at every glance and is one of the most expensive bags in the world.
The bag's grandeur extends to its strap, which effortlessly transforms into a diamond necklace or bracelet, courtesy of Ginza Tanaka's artistry. Radiating old-world glamour and decadence, this item symbolises luxury in its most extravagant form, capturing collectors senses with its elegance and sophistication.
5. Hermes Chaine'd Ancre Bag
$1.4 Million
The Hermès Chaine d'Ancre Bag is a true masterpiece of luxury and craftsmanship, designed by Pierre Hardy in 2020. With a price tag of $1.4 million, it is crowned as one of the most expensive bags in the world, coveted for its exclusivity and eye-catching design.
This miniature accessory blurs the boundaries between bag and jewellery, featuring intricate anchor-shaped chain links that lend it its distinctive name, "Chaine d’Ancre" (Anchor Chain). Only three of these extraordinary bags were created, each featuring a stunning ensemble of 1,160 diamonds, arranged to catch the light from every angle.
Hardy dedicated two years to perfecting this masterpiece, resulting in a design that challenges conventions and sparks intrigue with its provocative themes and subtle allusions to prison imagery. The Hermès Chaine d’Ancre Bag is not just a bag; it's a symbol of luxury, sophistication, and artisanal excellence, making it a coveted treasure for those who appreciate the finest things in life.
6. Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy
$1 Million
Pharrell Williams' Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy Bag has captured widespread attention as one of 2023's most-discussed accessories. Created using crocodile skin featuring the iconic LV monogram pattern, it features a diamond-covered chain strap. Introduced by Pharrell himself during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week, this luxurious rendition reimagines Louis Vuitton’s classic Speedy silhouette with unabashed extravagance.
Available in five colour variations, each Millionaire Speedy features flipped white monograms and a pavé-set diamond LV pendant. It is not available for purchase from their website or store and can only be bought based on cultivating a strong relationship with the LVMH brand, or being a VIP customer.
Pharrell Williams' Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy Bag has captured widespread attention as one of 2023's most-discussed accessories. Created using crocodile skin featuring the iconic LV monogram pattern, it features a diamond-covered chain strap. Introduced by Pharrell himself during the Paris Men’s Fashion Week, this luxurious rendition reimagines Louis Vuitton’s classic Speedy silhouette with unabashed extravagance.
Available in five colour variations, each Millionaire Speedy features flipped white monograms and a pavé-set diamond LV pendant. It is not available for purchase from their website or store and can only be bought based on cultivating a strong relationship with the LVMH brand, or being a VIP customer.
7. Hermès Himalaya Kelly
$513,000
The Hermès Himalaya Kelly is often dubbed 'The Rarest Handbag in the World'. Even more coveted than its counterpart, the Hermès Himalaya Birkin, it commands prices reaching over $500,000 for the diamond-encrusted model.
Handcrafted from Niloticus Crocodile skin, the Himalaya Kelly undergoes a meticulous dyeing process, transitioning from smoky grey to a pristine pearly white, mirroring the Himalayan peaks. This dyeing process is intricate and time-consuming, requiring exceptional skill to achieve the desired gradient effect.
Featuring 18K white gold hardware, the trapezoidal handbag is encrusted with 229 diamonds on the clasp and an additional 40 on the iconic Kelly padlock. Each detail reflects high-end craftsmanship, solidifying the Hermès Himalaya Kelly's status as the ultimate symbol of luxury and refinement in the realm of handbags.
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8. Hermès Himalaya Birkin
$450,000
The Hermès Himalaya Birkin is one of the most famous Hermés Birkin bags. Often seen in the hands of celebrities and fashion icons like Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, and Kris Jenner, the bag remains a rare and highly coveted treasure in the world of luxury accessories.
In 2022 Sotheby's sold a Diamond Himalaya Birkin 30 for over $450,000. Like its counterpart Himalaya Kelly, it is crafted from Niloticus crocodile skin, dyed in a white and grey gradient, evoking the peaks of the Himalayas.
Complementing this exquisite hue is an 18-karat white gold hardware adorned with dazzling white diamonds. The Cadena lock alone houses 40 white round diamonds, totalling 1.64 carats. Additionally, over 200 diamonds, totalling 8.2 carats, embellish various structural elements of the Birkin.
9. Hermès Matte Alligator Faubourg Birkin
$400,000
The most ‘affordable’ Birkin on our list is the Hermés Matte Alligator Faubourg Birkin. A highly desired accessory, this hand-stitched bag uses different types of alligator skin and is intended to look like an old Hermés storefront. The word "Faubourg" is named after their flagship boutique at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Faubourgs have become some of the most collectable Hermes bags, with the beige or "snow" colourway being the most desirable.
The high-end bag was first released in 2019 and was almost impossible to get. In 2022 it sold for $400,000 via Sotheby's private sale, making it one of the priciest handbags in the world and breaking the record for a Faubourg Birkin.
10. Lana Marks' Cleopatra Clutch
$400,000
Lana Marks' Cleopatra Clutch, ranges from $100,000 to $400,000 and stands as a statement accessory among high-profile celebrities. Inspired by Elizabeth Taylor and introduced at the 2001 Oscars, the Cleopatra Clutch became a red-carpet staple in the early 2000s, gracing the arms of stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie. Each year, a new edition is launched with unique colours and designs. The most extravagant variant, owned by Chinese actress Li Bingbing, features American alligator leather encrusted with 1,600 white diamonds, designed to complement her red-carpet attire, with her name inscribed in pink gold.
These exclusive bags are often a symbol of wealth. With their status as coveted collector's items and lucrative investment opportunities, these luxury pieces represent craftsmanship, and prestige. As the luxury handbag market continues to thrive and evolve, driven by a growing demand from collectors and investors alike, these exceptional creations will undoubtedly remain at the forefront of high-end fashion for years to come.
