The Most Expensive Handbags Ever Made
Believe it or not, a lot of handbags and their designers have competed for the coveted title of “most expensive.” And several, ringing in at tens of thousands to even hundreds of thousands of dollars, are in the top running.
But ultimately, the distinction of the most expensive handbag ever made belongs to Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka, for a handbag not much larger than a couple of decks of playing cards.
The bag was unveiled during London’s 2008 jewelry week with a price tag of £1 million, or roughly $1.45 million. But before you grumble that this bag is just a wee bit out of your price range, consider the handbag’s versatility: the diamond-encrusted strap can be unhooked and worn separately as a necklace, while the huge pear-shaped diamond clasp can also do double duty as a brooch. In total, the bag is studded with more than 2,000 diamonds weighing in at 208 carats.
And although the other contenders for most expensive handbag are considerably lower priced than the Tenaka clutch – in fact, by comparison, they’re downright cheap!- it’s a pretty good bet your tax refund isn’t going to cover these babies, either.
Got a cool quarter mil? Then you almost have enough to buy the second most expensive handbag, this time by Chanel.
The design icon’s Diamond Forever tote will only set you back about $261,000 … if you can find one. Only 13 were ever made, and apparently, they sold out pretty quickly early last year. This white shoulder bag is made of farmed alligator skin and features the famous Chanel “C”s encrusted in 334 diamonds set in 18K white gold, for a total carat weight of 3.56 carats!
If your wad of cash is only half that amount, take heart: You can still purchase the Crocodile Birkin by Hermes.
At $120,000, this bag is made of, yep, crocodile skin, and is accented by a clasp embedded with 10 carats of diamonds set in white gold. If you thought it’d be difficult finding one of only 13 Chanel bags, consider this: only two of the Crocodile Birkins were ever made.
For a cool hundred grand, you can whoop it up Hollywood style, with the Lana Marks white alligator Cleopatra Clutch.
The top of this bag is encrusted with 1,500 black and white faceted round cut diamonds, and only five of these bags are made each year. The designer makes a limited edition version every Oscar season, for one actress annually. So far, two of the bag’s owners – Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren – won awards while toting the bags.
But maybe you’re weary of diamonds and want to add some other sparkling gems to your wardrobe. In that case, the Leiber Precious Rose bag is for you.
Sure, it has 1,016 diamonds. But it also sports 1,169 pink sapphires and 800 pink tourmalines, all set in 18K white gold at a price tag of $92,000.