Clutch the pearls, literally, as we present some of the most expensive clutch and bags in the world. Do you own any of these?
Rose by any other name…
This bejewelled beauty is just what the style guru would have recommended for avid jewellery lovers. Designed by Hungarian designer Judith Leiber, the ‘Leiber Precious Rose’ bag comes across as a perfect hand accessory, with more than 1,000 diamonds totalling 42.56 carats. Shaped as a fully bloomed pink rose, it also features 1,169 pink sapphires and 800 tourmalines, which are all set in 18-carat white gold.
Price: $92,000
‘1001 Nights’
Love all things bling and bright? Have the moolah to back your penchant? Check out the 1001 Nights Diamond Purse by House of Mouawad, if you haven’t already. It has a Guinness certificate to back its most expensive tag and is encrusted with precious stones to make it completely exclusive. This purse, made up of 18 carat gold, is encrusted with 4,517 diamonds in yellow, pink and the colourless variants. It is a masterpiece created by 10 artisans who put in a total of 8,800 hours on it.
Price: $3.8 million
A Platinum Affair
This Hermes Birkin bag by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka is a complete platinum affair. It is 100 percent platinum and has 2,000 diamonds to give it that wow effect. That is not all…it also has an 8-carat, pear shaped diamond, and detachable diamond studded straps. The idea behind the detachable straps is to add value to the bag by giving the user a choice of turning it into an exclusive necklace or even a bracelet. The pear shaped diamond on the centre, which is also detachable, can double up as a brooch.
Price: $1.9 million
All About Diamonds
Right, there is nothing new about diamonds and their forever status. Yet, at the cost of sounding rhetorical, Chanel has named its expensive hand accessory as ‘Diamond Forever Classic Bag’, proving that diamonds are, indeed, a girl’s best friend. The Chanel Diamond Forever Classic Bag features as many as 334 diamonds (a total of 3.56 carats), which are set in 18-carat white gold. Even the shoulder straps are made from white gold.
Price: $261,000
Crocodile Adaptations
Named after actor-singer Jane Birkin, the Hermes Matte Crocodile Birkin Bag is, by all counts, an expensive affair. It is crafted from crocodile skin, and the bag features a diamond studded clasp, comprising 10 carats of white diamonds.
Price: $120,000
Clutch That Alligator…
Made from the skin of the underbelly of American Alligators, this Lana Marks Cleopatra Bag is designed specifically for celebrities who love to adorn themselves with exclusive clutches/handbags. Lana Marks is known to design her handbags with skins of alligator, crocodile, ostrich and lizard. She produces only one Cleopatra bag every year, made of metallic silver alligator skin, featuring a clasp with 1,500 black and white diamonds in 18-carat white gold. According to the designer, the clutch was inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s role in the movie ‘Cleopatra’ and is supposed to represent ‘powerful women with their exquisite jewels’.
Price: $250,000
Get Gadino
Norwegian designer Hilde Palladino has made luxury her signature style, with her bags finding regular listing among the most expensive bags in the world. Her Gadino Bag, especially, features 39 white diamonds that are strategically placed on the clasps made from white gold.
Price: $38,470
Purple Crocodile
Marc Jacobs Carolyn Crocodile Handbag is a purple quilted affair, made of crocodile skin. Listed as one of Marc Jacob’s most popular bags, it is produced using crocodile calfskin and comes with sectioned leather, both inside and out. There are additional pockets which imbue a smooth finish and a polished look.
Price: $38,000