This diamond-encrusted Birkin bag isn’t your run-of-the-mill Hermès.
An extremely rare Hermès handbag broke auction records this week after it was sold for a whopping US$380,000.
The 30-centimetre white ‘Himalaya’ crocodile skin Birkin bag was made in 2014 and features 18 karat gold buckles and strap loops which are encrusted with 205 diamonds.
Auction house Christie’s says the bag’s sale in Hong Kong on Wednesday topped all records for any bags they’ve sold at auction.
The South China Morning Post reports the bidding war lasted for an intense 15 minutes, with hopefuls on the phone, in person and via the internet, all trying to make the rare Birkin theirs.
The final bid surpassed all pre-auction expectations, with experts convinced the bag was likely to go for between US $192,500 and US $256,700.
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Last June a similar-style Hermès Birkin produced in 2008 came under the hammer and sold for US$300,168, making it the world-record holder at the time.
According to Christie’s, the Himalaya Birkins get their name from the bag’s colour, which fades from smoky grey into a pearly white, evoking a snow-capped mountain range.
It’s understood Hermès only produces the bag in very limited numbers – one or two a year at most – due to the incredibly time-intensive process to dye the crocodile skin.
The Hermès Birkin was created in 1984 for British singer and actress Jane Birkin. As well as being phenomenally expensive, waiting lists for the bags often extend to years.
