Hermes is a luxurious French brand well known for its scarves and handbags. While Hermès offers a number of popular bag designs, the Birkin is one of the most prized. The Birkin bag was named after English singer and actress Jane Birkin and was initially released in the late 1980s.
Birkin bags have since become signifiers due to their exorbitant price tags and inaccessibility to the general public. Birkins are even more difficult to come by for the rich and famous, as there is a lengthy waiting list to purchase a Birkin directly from Hermès.
Birkins, on the other hand, can be bought on the secondary resale market. These Birkins are not inexpensive, even if they are secondhand, and can fetch significant amounts of money at auction.
Yes, Birkins (particularly special editions) are in such great demand that they must be auctioned off. Every single Birkin bag on this list is extremely rare and expensive.
Two rolling handles, a flaps top, a tourist, a clochette, and four clou “feet” are all traditional Hermès features. Continue reading to learn about the most valuable and rare Birkin editions.
Top 10 Most Expensive Hermes Birkin Bags
1. The Sac Bijou Birkin
The Sac Bijou Birkin, which cost $2 million when it was debuted in 2012, has been the most expensive Birkin bag ever. Pierre Hardy, Hermès’ creative head of fine jewelry, developed this very special edition Birkin as part of a set. Because the Sac Bijou is designed to be worn as a bracelet, it is substantially smaller than standard Birkin bags.
The purse is entirely constructed of rose gold with 2,712 diamonds inlay. The Sac Bijou’s top cover was textured to resemble crocodile skin. There was only three yellow gold diamond Sac Bijou Birkin bags created, making this a very uncommon bag.
Did you know that?
The Pierre Hardy inventory also included a Rose Gold Kelly, which sold for $2 million, in addition to the Sac Bijou Birkin.
2. Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka
The Ginza Tanaka Birkin Bag is a mystery bag, but it is generally ranked as the 2nd most costly Hermès bag ever – regardless of design.
There are no official references that explain the bag’s specifications, and the costs vary depending on the source. The Ginza Tanaka Birkin was sold for $1.4 million or $1.9 million, depending on who you ask. Only one of these one-of-a-kind bags was produced, and it was introduced in 2008.
The platinum bag is studded with more than 2,000 white diamonds. The front of the Ginza Tanaka Birkin has a big 8-carat diamond that can be detached and used as a brooch.
Did you know that?
The Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka’s diamond strap can be detached and used as a necklace, and the wallet can be carried as a clutches.
3. Diamond Himalaya Birkin
The normal Himalaya Birkin, which is constructed of high-quality crocodile hide, already has one of the most sought-after Birkin bag styles. The Himalaya Birkin is made even more appealing by the addition of white gold and diamond hardware.
A rare Diamonds Himalaya Birkin sold for about $400,000 at a Christie’s Auction in 2017. A Diamond Himalaya Birkin, according to several experts, might easily sell for even more than £ 500 million now.
A Diamond Himalaya Birkin, according to several experts, might easily sell for even more than £ 500 million now.
Did you know that?
The Nile crocodile skin used in the Diamond Himalaya Birkin is hand-dyed in a painstaking and time-consuming procedure.
4. Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Birkin
This Extraordinary Edition Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile Birkin created history in 2011 when it sold for $203,150, and became the most expensive handbag ever.
In fact, many of the Birkins on just this list, as well as other premium manufacturers’ purses, has since shattered this record. This Superb Edition Shiny Rouge H porosus Crocodile Birkin was resold for approximately $300,000 a few years ago.
Did you know that?
The Extraordinary Collection The Rouge H Porosus Crocodile Birkin bag was constructed of red-dyed crocodile hide and had white diamond-encrusted 18K white gold hardware.
5. Diamond Crocodile Birkins
Diamond Crocodile Birkin bags are high-end status symbols that cost a lot of money. Diamond Crocodile Birkins cost between $190,000 and $260,000, according to Sotheby’s.
Such bags are always constructed of crocodile skin and are available in a variety of colors. The Diamond Crocodile Birkin’s gear is comprised of 18K white gold and white diamonds, as the name suggests.
Diamond Crocodile Birkin bags are typically produced in small amounts, making them difficult to locate on the secondary market.
Did you know that?
The skins of alligators from Australia and Southeast Asia are used to make Diamond Crocodile Birkin bags.
6. Sac Birkin Faubourg
Hermes released the Sac Birkin Faubourg in 2019, a one-of-a-kind Birkin that paid homage to the Hermès boutique on Paris’s Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
The Sac Birkin Faubourg has three window frames with orange awnings, a clochette that looks like a shopping bag, a top flap made of matte alligator skin, and alligator skin handles. It was available in two colors: navy blue and dark brown. In addition, at 20 cm, the Sac Birkin Faubourg is one of the smallest Birkin bags available.
Did you know that?
In 1880, when Charles-Émile Hermès bought the company, he moved the flagship store to the historic Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where it has stayed ever since. The front of the Sac Birkin Faubourg is identical to that of the flagship store.
7. Fuchsia Birkin
This Fuchsia Birkin, like a handful of the other Birkins on this list, once held the world record of being the most valuable handbag in the world. Christie’s auction house in Hong Kong sold it for $222,000 in 2011.
The Fuchsia Birkin is constructed of genuine crocodile leather that has been painted a vibrant fuchsia pink color. The 18K white gold hardware on the purse was also studded with glittering white diamonds.
8. BLEU MARINE DIAMOND BIRKIN
Christie’s auction house had an eventful year in 2011, with numerous Birkin bags selling for six figures. The Bleu Marine Diamond Birkin was auctioned for £115,000 that year.
Porosus crocodile leather was used to make the purse, which was colored a deep blue that almost looked black. The Bleu Marine Diamond Birkin’s hardware was constructed of 18K white gold and white diamonds, as was the case with all Diamond Birkins.
9. Ombre Birkin
Lizard skin bags are quite rare in general due to the small size of lizards and the limited amount of skin that can be obtained. As a result, this lizard-skin Ombré Birkin is extremely rare and difficult to come by. Over the years, a few of these lizard Ombré Birkin bags have turned up for sale, with the highest price paid to be $137,500. This Ombré Birkin’s interior is lined with Parchemin chevre and features one zipper pocket with a Hermès engraved zipper pull.
Did you know that?
Palladium, a precious silver-white metal comparable to platinum, was used for the hardware of the reptile Ombré Birkin bag.
10. Metallic Birkin
Hermès launched a very limited Metallic Birkin bag edition in 2005. The Metallic Birkin was available in silver or bronze and was influenced by Lela Menchari’s famed window designs for the Hermès main store in Paris.
The Metallic Birkins were produced from normal Chèvre Goat Leather, unlike the majority of the other Birkins on this list, which is manufactured from exotic leathers. They were, however, dyed with metallic dyes, giving them a one-of-a-kind finish for a Birkin bag.
Did you know that?
The Metallic Birkin bags required so much metallic coloring that they had a different texture than the typical chèvre material.