As the primary users of handbags, women have a variety of options when it comes to bags, all serving different purposes. And just as the use of each bag varies, so does their price. Handbags can range from cheap knock-offs to moderately priced originals to exclusive high-end bags that are just as rare as they are expensive. And because a bag is a woman’s most prized fashion accessory, for women who can afford it, owning some of the most expensive bags in the world is just as pedestrian as buying a random knock off.
Many factors make a bag expensive, such as the brand, the quality of the bag, and its resale value. In this article, we compiled ten of the most expensive bags in the world for women and what makes them so pricey. Check them out below.
Most Expensive Bags for Women
1. Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse – $3.8 million
Considering the handbag market is one of the most competitive in the world, even in the high-end market, you would expect that the most expensive bag in the world for women would be a revolving door of designers trying to outdo each other, but Nah. The number one bag on our list has been holding the crown since 2011, with a price point of $3.8 million.
The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond purse is the product of the Emirati luxury goods company, a company that holds the world record for five of the most expensive things in the world. One of them, which is this bag, makes the list with extravagant features like 4,517 diamonds, which includes 56 pink diamonds, 105 yellow diamonds, and 4,356 colorless diamonds.
The bag was hand made, over the course of 8,800 working hours and it earned its record-setting price in 2018, at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong.
2. Hermes Kelly Rose Gold – $2 million
To those who pay attention to luxury brands, particularly in fashion, it comes as no surprise that Hermes owns the second most expensive bag for women.
The luxury brand has been at the forefront of some of the most expensive fashion products in the world, and its first entry in the bag category is the Hermes Kelly Rose Gold. This bag takes the storage purpose of a bag very loosely because it can store a few dollars and a couple of credit cards.
On the design aspect, however, it saunters in with a bag made out of solid rose gold with a crocodile leather look. Aside from the solid gold, it also has an additional 1,160 diamonds in precious stones. The bag, which was designed in partnership with the renowned jeweler, Pierce Hardy, took two years to create, and only twelve of them exist, with three variants.
You definitely won’t find this one on a boutique’s shelf.
3. Hermes Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka – $1.4 million
The idea for bags may have been a simple one, creating an accessory where women whose dresses do not come with pockets to keep their things, but it has since evolved beyond that, and this Hermes Birkin Bag is an expensive proof of that.
The Hermes Birkin Bag by Ginza Tanaka is a handbag with detachable parts you can wear on yourself as an accessory. The bag has a pear-shaped 8-karat diamond centerpiece that can be worn as a brooch, and its sling, which is also made out of diamond, can be detached to form a bracelet or a necklace, leaving just the purse.
As a whole, the Hermes bag designed by the Japanese fashion designer is made out of platinum and has a total of 2,000 diamonds on its exterior.
With such an elegant design and an abundance of precious stones, it comes as no surprise that this Hermes bag is the third most expensive bag for women.
4. Hermes Chaine’d Ancre Bag – $1.4 million
When it comes to expensive luxury goods, eccentric products are always a feature, and the most expensive bags for women are not an exception. Another Hermes product, the Chain’d Ancre Bag takes its inspiration from chains and weaves it into a weird-looking bag that unsurprisingly cost $1.4 million, because when it comes to luxury goods, there is always someone willing to shell out plenty of dollars for them, no matter what they look like.
The Hermes Chain’d Ancre Bag is made out of anchor-shaped chain links that are encrusted with 1,160 diamond pieces. Thankfully, only three of these Pierre Hardy creation exist, and collectors will have to shell out $1.4 million to own one.
5. Lana Marks Cleopatra Clutch – $400,000
After Hermes took up three consecutive spots in the top five most expensive bags for women, another brand makes the list with a simple but costly product.
The Lana Marks Cleopatra Clutch is a ‘modestly’ expensive bag, and if you pay attention to the red carpet of celebrity events, it is most likely you have seen it one of your favorite celebs.
The original release of this clutch cost $100,000, but with each passing year, a fewer number of them are produced, driving up the price through rarity.
The clutch is made out of American alligator leather, and it is encrusted with 1,600 white diamonds.
6. Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin – $379,000
If you are an animal activist who thinks we should preserve rare animals, you might not be a fan of this bag. The Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin bag is made out of Niloticus crocodiles, which are known for their unique skin.
After the harvested skin is taken through a special process of coloration, you get the look of the Himalaya Birkin bag, which is topped off by 240 diamonds encrusted on an 18-karat gold shell.
It achieved its place among the most expensive bags for women in 2016 after it sold for $379,000 in an auction in Hong Kong. Do we support the process of extracting the raw material? No. But you can’t fault the look of the finished product.
7. Chanel ‘Diamond Forever’ Handbag – $261,000
The Chanel luxury brand might be something you expect to find in a list of expensive dresses, but it plays in the bag category too, and one of its products, the Diamond Forever Handbag, costs enough to be one of the most expensive bags for women.
The bag shares a lot of the traits the Chanel brand has been known for, simple and elegant, with the double C logo standing out. The bag was made out of crocodile leather paired with 334 diamonds.
Its strap is made out of 18-karat gold, and it can be detached and used as a necklace. Add the fact that just 13 of these gorgeous looking bags exist, and you start to see why it earned its place among the most expensive bags for women.
8. Fuchsia Diamond-Studded Hermes Birkin – $222,000
If there is one thing that we learn from this list, it is that Hermes has an expensive catalog, particularly when it comes to bags. Its fourth entry on this list is the Fuchsia Diamond-Studded Birkin Bag, which cost $222,000.
Unlike its entries higher up the list, the Fuchsia Diamond bag is relatively simple. It is made out of the finest leather, which is adorned with 18 carats of white gold and diamonds.
It achieved its price tag when it was sold in Hong Kong’s Christie’s for $222,000. The price might not stand out among the most expensive bags a woman can own, but its color does.
9. Hermes Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile Birkin Bag – $203,150
The full name of this bag is almost as long as the number of hours you will have to work a regular job to afford its $203,150 price tag.
The official name of the bag is Hermes Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile 30cm Birkin Bag with 18K White Gold & Diamond Hardware. Like we said, long.
It is the fifth Hermes bag to make this list, and the oldest Hermes bag to book a place among the most expensive bag in the world, having achieved the record in an auction at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
What makes this bag special? It is in the name, literally and figuratively. Figuratively because of the worth of the Hermes brand, and literally, because the special features that put the bag ahead of its peers, such as crocodile leather and precious stones are some of the most expensive things in the world.
10. Blue Crocodile Hermes Birkin Handbag – $150,000
By now, you are probably not surprised that the 10th most expensive bag for women is again, a Hermes bag. And even though it might be overwhelming, we understand. The Birkin bag, which is one of the most expensive types of bags in the world, was an invention of a Hermes executive, Jean-Louis Dumas, who wanted something fashionable that could as well provide the sturdiness required from a woman’s bag.
It is why it has become the foremost name in Birkin bags, not just in quality but also in price. Its sixth entry on our list is the Blue Crocodile Hermes Birkin bag, which cracked the top ten after it was sold in an auction in Mayfair, London.
See Also: These are The 10 Most Expensive Gifts Ever Given in World’s History
The bag is made out of crocodile leather as the name suggests, and its exterior is adorned with 18-karat diamonds and white gold. Combined with the fact it was the first dedicated sale by Christie’s, this bag is a collector’s item, and it is no surprise it sold for $150,000.
