Most Expensive Purse Ever Auctioned – Hermès Birkin Handbag Sold For Over $300,000

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A Hermès Birkin handbag, described as the “rarest, most sought-after, most valuable” of its kind, by Christie’s auction house became the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction, when it was purchased for more than $300,000. The matte white Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Birkin was sold for HK$2.32 million, or $300,168, beating a pre-sale estimate of HK$2 million, and topping last year’s sale of a $220,000 bright pink crocodile skin handbag by Hermès, which also sold at Christie’s in Hong Kong. The posh purse crafted from pale Himalayan crocodile leather with the 18-karat white gold hardware and 8.2 carats’ worth of 245 diamonds was originally produced in 2008 and sold in 2009, and remains one of the rarest and most desirable bags in the world. But, those facts aren’t the only rarities. “It is believed that only one or two of the Diamond Himalayas are produced each year, globally, making it one of the lowest production runs for handbags,” a Christie’s press release prior to the auction stated. The 30-centimeter diamond Himalayan Birkin pieces are so limited because of the painstaking process to dye the crocodile skin to such a pale hue. PETA has since taken issues with the company for using crocodiles to manufacture their bags.