From Hermès' Himalaya Birkin to Chanel's diamond-encrusted alligator purse, these are the most stunning handbags worth the expensive price tag.

More than just a day-to-day accessory, handbags can be investment pieces, era-defining symbols, or timeless collectors' items. Whether a painstaking, one-time creation or a limited-edition release, luxury purses are pieces of fine craftsmanship and design&mdash;with price tags to reflect it. L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;charts the most expensive handbags to covet.

Self-described celebrity couturier Debbie Wingham is known for her over-the-top custom commissions. This piece&mdash;valued at $6.7 million&mdash;was designed for an anonymous American customer in 2019, who gave the British designer some of her old jewels and scarves to use for the creation.

Photo: Debbie Wingham/SWNS.

Debbie Wingham’s Upcycled Easter Egg Purse

This one-of-a-kind piece, designed by jeweler Robert Mouward, incorporates 18-karat gold and 4,517 colorless, yellow, and pink diamonds. It took 10 artisans a painstaking 8,800 hours to complete. The jeweled bag won a Guinness World Record for Most Valuable Handbag in 2010, where it was valued at $3.6 million.

Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty.

Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse

Not to be confused with the cutout leather totes seen in Herm&egrave;s&rsquo; Spring/Summer 2020 collection, this sac-bijou is from the Maison's 2012 Haute Bijouterie collection, designed by Creative Director of Fine Jewelry Pierre Hardy. Set in white gold with over 11,000 diamonds, this piece is said to be in the $2 million range.

Photo: Hermès.

Hermès Chaine d’Ancre by Pierre Hardy

This unique <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hermes-birkin-everything-you-need-to-know-price" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birkin</a>, produced by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka in 2008, features an all-platinum body adorned with over 2,000 diamonds. Surprisingly functional, the embellished strap can be removed and worn as a necklace, and the 8-karat, pear-shaped diamond sitting at the center of the bag can be worn as a brooch. The bag was priced at $1.9 million.

Photo: Getty Images.

Ginza Tanaka Hermès Birkin

The Cleopatra Clutch was once a regular on the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/academy-awards-2023-oscars-red-carpet-celebrity-looks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Academy Awards red carpet</a>, worn by actresses including Helen Mirren, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/angelina-jolie-best-90s-y2k-fashion-moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angelina Jolie</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/kate-winslet-titanic-weight-body-shaming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Winslet</a>. Each custom iteration&mdash;ranging from $100,000 to $400,000&mdash;is a unique combination of exotic skins, fine jewels, and precious metals that&rsquo;s just as luxurious as the last.

Lana Marks Cleopatra Clutch

A Birkin from the Himalaya series is a handbag collector&rsquo;s dream. The bag is crafted from Nile crocodile hide, and carefully dyed to resemble the snow-capped Himalayas. The most expensive Himalaya Birkin yet&mdash;a 2010 Matte Himalaya Niloticus crocodile diamond Birkin with 18-karat white gold and diamond hardware&mdash;was <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/01/this-379261-hermes-birkin-handbag-is-the-most-expensive-ever-sold.html">sold for&nbsp;$379,261 in auction at Christie&rsquo;s</a>.

Photo: Sotheby's.

Hermès Himalaya Birkin

In 2008, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/timothee-chalamet-bleu-de-chanel-campaign-martin-scorsese" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chanel</a> released a limited edition, 13-piece series of their classic flap bags. The alligator purse featuring an 18-karat white gold, diamond-encrusted, interlocking &ldquo;C&rdquo; clasp, is valued at $261,000.

Chanel Diamond Forever Classic Bag

The late Judith Leiber&nbsp;brought spirit and light to the fashion scene both in her character and her bedazzled creations. This 18-karat white gold minaudi&egrave;re, created in 2010, is encrusted in 1,016 diamonds, 1,169 pink sapphires, and 800 tourmalines. It is priced at $92,000.

Photo: Judith Leiber.

Leiber Precious Rose

With record-breaking prices and a waitlist of of six years, the Herm&egrave;s Diamond-Studded fuchsia bag is priced at $222,000. This Birkin is another masterpiece constructed with the most extravagant materials, created with authentic crocodile leather and embelished with 18k white gold hardware.

Fuchsia Diamond-Studded Hermès Birkin

Designed by Marc Jacobs, then-creative director of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/louis-vuitton-new-myriad-fragrance-perfume" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Vuitton</a>, the Tribute Patchwork is one of the fashion house&rsquo;s most playful pieces. The $45,000 bag is actually a combination of 15 other bags. Shown in the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2007 collection, only 24 were produced. Its most notable owner? <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/beyonce-renaissance-tour-fashion-looks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyonc&eacute;</a>.

Photo: 1st Dibs.

Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork Bag

Completely hand-made in crocodile leather and featuring the brand's signature monogram pattern, <a href="https://preview.lofficielusa.com/men/pharrell-williams-interview-louis-vuitton-pre-fall-2024-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pharrell Williams</a>&mdash;Louis Vuitton's newest creative director of menswear&mdash;debuted this luxe iteration of the iconic duffle at <a href="https://preview.lofficielusa.com/men/mens-trends-fashion-week-paris-milan-fall-winter-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris Men&rsquo;s Fashion Week</a> in June 2023. Valued at $1 million and available in five striking colorways, what makes this speedy design extra special (and extra costly) is its yellow-gold Cuban link strap finished with pav&eacute; diamonds.

Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy

Launched in 2019, the Faubourg Birkin combines five different leathers and alligator skin to resemble a Herm&egrave;s storefront. Available in four different shades, every iteration features the brand's signature Orange H hue on its window awnings. Prices vary between the different versions, but it is the Snow Faubourg Birkin that tops the list, selling for nearly $400,000 in early 2022. That same year, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/kylie-cosmetics-kylie-jenner-beauty-brand-success-billionaire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kylie Jenner</a> received one of these rare bags as a birthday present from her momager, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/khloe-kardashian-kris-jenner-launch-mothers-day-collection-bulgari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kris Jenner</a>.

The 12 Most Expensive Handbags in the World

Tags

Related Articles

Fashion

These are the Handbag Trends to Know for Fall 2020

Fashion

5 Handbags from Emerging Designers You'll Want to Own

Video

Watch: How the Dior Book Tote Bag is Made

Recommended posts for you

Film & TV

Madelyn Cline Navigates Fame

Politics & Culture

The Shocking Tale of a NoHo Nightmare Tenant Who Scammed Across the Globe

Fashion

The Top Resort 2025 Trends, From Fringe to Animal Prints

Fashion

Onitsuka Tiger and Patou Bring Balletcore to the Mexico 66 in New Collab

Travel & Living

Inside St. Moritz’s 2024 Art and Culture Boom

Fashion

12 Provocative Fashion Ads That Pushed the Limits

L'Officiel Art

'Luna Luna' Debuts in NYC: Must-Visit Art Carnival With Basquiat and Haring

Fashion

How Fashion Archives Preserve Luxury Brands' Legacy and Inspire Future Collections