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The Top 6 Most Expensive Hermès Birkin Bags
Discover the craftsmanship and allure of the six most expensive Hermès Birkin bags, including Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin, which set a $10.1 million auction record.
Brief History of the Iconic Birkin
The Hermès Birkin bag is one of the most coveted handbags ever created—an enduring symbol of luxury, craftsmanship, and cultural status. Named after the British actress Jane Birkin, the design was born from a chance encounter with Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London in 1984. Birkin mentioned she couldn’t find a bag that was both practical and chic, inspiring Dumas to sketch the first Birkin on the spot. The result, delivered to her the following year, was the Birkin 40 in supple calfbox leather—a functional yet elegant tote that redefined modern handbag design.
Since 2021, Sotheby’s has sold nearly $100 million worth of Hermès Birkins, cementing the bag’s reputation as the most collected and most valuable handbag in the world. This extraordinary demand reflects the Birkin’s unmatched craftsmanship, limited production, and global collector appeal across Sotheby’s sales in New York, Paris, London, and Hong Kong.
In July 2025, Jane Birkin’s original Hermès Birkin sold for $10.1 million at Sotheby’s Paris, setting the world record for any handbag ever sold. This landmark result headlines our list of the most expensive Hermès Birkin bags ever sold at auction—from diamond-encrusted Himalayas to rare, one-of-a-kind collector creations that define the pinnacle of Hermès artistry.
The Most Expensive Hermès Birkin Bags
| Birkin Style | Price Range (USD) |
| Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin Bag | $10.1 million USD |
| Himalaya Birkin | $150K – $450K USD |
| Birkin Faubourg | $160K – $300K USD |
| Diamond Birkin (excluding Himalaya) | $65K – $200K USD |
| Birkin 20 Alligator | $75K – $115K USD |
| Metallic Birkin | $55K – $100K USD |
| Ombré Lizard Birkin | $40K – $80K USD |
Discover the Most Expensive Hermès Birkin Bags, Including Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin
Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin Breaks Record as the Most Expensive Birkin Ever Sold at $10.1 million
Jane Birkin’s Original Birkin, the prototype that sparked the legend, made a highly anticipated appearance at auction in July 2025, where it sold for an astounding $10.1 million after a spirited 10-minute bidding war involving nine collectors bidding by phone, online, and in the room as part of the Fashion Icons Including The Original Birkin sale in Paris. This record-breaking sale set a new benchmark for any handbag at auction, cementing its place in fashion history.
Crafted by Hermès in 1985, the Original Birkin is a unique hybrid of the Birkin 35 and 40, featuring gilded brass hardware, closed metal rings, and Jane’s initials, J.B., on the front flap. Still bearing the nail clipper Jane kept inside and the marks of the stickers she added for Médecins du Monde and UNICEF, this bag is a testament to the vibrant life and spirit of the woman who inspired its creation.
Birkin Himalaya: An Homage to Majesty
The Himalaya Birkin is one of the most coveted Hermès bags in existence, available in versions both with and without diamonds. The Diamond Himalaya, in particular, is renowned as the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction. In 2022, Sotheby’s achieved a record-breaking price of over $450,000 USD for a Diamond Himalaya Birkin 30.
Crafted from Niloticus crocodile skin, the bag is dyed in a distinctive white-to-grey gradient meant to evoke the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. This ethereal coloration is complemented by 18-karat white gold hardware, studded with white diamonds. The cadena lock alone contains 68.4 grams of white gold and 40 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 1.64 carats. Additional elements of the bag—the Touret, Pontets, and Plaques de Sanglons—are adorned with more than 200 diamonds, adding up to 8.2 carats in total.
Whether set with diamonds or not, Himalaya Birkins are celebrated for their rarity, craftsmanship, and visual impact. They consistently command a premium in the secondary market compared to other crocodile Birkins, with pricing influenced by size, age, and condition.
In 2021, the Himalaya Birkin 25 emerged as the most sought-after size, selling for over $300,000 at Sotheby’s. By 2023, pristine examples of the same size were trading closer to $200,000. The larger Birkin 30 typically sells around $150,000 in similar condition, while older bags with visible signs of wear tend to fetch closer to $100,000.
Birkin Faubourg: A Celebration of Hermès’ History
The Hermès Faubourg Birkin is one of the most sought-after limited edition Birkin bags. This Birkin was released in 2019 as an homage to the Hermès storefront on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. Hermès CEO Charles-Émile Hermès relocated the brand’s flagship store to the iconic street in 1880, where it has remained ever since. The Hermès bag features three windows with orange awnings, a shopping bag clochette, a matte alligator skin top flap, and alligator skin handles. This tiny Birkin 20 was originally released in Brown (Day) and Blue (Night). In 2021, two additional versions were released in White (Snow) and Black (Midnight). The white, or Snow Birkin Faubourg is the most expensive Faubourg color with one selling for just over $300,000 in 2022. Recently a Midnight black Birkin Faubourg sold for just over $160,000 in our Paris Auction in September 2023. In 2024, the white Faubourg is selling around $220,000 to $230,000 if the bag is pristine.
Diamond Birkin: The Epitome of Luxury
The Diamond Birkin is one of the most glamorous and sought-after Hermès creations, beloved by collectors and brand devotees alike. Often considered the sister to the Diamond Himalaya, it differs primarily in the treatment of its exotic crocodile skin. This dazzling collector’s piece pairs luxurious crocodile leather with diamond-encrusted white gold hardware, elevating an already iconic silhouette.
Diamond Birkins have been produced in classic Birkin sizes—25, 30, 35, and 40 centimeters—and are available in a wide array of Hermès’ signature colors, including pink, red, brown, black, and many others. Prices vary based on size and shade, with Sotheby’s observing secondary market values ranging from $65,000 to $200,000, excluding the even rarer Diamond Himalaya.
Birkin 20 Matte Alligator
Released in 2023, the newest edition to the most expensive Birkins is the Birkin 20 in Matte Alligator. The first one to appear at auction was in Sotheby's October 2023 Hong Kong sale. The Birkin 20 in Vert D’eau Matte Alligator in more structured Sellier with Gold Hardware sold for 889,000 HKD or $115,570. As more of these bags come to the secondary market, we could see prices settle lower but anticipate demand will remain strong for the next 6-12 months. While the shape size and sellier structure is similar to the Faubourg, the body of the bag is unadorned. A black lizard Birkin 20 sold for $600,000 HKD or $78,000 in October 2024.
Birkin Metallic: A Beautiful Piece of Art
Hermès’ Metallic Birkin bag is a limited edition Birkin released in 2005. This luxurious handbag comes in both silver and bronze. The Metallic Birkin is a smaller bag, measuring 25 centimeters across the base. The silver Birkin is accented with palladium hardware while the bronze Birkin is accented with gold hardware. The bag’s design draws its inspiration from window displays designed by Leïla Menchari for the Hermès Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré storefront. In order to produce the metallic pigmentation, Hermès artisans must add so much dye to the leather that the leather’s texture changes. Sotheby's has sold four metallic Birkins. The most expensive Metallic Silver Hermès Birkin 25 sold for 1,071,000 HKD or $139,230 in April 2022. Not surprisingly the Metallic Birkin 25 bags have sold for more then the Metallic Birkin 30 bags. The Metallic Silver Birkin 30 sold for 508,000 HKD or $66,040 and a Metallic Bronze Birkin 30 sold for 420,000 HKD or $54,600 in October 2024.
Birkin Ombré: An Elegant Collectable
The Ombré Birkin is an extremely rare find thanks to its lizard skin composition. This Hermès bag has sold for $137,500 at Sotheby’s in 2020 but prices have drifted lower since this peak. An older bag can be purchased for closer to $40,000 and it is possible to get a store fresh bag for closer to $80,000. The skin itself features a mesmerizing symmetrical pattern that captivates collectors of rare handbags and other luxury items. Ombré Birkins are typically made with palladium hardware and feature a lock and clochette also covered in lizard skin. Hermès craftsmen produce a wearable work of art by bringing out the natural coloring and texture of the lizard. Lizard skin bags are restricted by the small size of the skins. As a result, the Ombré Birkin usually comes in 25 centimeters.
Bonus Jewelry Birkin: Sac Bijou Birkin
In 2012, Hermès unveiled a stunning collection of handbag-inspired jewelry from the Haute Bijouterie Collection. This collection was designed by Pierre Hardy, the creative director of fine jewelry at Hermès. One of the most stunning pieces from the collection was the Sac Bijou Birkin, priced around $2 million USD. This Hermès bag is crafted from rose gold inlaid with 2,712 diamonds. The miniaturized Birkin is fully functional and intended to be worn as a bracelet. The Hermès bag’s top flap is textured to imitate crocodile skin while diamonds cover the piece’s body, top handles, touret, cadena lock, and clochette. There are only three diamond Sac Bijou Birkin’s in existence, making the item exceptionally rare. In 2019, the Sac Bijou Birkin was re-released with black garnets and spinels -- an edgier take on the white diamond-crusted original.
Honorable Mention: Jane Birkin's Most Personal Birkin Bag Comes to Auction
Following the record-breaking $10.1 million sale of Jane Birkin’s original Hermès Birkin, Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi will present Le Birkin Voyageur—one of only four handbags gifted to the late icon by Hermès after she parted with her legendary prototype. Estimated at $240,000–$440,000, this black Birkin 40 in Box leather was Jane Birkin’s personal companion from 2003 to 2007, visibly worn from years of use and affection. Inside, a handwritten note by Jane inspired its name, Le Birkin Voyageur (“The Traveler”), capturing her nomadic spirit and heartfelt connection to her bags. Uniquely customized for Birkin herself, it features closed bridges, a design element never offered to the public and seen only on the original prototype. The bag was last sold in 2007 for €74,000 to benefit the Human Rights Association, and its reemergence this December marks a rare opportunity to own a defining piece of Jane Birkin’s legacy—a symbol of timeless style, purpose, and the enduring bond between artist and creation. Given its provenance and cultural significance, Le Birkin Voyageur is expected to achieve a price that could see it join the ranks of the most expensive Birkin bags ever sold at auction.
FAQs About the Most Expensive Hermès Birkin Bags
Why are Hermès Birkins so expensive?
Hermès Birkin bags are expensive due to their exceptional craftsmanship, limited production, and global demand. Each Birkin is hand-stitched by a single artisan—a process that takes at least 18 hours and requires five years of training. Strict production limits and the brand’s quota system keep supply extremely low, while demand remains sky-high with over a million searches per month. As a result, secondary-market prices far exceed retail: a Togo leather Birkin 30 priced at $12,500 in stores can sell for $25,000–$30,000 at Sotheby’s.
Which Hermès Birkin is the most valuable?
Jane Birkin’s original Birkin sold for $10.1 million at Sotheby’s in 2025, setting the world record for any handbag. Among regular models, Diamond Himalaya Birkins consistently achieve the highest prices.
Do Hermès Birkins hold or increase their value?
Yes. Pristine Birkins regularly trade for two to three times their retail price on the secondary market, with rare limited editions and exotic-skin models showing the strongest long-term appreciation.
Buy and Sell Hermès Birkin Bags with Sotheby’s
Whether you're a seasoned collector or new to the world of Hermès bags, Sotheby’s offers a trusted, seamless way to buy and sell Hermès Birkin bags on the secondary market.
Why Choose Sotheby’s?
- Expertly Vetted Selection
Explore rare and collectible Birkin bags, starting from $20,000 to $35,000 for leather models while rare exotic and Himalaya Birkin bags are generally valued over $100,000. - Exclusive Global Access
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Purchase online or in person at our locations in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong—or work with a dedicated handbag concierge. - Exceptional Value
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