Color is a key hallmark of the Hermès allure. No other brand matches Hermès reputation for producing stunning hue after stunning hue. Each season new colors are added to the brand’s oeuvre. With over 250 colors in their catalog, the options can seem overwhelming. Luckily, the auction market for Hermès Birkins and Kellys has been going strong for years, and we can plomb the depths of these archives to decipher which colors are valued most by collectors. Some colors have only shown up at auction once or twice so far, such as new shades like Blue Brume and Vert Maquis, and rare discontinued shades like Mangue and Parme. Some colors are only produced in exotics, like Gris Paris, exclusively produced in Matte Alligator, and Tangerine, which is only found in Ostrich or Lizard. For this list we’ve looked at auction records for regular leather 25cm to 35cm Birkins and Kellys sold over the last five years. We’ve excluded Sellier Birkins, 20cm Kellys, bags 40cm or larger, and any limited editions or special order bags. It is worth noting the differences in value brought on by a bag’s size and hardware, though with these parameters we were able to identify 197 different colors of Hermes bags sold at auction in this period over a total of 2033 auction results. Of these colors, 126 had sold at auction five or more times. Here are the top 10 most expensive colors from that group:
10: Rouge Coeur
Heart Red in French, this fiery hue has been around since spring 2019 with the first Rouge Coeur bag being auctioned in June of that year. Prices for these bags range from $12,500 to $24,500 and average just over $18,250 for the nine examples auctioned as of this writing. Produced seemingly evenly among Birkins and Kellys of all sizes, this shade is certainly the boldest one to crack the top 10.
9: Craie
Translating to Chalk in French, Craie has driven collectors crazy since it first left Hermes’ atelier in 2014. This evolution of the discontinued Parchment color is one of the closest shades to white in Hermès repertoire. With results ranging from $10,700 up to $32,000, these bags average just over $18,450 at auction, and are the most numerous among our top ten with 24 examples sold over the last five years. Craie bags are produced in every size, and are most commonly found in Togo or Clemence leather, they are rarely produced as Sellier Kellys.
8: Rose Azalee
Rose Azalee, inspired by the Azalea flower, is the first of five shades of pink that hold half of the top ten spots on this list. Launched in 2016, this shade is most commonly produced as a 25cm Swift Birkin or Retourne Kelly, and is also found in Epsom Leather. Larger bags are rare in this color, which ranges at auction from $11,700, to $25,100, with an average price of just over $18,500. It is the most common pink among our top ten, with 19 examples sold at auction so far.
7: Blue du Nord
Blue du Nord, or Northern Blue in French, was released for the Spring 2019 season, and since then, five examples of Birkins and Kellys in this color have sold at auction. Prices range from $12,500 to $21,250, averaging just over $18,650. Produced mostly in Togo and Epsom leathers, this color is found mostly on 30cm Birkins. Hailed as a worthy successor to Turquoise, the fan favorite shade discontinued years ago, Blue du Nord has a bright future ahead, especially if Hermès continues to produce this color in smaller sized bags.
6: Vert Amande
First seen in the fall of 2019, Vert Amande, or Almond Green in French, took Hermès collectors by storm. Never had there been such an inscrutable color as this since Blue Orage. Simultaneously green, gray, blue and silver, this multifaceted color grabbed people’s attention as the neutral to have. And since then the auction results have supported the hype. The five examples sold at auction so far have ranged from $14,900 to $26,150, with an average of just under $18,950. These results have been for bags of small and large sizes, Birkins and Kellys, in either Epsom or Togo leather.
5: Rose Lipstick
It should come as no surprise that the top half of this list is almost entirely populated by shades of pink. The distinctly feminine color speaks to women around the world, and the Hermès auction market is undoubtedly the one auction market that is dominated by women. Rose Lipstick, which as its name suggests, is inspired by the perfect pink lipstick, has a notable coral undertone that brings the shade closer to orange than purple. Produced since 2012 in every leather from Togo to Tadelakt, from Swift to Epsom to Clemence and Chevre, Rose Lipstick Birkins and Kellys come in all sizes. The auction range for this color varies widely from $10,000 to $32,750, with the average falling just shy of $19,000.
4: 5P
5P, or Bubblegum pink as many call it, has long been considered Hermès' best pink. Notable for the contrasting Etoupe stitching that often accompanies this color, it has been in production on and off since at least 2009. Despite this, no 5P Kellys have ever sold at auction (Special Order HSS Kellys that include 5P pink have, though). All eleven of the 5P bags sold at auction have been either 30cm or 35cm Birkins, though examples have sold in many different leathers including Togo, Clemence, Swift, Epsom and Chevre. Results for these bags over the last five years have ranged from $5,750 up to $47,500, with the average price clocking in at just under $21,500.
3: Rose Confetti
First produced in 2014, Rose Confetti, as the name suggests, is a color for celebration! Warmer than 5P but not quite as coral as Lipstick, Rose Confetti provides the perfect middle pink, and is loved by Hermès collectors for just this reason. Averaging over $23,750 at auction, the seven examples sold so far vary in terms of Gold or Palladium hardware, but are all Epsom Leather Birkins or Sellier Kellys. Ranging from $12,850 to $32,750, a 25cm bag in this color has yet to come to auction.
2: Rose Sakura
Inspired by the delicate Sakura Cherry Blossoms that bloom each spring in Japan, Rose Sakura has cemented its place in many Hermès collectors’ hearts as the finest, most delicate pink ever produced. Seen since 2014, the vast majority of the 16 bags of this color sold at auction have been 25cm Swift Birkins, with only two 25cm Swift Retourne Kellys as exceptions. Prices for these Rose Sakura bags range from $15,200 to $43,000 with the average falling just shy of $24,800.
1: Vert Criquet
Surprisingly, the top spot on this list does not go to a shade of pink, but rather Hermès new fan-favorite green: Vert Criquet. Cricket Green in French, this shade of green tips its hat towards springtime pastells while maintaining enough strength and saturation to last all summer. The seven examples auctioned so far have all been Epsom leather with Gold Hardware, with one Palladium topped Swift exception. No Retourne Kellys nor 32cm or 35cm bags in this shade have yet come to auction, though the examples that have sold vary in price between $18,450 and $36,450, averaging just north of $25,200.
