Hermès

Hermès White Matte Crocodile Niloticus Himalaya Birkin 25 18K White Gold and Diamond Hardware, 2022

• The interior is lined in gris cendré chèvre leather
• Includes 18K white gold and diamond padlock, padlock pouch, padlock box, two 18K white gold keys, clochette, clochette dustbag, diamond and white gold material booklet, felt protector, raincoat, care card, dust bag and box
• Approximately 251 pavé diamonds weighing approximate total of 1.40 carats inlaid on plaqué, pontet, and touret; approximately 40 pavé diamonds weighing an approximate total of 1.40 carats inlaid on padlock.
• Hardware features white gold (18 carat) approximate weight 101 grams.
• This item is final sale and not eligible for return

The white-to-gray gradation of the coveted Hermès Himalayan Birkin is meant to evoke the snow-capped Himalaya Mountains, a fitting name for a bag that sits atop the highest peak in the world of Hermès bag collecting. This coloring pairs perfectly with 18-karat white gold hardware, which is itself studded with white diamonds. Beyond the encrusted palladium padlock, three different structural elements of the Birkin—the Touret, the Pontets, and the Plaques de Sanglons—feature more than 200 diamonds. The iconic Diamond Himalayan Birkin is the most expensive handbag ever sold at auction. 

The Himalayan Birkin takes its true inspiration from early crocodile handbags that, if not dyed black or brown, would be lightened to highlight the skin's natural coloring. In the early 1990’s, Hermès began development on a new glossy ombré crocodile that would become known as Natura Vert Celadon. This bag is the first link in the Hermès Himalaya chain that continues to grow to this day.

The earliest known Hermès Himalaya Celadon was produced in 1994, with the final examples leaving Hermès’ ateliers in 2008. That same year a new Himalayan bag would emerge. Initially the matte Himalayan Birkin 30 were kept secret and only known to the most VIP Hermès clients. That is, until 2010 when Jean-Paul Gaultier sent a Himalaya Birkin down the Hermès spring runway. From that moment on, the Himalayan Birkin was recognized as the crown jewel of handbags. The Himalayan Birkin 30 and Himalayan Birkin 35 have been spotted dating back to 2008 and 2009 respectively. The first Himalaya Birkin 25 wasn't released until 2012.

While the overall ombré of a Himalayan Birkin goes from light down the center to dark along the sides, each bag sports a unique pattern. Some Hermès Himalaya bags have incredibly white centers and stark, almost black sides, creating a more dramatic two-tone effect to the ombre, while others have a more even, often lighter tone across the whole bag. The Niloticus crocodile scales of the Himalayan Birkin are larger than those of the alligator or Porosus (a saltwater crocodile), enabling exceptional symmetry on the sides of the bag and an evenness in the middle. A centered base is the rarest aspect a Hermès Himalaya bag can have. Masterfully constructed and never the same, Himalayan Birkins are extremely difficult to come by, making them a true collector's item with excellent market value.