The Most Expensive Fashion Accessories Ever

Throughout history, there has always been a part of fashion that was purely aesthetic. Members of the elite in ancient civilizations and the Renaissance era often wore symbols of status or expensively crafted, extravagant clothing that showed off their wealth. This trend continued into the modern day, with big-name designers like Coco Chanel and Alexander McQueen creating high fashion pieces that were sought after by fashionistas all around the world.

Just as apps offer high-quality game content in the digital realm, these fashion houses push the limits of creativity in the real world with unique materials and expert craftsmanship. Whether they were wearable or made to simply make a statement on the runway, their ornateness and rarity got people talking. Celebrities and the wealthy were able to own these one-of-a-kind items, sporting them as a form of self-expression or to, once again, display their social status.

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime

Patek Philippe has a lengthy history. Its traditional Genevan watchmaking tradition goes back to 1839, with generations continuing to develop watches deemed the finest in the world. Owning a Patek Philippe watch in itself is quite a luxury, with watches priced at five- and six-digit figures. But nothing comes close to the rarity and cost of the Grandmaster Chime, an exclusive “super complication” wristwatch priced at $2.6 million (£1.98 million). It boasts 20 complications that took 100,000 hours in total to develop and assemble, with the mechanics of the watch comprising 1,366 individual parts. Only seven of them were made, one of which was bought by Sylvester Stallone.

Hermès Crocodile Himalaya Birkin Bag

Hermès bags are so expensive that you could buy a home in some states and counties with that kind of money. Back in 1837, Thierry Hermès opened his first-ever workshop in Paris and was able to anticipate exactly what his customers wanted. He made excellent harnesses, saddles, and leather goods, which served as a base for his future creations. Although the house creates ties, scarves, and other accessories, it eventually became best known for its bags. The famous Birkin bag was created in 1984 and remains one of the most valuable bags in the world of fashion. With an estimated retail price of £239,000, the rare Himalaya Birkin is expertly crafted from Nile crocodile hide and features palladium hardware and a diamond-embellished closure.

CTF Pink Star Diamond

The world’s most expensive jewel was sold for $71.2 million (£54.3 million) in 2017 at an auction in Hong Kong. A massive, glittering baby pink diamond of 59.90 carats that is the size of a strawberry, it outshines (literally) just about any other diamond ever. Its sheer size and quality make it extra special, but the fact that it’s pink makes it that much rarer. The former Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia was the world’s main supplier of pink diamonds, producing about 90% of them. However, out of a staggering 20 million carats every year, only 1% were officially classified as pink diamonds. After the mine closed in 2020, pink diamonds have only become rarer. The CTF Pink Star is officially record-breaking, with the second-biggest pink diamond sale at just $50.7 million (£38.7 million).

Graff Diamonds Peacock Brooch

The third most expensive pink diamond (at 24.78 carats) was auctioned off for $46.1 million (£35 million) to none other than Laurence Graff, the founder of Graff Diamonds. Graff Diamonds is a family-owned luxury diamond house that carries the rarest gemstones and boasts cutting and polishing techniques that are refined to perfection. The house is also responsible for crafting the most valuable brooch in the world, a $100 million diamond peacock with a 20.02-carat blue diamond main stone. With Laurence Graff being dubbed the “king of diamonds,” it’s only fitting that he would make a brooch with such a wow factor. Emulating the colourful nature of a real peacock, pink, white, yellow, and orange diamonds fan out from the body, making it truly a masterpiece.

Chopard 201-Carat Watch

At first glance, the Chopard 201-Carat Watch might look more like a brooch, considering its dazzling, colourful appearance. Featuring 874 high-grade diamonds of varying sizes and colours, these gemstones crowd around the watch face and bump its value up to $25 million (£19 million). What’s even more special about the watch is that it has a spring-loaded mechanism that opens the heart-shaped stones like flower petals exposed to the sun, revealing the watch face. Now, how’s that for extravagant? Out of the many gemstones, a few stand out, including a heart-shaped, 12.79-carat blue diamond and 26 pear-shaped yellow diamonds totalling 17.07 carats.

Jacob & Co. Diamond Face Mask

In response to the needs of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob & Co. found an opportunity to use the new mandates around mask-wearing and “make it fashion.” While Louis Vuitton released a $1000 (£762) face shield, Jacob & Co. took protection up a notch and released a $250,000 (£190,592) diamond-woven face mask. This pricey mask is made with 18K gold mesh and 3,040 round-cut white diamonds, which is why it can’t be simply bought at a store—customers need to contact the brand to make a purchase. Although it’s certainly unlikely that the mask is functional, this creation serves as a poignant reminder of a time when personal protective equipment was part of an everyday outfit.