Jane Birkin's Birkin Goes for Sale

The French singer and actress auctions her personal iconic bag on eBay to benefit the Japanese Red Cross.

Jane Birkin has inspired one of the most famous, coveted handbags in the world and the French singer-actress has put her very own Birkin bag up for auction on eBay April 7. With less than two days left to bid (the auction ended April 15), the price had escalated from its start at £1,210.95 to over £98,421.75.

 The lived-in and roughed-up black, leather bag (one of the mere four namesake totes that she owns) — which features stickers and prayer beads from Birkin’s travels on the exterior — is known as a "beater Birkin," to those in the designer consignment and resale business. "This is a bag for someone who wants it to look really used. It is a bag that has been loved and carried a lot," according to Cameron Silver, owner of Decades Boutique in London and Los Angeles, which specializes in designer vintage and resale (with an emphasis on the Hermes' handbags). He adds that if it didn’t belong to Birkin herself, a bag of this quality "should sell for about £3,633.31."

The Hermes Birkin bag has long been a symbol of style and stature among the fashion elite and Hollywood’s taste-making stars. The infamous tote was designed for and named after Birkin by the head of the design house himself, in 1984. Since then, the Birkin’s popularity has rocketed (Hellcat’s Ashley Tisdale waited two years for hers to arrive) and it can be found adorning the arms of fashion-savvy celebs such as Victoria Beckham (who reportedly has more than 100 different styles and colours) and Ashley Olsen.

"It’s an extremely iconic and revered bag that is still limited in number and prohibited in price point to most people and consequently people want it," notes Silver (who will be the star of Bravo's upcoming reality series, the Untitled Decades Project) of the luxurious item featuring a price-tag valued around
£6,056.00 retail.

Jane Birkin carrying her Birkin

Birkin — who will donate the proceeds of the auction to Red Cross efforts in Japan — isn’t fazed by the popularity of her designer, namesake bag. "If people want to go for the real thing, fine. If they go for copies, that’s fine too. I really don’t think it matters," she told Vogue. The fashion icon is too busy traveling and aiding the current situation in Japan — she will appear at the benefit concert "SOS Japan" May 31 — to worry about collecting "it" bags. "I never have more than one bag at a time. I think one is already quite enough."

Despite the current low auction price, many eBay shoppers save hefty bids for the last few minutes of the sale. "I wouldn’t be surprised if Hermes bought it back for their archives or if a major collector picked it up," notes Silver. If so, the bag could sell in the £18,169.67 range. "There is nothing disposable about a Birkin. They are timeless," he says.

The Hollywood Reporter

The final hammer fell at £98,601.03. Love her attitude, don't you?

£50,000 Diamond Stella Egg: The World's Most Expensive Easter Egg

The diamonds were attached to the egg in London

Yes, I do love chocolate but how do you like this.

Even by the standards of a London food scene that has marketed such extravagances as an £108 bowl of soup, the cost of this chocolate Easter egg may shock the unsuspecting shopper.

The "Diamond Stella Egg" went on sale at the Piccadilly shop La Maison Du Chocolat outshines previous examples of gourmet conspicuous consumption - with a price tag of £50,000.

It took two guards to protect the egg when the shop opened at 10am on the 12th April 2006.

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend but combine them with chocolate and, as a London chocolatier has discovered, you have every woman's dream.

Unfortunately for most, the Diamond Stella Egg, which has gone on sale, comes with a hefty £50,000 price tag.

Thought to be the world's most expensive Easter egg, it was being kept under guard at its Piccadilly store. 

Encrusted with more than 100 0.5 carat diamonds, the 65cm (25in) tall creation was made for La Maison du Chocolat.

Made in Paris over, then, three weeks, no glue or tape was used to attach the diamonds - instead a chef in London melted small sections in order to place the gems around the

La Maison Du Chocolat has five branches in Paris, one each in Tokyo and New York and two in London - one in Piccadilly and one in Harrods. But only one £50,000 Easter egg has been produced for the London store.

A treasure trove of posh chocolate, the shop dispenses hot chocolate from a copper urn and sells handmade chocolates with such names as Salvador, Bacchus, Othello, Zagora and Anastasia. A 1,200g box of champagne truffles sells for £96.

A spokesman for La Maison du Chocolat described its creation thus: "This is the most unique, exciting and individual egg we have ever created.

"The question we are asking is whether the buyer will want to eat it or preserve it," he said.

If the buyer is brave enough to break into their pricey purchase, he or she will find it contains peach and apricot chocolates along with pralines.

Eat or preserve? - I know what I would choose.....


story content thank you friends Martin Hickman, The Independent & Our friends at BBC

The World's First Diamond Ring by Shawish Geneva A Ring Made Entirely From One Diamond

Delortae Agency were amongst those priviledged enough to be invited to a special event that took place on April 14 in Central London, presenting and charting the creation of the history making ring from original sketches to final design. the world's first diamond ring by Shawish Geneva.  The ring is made entirely from one, single faceted diamond, weighing 150-carats and is unique as it’s composed entirely from a single diamond, with the faceted band carved directly into the stone. £43 million

London had been selected as the city to present the exclusive invitation-only event at Il Bottaccio, on Grosvenor Place. After that the tour continues to Moscow where then after two days, will continue it's journey to Seol, South Korea before returning home to Geneva.

Brothers Mohamed Shawesh and Majdy Shawesh, who co-serve as the brand’s CEO &
President, are the brains behind the unusual design.A ring made entirely of a faceted diamond has always seemed like a fantasy," says Mohamed Shawesh, president and ceo of Geneva-based Shawish Jewellery. "It seemed impossible, so we decided to embark on the adventure of creating it. To create the perfect diamond ring is the epitome of art."

Drawing inspiration from a variety of global cultures, Shawish sees jewellery as a way to “enhance a woman’s femininity and beauty.”

But creating the ground-breaking ring wasn't a straight-forward undertaking: "We got the copyright one year ago in Geneva," Shawesh explains. "It then took one year to get the copyright and we had to do multiple tests with the design, to get the precision of the circle right. Diamonds are made of carbon and molecules that can change, even the colour can be altered when attempting to cut it. We had to buy special laser equipment, to cut directly into the diamond. The most important aspect is preserving the integrity of the diamond and of course the most difficult phase is precision cutting an entire stone into a ring."

Shawish Diamond Set

The evening was in deed history making as we were treated to see varied diamond collections of the most stunning jewellery ever assembled in one place. Exclusive piece auction, on the night, that saw a stunning jewellery set (similar to that featured) go to one lucky bidder and the entertainment was astounding.

Needless to say the security was discreetly scattered amongst the diamonds. Along with the champagne, cocktails and canapés that never stopped flowing all evening.

It was indeed a rare event that completed a history making rare evening.


The Shawish flagship store is found in Geneva’s cathedral square. Visit www.shawish-jewellery.com for more information.