Ever lose a pair of sunnies? Almost everyone has. But imagine the anguish of losing a pair that cost NZ$655,000. That’s how much you’ll need to fork out if you like your UV protection housed in 60g of 24k gold and 51 cut diamonds and bearing the Chopard name. While lavish materials represent some of the value in such top-tier shades, the perceived status conferred by the brand name accounts for the rest. Two of the world’s top 10 most expensive pairs (according to Luxatic magazine; see box) come from the luxury car brands Maybach and Bentley. Interestingly, for less than either of list’s top two pairs of sunglasses, you could buy an actual Bentley W12 Speed Convertible.
Should you not want to drop the equivalent of a new-build two-bedroom townhouse in Papanui on a pair of sunnies, however, you could save money – and weight – by going second-hand. A pair of John Lennon’s shades went for $293,650 at a 2019 auction and a chrome-and-plastic pair of Elvis Presley’s (his initials rendered in the bridge) fetched $256,710 at auction a year earlier. This month, Sotheby’s is auctioning a pair of the late Freddie Mercury’s aviator-style sunnies, for a much more affordable estimated $4,000 to $8,000.
At number three on the top-10 list, Australian jeweller Shiels said its $320,989 emerald-lensed sunglasses were inspired by the antique Mughal sunglasses which failed to achieve their estimated $3m to $5m value at a 2021 Sotheby’s auction. Shiels said it took five years to source the lenses and a further three months to shape them. However, when musician Pharrell Williams wore a strikingly similar custom pair of Tiffany & Co’s bejewelled sunglasses at a 2022 Paris fashion show, India’s News18 and fashion critic Diet Sabya accused the jeweller of cultural appropriation.
