Luxury Handbags - Understanding Pricing Based on Quality and Scarcity of Materials

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Quality of exotic leathers like alligator, crocodile, ostrich, lizard, and python are measured by a grading system from one - four. The grading system measures how many holes and blemishes are on the skins; the size, condition and shape. Each type of skin has a prime area that is divided into 4 quadrants. The prime area on an alligator, crocodile or lizard is the belly. For Ostrich the prime area is the full quill area. The grading indicates how much of the skin is clean and usable for a high end product. Buy Replica Celine Bags

Grade one skins have one - two blemish in one of the quadrants. Grade two skins have blemishes in two quadrants and so forth. A high quality handbag is made from grade one or two skins. When buying luxury exotics, it's important to ask for skins that have a clean belly, quill area, etc. Grade three and four are usually used for smaller items like shoes, belts.

Size matters because a larger animal is more likely to get scratched and bitten. A flawless skin in a large size is rarer. Larger farmed animals represent a larger investment in time, food and care. A larger wild animal is riskier to catch for obvious reasons (alligators and pythons have been known to eat men). Each skin is measured differently and price set on different units. Alligators, crocodiles and lizards are measured at the widest point across the belly and sold by the centimeter. Usually the cost per centimeter is higher for larger skins. Ostrich is sold by the square foot or decimeter. Most skins are four or five square feet.

Although condition of the skin is officially part of grading, judging how supple the skin is or isn't and determining how it was handled is difficult. How supple the leather feels is subjective. Unless you can trace the hide back to the day it was harvested... how would anyone know how the skin was handled?

The best way to get quality luxury exotic leathers is to work with a reputable tannery, broker or distributor. The grading system is simple but not all grade one skins are the same. Even size is subjective in determining the widest point.

A luxury exotic handbag requires flawless larger skins. That means finding a large alligator lizard or python that didn't get any mosquito bites or get scratched slithering over trees, mud or have any type of injuries on their prime areas. Considering these animals live in swampy environments and to eat other large mean animals it's no wonder that grade one skins are rare and expensive.

Catherine grew up in Grosse Pointe Michigan surrounded by classic style, quality and understated elegance. This along with her Italian heritage and love of all things fine are the basis of Fossati's values.

"A luxury handbag should stay in style. Fossati handbags are made of luxurious materials the designs are simple to show off the beautiful skins. The linings are of soft Italian leather in bright playful colors. The craftsmanship is meticulous. Good design and execution are essential to luxury." Catherine Fossati Healey