Hermès Birkin 40 Noir Vache Ardennes Gold Hardware
Hermès Birkin 40 Noir Vache Ardennes Gold Hardware
Vache Ardennes is a leather Hermès no longer makes: a heavily grained, nearly indestructible cowhide the house worked through the 1990s before retiring it in the early 2000s, and the reason so many Ardennes bags from that era are still carried daily. This 1995 Birkin 40 wears it in Noir with Gold hardware, the original working Birkin at its largest standard size, from the decade before the bag became scarce.
The grain is deeper and more pronounced than the Togo and Clémence that replaced it, resists scratching and rain, and holds its structure without the slouch large soft-leather Birkins develop. Three decades on, this example stands square, which is the leather doing exactly what it was chosen for. The interior is lined in Chèvre, and the brass has the even warmth of period Gold hardware.
Condition: 2 – Excellent
Stamp: Y ○ (1995)
Color: Noir (89)
Leather: Vache Ardennes
Hardware: Gold
Interior: Chèvre
Includes: Lock, Keys, Clochette, Dust Bag
Dimensions: 40 × 31 × 21 cm | 15.7" W × 12.2" H × 8.3" D
Handle Drop: 11 cm | 4.3"
Collector's Insight:
Ardennes occupies a specific place in Hermès leather history: the workhorse hide of the 1990s Birkin, discontinued and never directly replaced, with a grain and rigidity nothing in the current pool reproduces. Vintage collectors seek it precisely because it can't be ordered, and a Noir 40 with Gold hardware is the definitive Ardennes specification, the configuration most of the era's surviving examples were built in.
Resale Insight:
Vintage Birkins in discontinued leathers trade on the leather as much as the bag, and Ardennes examples in strong condition draw collectors who want the era's build quality rather than a current allocation. The 40 is the working size, bought to be used, and an excellent 1995 example with lock, keys, clochette, and dust bag offers the vintage entry point into the Birkin at its most durable.
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Featured product
JaneFinds Beaded Semi-Precious Stone Crossbody Chain
The JaneFinds Beaded Semi-Precious Stone Crossbody Chain is hand-knotted from up to 60 varieties of natural semi-precious stones strung between lobster-clasp hardware at each end. The clasp configuration attaches directly to the sangle hardware of Hermès bags and converts the bag to crossbody or shoulder wear. The chain also functions independently as a long necklace without a bag attached.
Documented stone varieties include amethyst, apatite, carnelian, citrine, emerald, labradorite, lemon quartz, peach moonstone, peridot, Peruvian opal, pink moonstone, prehnite, rose quartz, ruby, sunstone, and tourmaline. Each stone is individually hand-knotted between adjacent stones, securing the strand against bead loss in the event of any single break. Stones are sorted into four documented colorways: Rainbow, Natural, Turquoise, and Malachite. Exact stone composition within each colorway varies by piece due to the natural variation of the source materials.
Standard length is 44 inches (112 cm), which produces a crossbody drop appropriate for Hermès bags 25 cm and smaller, including the Mini Kelly 20 II, Kelly Pochette, Constance 18 and 24, and Birkin 25. The chain can be doubled to produce a shorter shoulder drop or wrist-wrap carry, and worn as a standalone necklace at full length. Hardware (Gold or Palladium clasp) is selected at order.
Length: 44" | 112 cm
Material: Semi-Precious Stones, Hand-Knotted
Hardware: Gold or Palladium clasp (selected at order)
Colorways: Rainbow / Natural / Turquoise / Malachite
Recommended For: Hermès bags 25 cm and smaller (Mini Kelly 20 II, Kelly Pochette, Constance 18, Constance 24, Birkin 25)
Production: Hand-knotted, 7-10 business days
Note: Each chain is unique. Stones fall within the selected colorway range; exact composition varies by piece.
Styling Notes:
The chain pairs with the full JaneFinds accessory chain collection for coordinated multi-chain layering. Standard wear is single-strand crossbody; doubling produces a shorter shoulder carry. The lobster-clasp configuration matches Hermès sangle hardware proportions and does not require additional adapters.
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JaneFinds Cuban Crossbody Chain
The JaneFinds Cuban Crossbody Chain converts top-handle carry of Hermès Kelly and Mini Kelly bags into crossbody or shoulder wear without altering the bag. Cuban link is a flat, twist-pattern chain construction: each link rotates 90 degrees relative to its neighbors and interlocks tightly, producing a chain that lays flush against the body rather than twisting or rolling at the strap line. The pattern is the standard reference for flat-laying chainwork and remains the most stable shoulder-strap chain construction for weighted top-handle bags.
Hardware finish is offered in Gold or Palladium to match Hermès hardware on the carrying bag. Each chain terminates in a lobster clasp at one end and a spring ring at the other, attaching directly to the Kelly's sangle D-rings without adapters. Two clip sizes are offered: Standard Clip for Kelly 25, 28, 32, and 35; Small Clip for Mini Kelly 20 II, Vintage Mini Kelly, and Mini Bolide. Link gauge is selected as Wide or Narrow at order; Wide produces a heavier, more visually present chain, Narrow a finer line.
Standard chain length is 44 inches (112 cm), which produces a standard crossbody drop for most Kelly sizes. The chain can be doubled for a shorter shoulder carry or worn standalone as a necklace. Pairs with the JaneFinds Beaded Semi-Precious Stone Crossbody Chain and other accessory chain collection pieces for layered styling.
Length: 44" | 112 cm
Material: Cuban Link Chain
Hardware: Gold or Palladium (selected at order)
Clip Size: Standard or Small (selected at order)
Link Gauge: Wide or Narrow (selected at order)
Recommended For:
Standard Clip: Kelly 25, 28, 32, 35
Small Clip: Mini Kelly 20 II, Vintage Mini Kelly, Mini Bolide
Production: Made to order
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Condition Rank
Condition Rank1 - Like New, shows little to no evidence of wear, age or handling
2 - Exceptionally well-maintained, very minor signs of use, wear, age, or handling
3 - Pre-Loved, gently used with slight signs of wear
4 - Pre-Loved, exhibits signs of wear and regular use
