Rare Hermès · Curated by Jane
Hermès Kelly 28 Retourne Himalaya Porosus Crocodile Palladium Hardware
Two rarities meet in this piece.
Offered by private inquiry. Jane's team responds directly.
The object record
- Condition
- 1 – Pristine
- Material
- Porosus Crocodile
- Made in
- France
- Color
- Himalaya
- Metallic finish
- Palladium
- Construction
- Retourne
- Dimensions
- L 28 × H 22 × D 10 cm | L 11" × H 8.7" × D 3.9"
- Care
- Porosus Crocodile: Exotic skin is not interchangeable with other leathers for treatment: a product intended for one may be unsuitable for another. Protect from humidity, prolonged light and extreme heat, and seek an appropriate assessment before treatment. Care Guide
The story behind the Kelly
Created in the 1930s by Robert Dumas as a women's bag with straps: a trapezoid with two triangular gussets, a cutout flap, a handle and two side straps. It took the Kelly name in 1956, when Grace Kelly made it famous. Sellier construction keeps the seams on the outside for a more defined outline; Retourné construction turns them inside for softer edges. The leather does not decide the construction: Box calf Kellys are recorded in both.
Discover Hermès Kelly BagsHermès produces far fewer Himalaya Kellys than Birkins, and standard Himalaya production is Niloticus. This example is Porosus, the smallest and most symmetrical scale in the crocodile hierarchy, which makes it an exception within the treatment rather than a variant of it.
The graduation transitions from pearly white at the center to smoky gray at the edges. The lightening process demands skins pristine enough to survive it, and the paler the target tone the higher the rejection rate, since the finish hides nothing. Retourne construction carries interior stitching and piped edges, giving the bag a relaxed posture against the rigid Sellier, and at 28 centimetres the format moves from day to evening without adjustment. A cool metal holds the gray register unbroken from skin to hardware, where a warm tone would introduce a temperature the gradient does not have.
Collector's Insight:
The Kelly 28 carries the weight of the model's auction history: a Diamond Himalaya Kelly 28 set the world record for any handbag in November 2021, a record that stood until Jane Birkin's own original bag sold in 2025. A Porosus Himalaya sits outside even that configuration's production pattern, since the treatment is defined on Niloticus and Porosus examples were never a standing offer.
Resale Insight:
Himalaya Kellys surface far less often than the Birkins, and Porosus examples rarer still, so each appearance functions as its own reference rather than as a comparable. Demand for the 28 concentrates among collectors who want the treatment in its most carryable Kelly proportion.
Condition, defined +
Every piece is graded on the JANEFINDS five-tier scale: 1 Pristine, 2 Excellent, 3 Very Good, 4 Good, 5 Vintage, Well-Loved. Each tier is defined in writing in The Condition Guide.
The JANEFINDS standard +
Every piece is individually inspected and represented with precision.
Returns +
This piece is final sale and is not eligible for return or refund. Full details in our Returns and Exchanges policy.
Why JANEFINDS
How JANEFINDS authenticates-
30+
Years of Hermès scholarship, collection, and authentication.
About Jane -
$2.8M+
The highest authenticated Hermès resale on record, a private transaction placed by Jane.
About JANEFINDS -
One review
Every piece on this site has passed Jane's hands. No exceptions.
How we authenticate -
Five tiers
Every piece is graded on the published JANEFINDS Standard, each tier defined in writing.
The Condition Guide
