French designer launches a £35,000 handbag made from a METEORITE

A French designer has launched a luxury handbag made from a real meteorite – for an out-of-this-world price.

‘Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag’ is a creation of Parisian fashion brand Coperni and costs an astronomical 40,000 euros (£35,000).

The limited edition item is made from resin and moonstone that fell to Earth 55,000 years ago and was found in 1968 in the south of France.

Measuring nine inches from the top of the strap to the bottom, the design subtly blends archaeology, design, and classical and primitive art,” Coperni claims.

The brand has already released a handbag made entirely of clear glass for $2,800 (£2,200) so people can see what’s being carried inside.

It’s unclear how many copies of the meteorite bag Coperni has for sale, but the brand warns that the item is non-refundable due to its “custom-made nature.”

Each unit sold “will vary slightly,” but comes with a certificate of authenticity, it adds.

“Each piece is made exclusively by hand, so the shape may differ slightly from the photo,” says Coperni on his website.

“The meteorite will be purchased separately for each order and may come from different locations depending on where the meteorite fell on Earth.”

Coperni’s new creation received a mixed reception when shared on social media.

One Instagram user called it “iconic,” while another called it a “shopping bag for the Flintstones.”

Another said it resembled “the inside of my mother’s old slippers.”

Despite being made of stone, the bag weighs only 1.8 kg – less than the average handbag.

The rare moonstone is handcrafted in Italy and processed in the bag by the Italian factory Semar.

It’s unclear how Coperni got the rock or where it has been in France for the past 55 years since its discovery.

It is possible that Coperni bought it from a museum or a private collector; MailOnline has contacted the company for more information.

A meteorite is a solid piece of space rock debris that forms in space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface.

The term is slightly different from “meteoroid” (a rocky object still in space) and “meteor” (a meteoroid that has entered a planet’s atmosphere).

When a meteor hurtles toward Earth, the high-pressure air in front of it seeps into its pores and cracks, pushing the meteor’s body apart and exploding, meaning it often gathers over a wide area.

For those lucky enough to afford the Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag, Coperni is taking orders now before shipping from next week.

Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag is part of Coperni’s Fall-Winter 2023 collection, which debuted in Paris earlier this month.

Coperni models were joined on the runway by Spot, the robot dog created by American company Boston Dynamics, as part of a collaboration between the two.

One model even wore a yellow and black outfit during the show, inspired by the robot’s signature design.

It is not the first time that Coperni has attracted attention with his bizarre projects; glass wiper bags in various colors have already been released, including a clear glass version that reveals the contents.

The item is made of extra thick blown glass to provide a degree of protection against easy cracking if dropped.

Speaking of the trend, fashion stylist Ellis Ranson told FEMAIL, “We can finally see what’s in a celebrity’s bag with the new ‘it bag,’ no matter how wacky it is.”

An even more quirky bag design, 3D printed to resemble a dove, was also recently released by UK label JW Anderson for £650 or $890.