Stalvey launches 24 karat gold crocodile skin bag

Designer Jason Stalvey of New York-based fashion house Stalvey has launched a 24 karat gold crocodile handbag collection at Modaoperandi.com.

Stalvey is the first brand in history to embed 24 karat gold into exotic skins, a process that took over two years to develop and is exclusive to the brand. The process was developed as a partnership with a leading aeronautic technology laboratory and a luxury tannery in France.

Pure 24 karat gold is heated to extreme temperatures in excess of 1000 °C when the gold transforms from a solid to a liquid state, causing the particles to turn into a gas. The atoms of gas are then stretched via a vacuum process creating a thin layer which is then embedded into the Porosus crocodile skin, particle by particle. When the gas cools, the particles revert back to a solid state, resulting in a uniform, lustrous, and supple skin rendered in a soft shade of gold.

This painstaking process utilizes a high enough gold content to be certified as a 24 karat gold article, a process typically reserved for classifying gold jewelry. Each bag bears a stamp and comes with a letter of authenticity.

The deeply scientific process was a challenge, but no unfamiliar endeavor for Jason. The designer came from a neuroscience and business background before he sought out on the quest to create the perfect handbags. While the 24 karat gold handbag is currently exclusive to Moda Operandi, his other styles can be found at Barneys New York.

photo: via PR Newswire