Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson titanium sunglasses: the Japanese-made metal frames

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Buying Guide, Style Guides

Anna-Karin Karlsson titanium sunglasses: the Japanese-made metal frames

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Titanium is the metal of the Anna-Karin Karlsson frames that are worn every day: half the weight of steel, stronger, corrosion-proof, and the material the house has cast in Japan for the claw temple since the beginning. Every all-titanium frame is made in Japan and plated by hand in real gold, and the family runs from the plainest Le Chap Sun at 35 g to the crystal-rimmed Crystal Mirage and the diamond-set Claw Plume. 34 colourways at Coveti from $1,880 to $11,090.

“Crafted from 100% Japanese titanium. The claw temple design is cast from a mold that has been meticulously hand-carved to perfection by one of Japan’s most renowned eyewear masters,” the house writes on every Claw product page.

Key facts

  • 34 all-titanium colourways at Coveti, $1,880 to $11,090, every one made in Japan
  • The Claw family: Claw Voyage, The Claw Pilot, Claw Aventure, The Claw and the Moon, The Claw and the Nest, Claw Plume
  • The plain frames: Le Chap Sun (35 g), Miss Rosell 2.0 (35 g), Le Boss 2.0 (38 g, crystal brow)
  • The crystal titaniums: Crystal Mirage (48 g), Crystal Boo (56 g), Crystal Meringue (37 g), Crystal Nest Triangle (23 g), Full Moon (37 g)
  • Plating: real 24K gold, white gold, rose gold and black, applied by hand; titanium does not corrode and holds an adjustment
  • Weights from 23 g to 56 g; widths from 126 mm (Claw Plume) to 162 mm (The Claw and the Nest Round)

Why titanium

The house states 100% Japanese titanium on the Claw frames and pure titanium on Le Chap, Miss Rosell, Crystal Boo, Crystal Mirage and Crystal Meringue. It is the reason a Claw Voyage weighs 46 g with a solid double bridge and a cast claw at each temple, and the reason a used pair is worth buying: the metal does not fatigue and the plating sits on a stable base.

The Japanese making

Every all-titanium frame in the range is made in Japan, and the house says why: the claw temple is cast from a mould hand-carved by one of Japan’s most renowned eyewear masters. Japanese titanium eyewear is the reference for the category, and the house buys into it rather than imitating it.

Which titanium frame for which brief

Every day: Claw Voyage, The Claw Pilot, Le Chap Sun, Miss Rosell 2.0. Light and modern: the rimless Nest and the Crystal Nest. Evening: Crystal Mirage, Crystal Boo, Le Boss 2.0, Full Moon. Collector: Claw Plume in the Diamond Editions.

Care

Titanium needs nothing; the gold plating needs the house rules: no perfume, hairspray, sunscreen, solvents; the cloth and mild soap; the case.

The frames

1. Chain Nest Sun Octagonal Sunglasses in White Gold Grey, $1,560

Rimless octagonal lenses on chain-link stainless steel temples plated in 24K gold and white gold. 137.3 mm across the front and 35 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

2. White Moon Sunglasses in Emerald, $1,600

A square frame in 24K gold-plated stainless steel with a thin acetate rim, designed for the Into the Night collection to be worn from daylight into the small hours. 149 mm across the front and 51 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Italy.

3. Le Chap Sun Sunglasses in White Gold, $1,880

A flat-browed square navigator in pure Japanese titanium with AKK logos engraved along the outer rim. 139 mm across the front and 35 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

4. Miss Rosell 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold, $1,880

A lightweight aviator in pure Japanese titanium with a titanium butterfly perched on the bridge and the logo engraved along the rim. 152 mm across the front and 35 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

5. Too Handsome Sun Sunglasses in Amber Tortoise, $2,150

A rectangular frame in acetate and Japanese titanium with gold-plated corner plates and the logo engraved at the temple. 134.4 mm across the front and 41 g, a narrow fit, best on petite and small faces. Made in Japan.

6. The Claw & the Nest Cat 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold Violet, $2,170

Rimless, winged cat-eye lenses on the claw temples, a shape that sits somewhere between couture and comic book. 146.5 mm across the front and 44 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

7. The Claw & the Nest Octagonal 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold Azure, $2,170

Rimless octagonal lenses on the hand-carved claw temples. 144.4 mm across the front and 36 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

8. Crystal Nest Triangle Sunglasses in White Gold Green, $2,320

Rimless, diamond-shaped lenses on crystal-set Japanese titanium temples. 142.5 mm across the front and 23 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

9. Claw Aventure Sunglasses in Gold, $2,340

A slim oval in Japanese titanium with the hand-carved claw temples, the most understated frame in the Claw family. 141.7 mm across the front and 45 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

10. Claw Voyage Sunglasses in Gold Blue Lens, $2,340

A double-bridge navigator in Japanese titanium, its temples finished with the hand-carved claw that has become the house signature. 151 mm across the front and 46 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

11. The Claw & the Moon Sunglasses in Rose Gold, $2,360

A round rimmed frame in Japanese titanium with the claw temples, the fuller-rimmed sister of the Nest Round. 141.8 mm across the front and 46 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

12. The Claw Pilot Sunglasses in Rose Gold, $2,360

A classic pilot in Japanese titanium, the lens rims plain and the temples carved into the house claw. 149.8 mm across the front and 55 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

13. Rose et la Roue Sun Sunglasses in Black Crystal, $2,510

A round acetate frame with the crystal-set brass panther prowling along the top of the right lens. 137.8 mm across the front and 53 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

14. Le Boss 2.0 Sunglasses in Gold, $2,700

A navigator in Japanese titanium with a Swarovski-set brow bar and the logo engraved along the rim. 147 mm across the front and 38 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

15. Full Moon Sunglasses in Gold Blush, $2,890

A round titanium frame with a lower rim of hand-set Preciosa crystals, from the No Monkey Business collection inspired by the nineties music scene. 149.5 mm across the front and 37 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

16. Crystal Mirage Sunglasses in White Gold, $2,990

A rectangular frame outlined in hand-set Swarovski crystals on Japanese titanium, the shape Beyoncé, Fergie, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige have all been photographed in. 150 mm across the front and 48 g, a wide fit that suits medium to broad faces. Made in Japan.

17. Magic You 2.0 Sunglasses in Black, $3,120

A round stainless steel frame ringed with tapered baguette cubic zirconia stones, each set by hand. 138.2 mm across the front and 56 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Italy.

18. Crystal Meringue Sunglasses in Gold, $3,240

A titanium frame with diamond-cut, swirl-edged lenses and a lower rim of hand-set Swarovski crystals, the designer’s fairytale of meringue and monumental architecture. 142 mm across the front and 37 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

19. Lion 2.0 Sunglasses in Black, $3,960

A square acetate frame under a 24K gold-plated titanium top bar that carries a lion’s head, its eyes set with stones by hand. 162 mm across the front and 70 g, an oversized fit made to sit big on the face. Made in Japan.

20. Crystal Boo Sunglasses in White Gold, $4,020

A square Japanese titanium frame with a Swarovski-set rim and the AKK logo engraved along the outer edge, named for the old French word for beautiful. 140.5 mm across the front and 56 g, a medium fit that suits most faces. Made in Japan.

21. Claw Plume Sunglasses in Gold White Diamond Edition, $11,090

An angular frame drawn from the designer’s fascination with birds, feathered lines cut in Japanese titanium and finished with the claw temples. 126 mm across the front and 46 g, a narrow fit, best on petite and small faces. Made in Japan.

Frequently asked questions

Are Anna-Karin Karlsson sunglasses titanium?

The metal frames are: the Claw family, Le Chap, Le Boss, Miss Rosell, Crystal Boo, Crystal Mirage, Crystal Meringue, Crystal Nest and Full Moon are 100% Japanese titanium, made in Japan. The coloured frames are Italian acetate on steel.

Why are titanium sunglasses better?

Half the weight of steel, stronger, corrosion-proof and hypoallergenic, and it holds an optician’s adjustment. A Claw Voyage with its double bridge and two cast claws weighs 46 g.

Where are the titanium frames made?

Japan, every one. The house names Japan on the product page and Coveti carries it on the listing.

Which titanium frame is the lightest?

The Crystal Nest Triangle at 23 g, then Le Chap Sun and Miss Rosell 2.0 at 35 g.

Is the gold on the titanium real?

Yes: real 24K gold, white gold and rose gold plating applied by hand, per the house.

Do titanium frames take prescription lenses?

Yes; the full-rim titanium frames take the widest range of prescriptions in the house.

Read next

The Claw family Aviators and pilots Rimless frames Materials and care

More Anna-Karin Karlsson guides

Every Anna-Karin Karlsson page by Coveti’s fashion editor Gemma Deeks: Is it a luxury brand?, How to style, Brands like Anna-Karin Karlsson, The edit, Who is Anna-Karin Karlsson?, History timeline, Price guide, Where to buy, Sale, Review, Real vs fake and dupes, Materials and care, Glossary, Who wears it, vs Schiaparelli, Size and fit guide, Prescription lenses, Face shape guide, New arrivals 2026, Men’s sunglasses, The Claw family, The panther frames, Crystal frames, Lion and Lioness, Diamond and limited editions, Cat-eye, Round, Aviators and pilots, Oversized, Rimless, Acetate, Gold, Black, Tortoise and caramel, Pink and red, Green and purple.

Sources and method

Checked on 19 September 2026 by Gemma Deeks, fashion editor at Coveti. Product facts, the materials, stones, plating, lens supplier, dimensions, weights and country of manufacture, are the brand’s own product-page text; counts, prices and price ranges are Coveti’s live catalogue on that date and move with stock; the designer’s biography and the wearers come from the brand’s own pages and the press articles listed below, each read on the date above. Where a claim could not be checked against one of these it was left out, and where the fitting room is giving its own advice the page says so.

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About Gemma Deeks

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Anna-Karin Karlsson gold sunglasses: every 24K, rose gold and white gold frame
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Older Anna-Karin Karlsson acetate sunglasses: the coloured frames, made in Italy and Japan

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