A grand or more for a pair of sunglasses?

Few could argue with buying an eye-protection accessory like sunglasses, but how about shelling out upward of $500 — or even a cool grand — for a pair?

Where major designers such as Gucci or Chanel used to own the market on luxury eyewear, now there’s a growing number of high-end indie labels with prices surpassing the once-typical $200 to $300 a pair for designer shades.

MOD-VINTAGE: Initium Eyewear offers “modern-vintage” frames, like these ’80s-inspired “Escape Clean” glasses. Retails for $160 to $300. MATT WIGNALL FOR INITIUM EYEWEAR

“Premium-quality materials and great craftsmanship have a lot to do with it.

Nowadays, you have designers designing with rare or exclusive materials that include fine diamonds and precious metals,” said Tim Cadiente, co-owner and vice president of marketing of Barton Perreira, a luxury eyewear company based in Irvine, Calif.

The company was started last year by Bill Barton and Patty Perreira, two veterans of Oliver Peoples, and has already garnered celebrity fans such as Angelina Jolie, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Orlando Bloom for its line of sleek and elegant frames.

Prices used to range from $425 to $600 for a pair, but in May Barton Perreira unveiled its latest collection of jeweled sunglasses with prices starting at $1,500. For $14,000, the “Emmanuelle” frames will feature 18-karat white-gold frames with four carats of diamonds in a pavé setting.

Renowned jeweler Tiffany & Co. has even gotten into the luxe sunglass game, offering a pair of oval wrap shades in acetate with a round brilliant diamond in a sterling silver design. Cost: $1,150.

Other Tiffany & Co. sunglasses come encrusted with Swarovski crystals for $480, and rectangular frames with a sterling silver Tiffany & Co plate go for $650. They’re sold at Tiffany & Co. stores and at Bloomingdale’s.

Trendwise, there have been rumblings that the oversized frames of several seasons will go out of style, though you wouldn’t know it by glancing at the majority of still large — but not tennis ball-sized — lenses currently offered.

“The ’80s are back in force right now in street-wear fashion sun frames,” said Darin Dennee, founder of Initium Eyewear in Santa Ana, Calif. “Everyone and his or her brother in the street fashion sun business seems to now have (the Ray-Ban) 'Wayfarer’-esque shape in wacky ’80s neon colors.”

Dennee, whose line of “modern-vintage” Initium shades sell at boutiques for about $130 to $360 a pair, also said he anticipates that a lot of vintage styles featuring thicker and more pronounced frames will be resurrected.

Polarization of lenses is another big trend, according to Dennee, as the average consumer becomes more aware of the better sun protection polarized lenses provide.