Silver linings: Designer cases to protect your iPhone

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Phone cases don't need to be boring - they can be striking as well as sturdy; refined as well as resilient. Here are four of the very best.

Gray International – The Advent

If you prefer hard cases and bumpers over softer iPhone sleeves and covers, Gray International has one of the most desirable iPhone cases you can buy short of venturing into solid gold and diamond-spattered lumps.

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The Advent is a sharp-looking hard case for your iPhone 6S constructed from grade five titanium formed into a sculpted, jagged ring running around the edge of your iPhone.

It comes in two pieces which slot over each side of the phone, with a rubber housing on the inside of each serving as shock resistance. You can add a splash of colour by choosing one of three vibrant tones for the lining.

There are three different editions – a silver finish is accompanied by the "Stealth" version finished in a diamond-like carbon coating and the Aurora, which resembles heat-treated metal with a multi-coloured shimmer. Only 100 units of each have been made, some costing more than £1,000 depending on trim and personalisation details.

Louis Vuitton iPhone cases

French fashion house Louis Vuitton has a huge range of iPhone cases, including sleeves and folios patterned in iconic Monogram and Daimer canvases to less predictable designs.

An iPhone 6 folio finished in either canvas can be bought for £170, with prices for the larger iPhone 6 Plus model from £190. Inside the folio cases are adhesive surfaces for holding the phone, as well as a small pocket. They're also made in iPhone SE sizes.

Slightly pricier are the hard cases, finished again in Louis Vuitton's most iconic patterns and costing £190 for a standard iPhone 6 and £210 for the 6 Plus case.

There's also an iPhone 6 Pochette – a tiny little bag for the phone with pockets for cash and cards – priced at £335.

Aspinal of London

Aspinal of London makes fine leather cases for the iPhone 6, priced from £50 each and available in a range of classic finishes and vibrant colours.

Made using Italian calf leather and lined with suede, the sleeves are durable, firm and slim, fitting very snuggly – hence the necessary magnetised grosgrain ribbon toggle used to tug the phone out of the case.

The cases can be personalised to a degree, with optional embossing of initials or engraving of text into the leather, and can be presented wrapped up neatly in an Aspinal box for an excellent gift.

Toast wooden covers

Toast's cases are the cheapest on this list by some margin, but probably the most unconventional.

The company makes covers for a large range of handsets alongside the iPhone range, mostly Android flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Nexus 6P.

Strikingly, the covers are all made from laser cut wood. They're more veneers than hard cases, applying a thin, attractive wooden layer over the top of your device and held in place by adhesive strips. Four different woods are available – walnut, ash, bamboo and ebony – and all of Apple's recent releases are covered.

There are even cases with wooden inlays and the option to have custom patterns scorched into your wooden case. A wooden iPhone 6 case costs $34.00 (£26).