Meanwhile, here’s a bit of fauna, Fabergé and Mother Nature.
The blue egg shown above was created in 1896 by jeweler Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family. Today it is displayed at Hillwood Museum, the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, in Washington, DC.
Last month Fabergé revived its tradition of making the Imperial Egg, with the new one being made in collaboration with the Al-Fardan family of Qatar. The new Pearl Egg's mother-of-pearl exterior opens to reveal a grey pearl of 12.17 carats. Collectively, the egg contains 139 white pearls, 3,305 diamonds, carved rock crystal and mother-of-pearl set on white and yellow gold. A mechanism makes the entire outer shell rotate on its base, simultaneously opening in six sections to unveil its grey pearl treasure (photo below). Twenty highly skilled artisans created this new masterpiece.
The Fabergé Pearl Egg (above) is the first egg created in the ‘Imperial Class’ since 1917. This egg draws inspiration from the formation of a pearl within an oyster. This work of art is valued at more than $2 million. However, the most expensive piece made by Peter Carl Fabergé was a pearl sautoir, gifted by Tsar Alexander III and Empress Maria Fedorovna to Princess Alix of Hesse on her engagement to Tsar Nicholas. Made of natural pearls, it cost 250,000 roubles at the time, or more than US$30 million today.
Happy Easter, gentlemen.
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