$2 Million Fabergé ‘Pearl Egg’ Created In Almost A Century

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Peter Carl Fabergé the famous jewel maker has best been known for two things: the technique that sees translucent enamel added to guilloché and his “Easter” eggs (both of which actually go hand in hand). Peter Carl Fabergé and his company designed fifty egg-shaped Easter gifts between 1885 and 1916 for the czar family, most of which were commissioned as surprises.

Once the jewel-encrusted playthings of the Russian royal family, who were renowned for their extravagant and lavish tastes. Ninety-nine years ago Faberge made its last Imperial egg, for Tsar Nicholas II as a present for his wife, Empress Alexandra, just months before he was overthrown in the Russian Revolution. In 1885 his father, Tsar Alexander III, had started the tradition of giving jewelled Easter eggs when he commissioned the Hen Egg as a 20th wedding anniversary gift for his wife.

Read More: Witness The Most Precious Paintings That Have Made The History

Out of the 50 Imperial Fabergé Eggs that were commissioned by the Tsars, 43 are believed to have survived the Revolution and all but two of these have been recovered.

Attendees of the recent Doha Watch and Jewellery Exhibition in Qatar got a first-hand look at Fabergé’s extraordinary $2 million “Pearl Egg,” the first “imperial class” egg released by the design house in nearly 100 years.

The new one-of-a-kind bejewelled Fabergé egg was created in collaboration with the Al-Fardan family of pearl merchants and is inspired by the formation of a pearl inside an oyster. Continuing the Fabergé tradition the Imperial Fabergé Egg is white and yellow gold in color and gleaming with a mother-of-pearl exterior, the egg is adorned with 139 natural white pearls, 3,305 diamonds and carved rock crystal. Mimicking the way an oyster opens to reveal a cultured pearl, the Fabergé egg opens to reveal a unique, 12.17-carat grey natural pearl sourced from the Arabian Gulf. A special feature of the egg is that its entire outer shell rotates on its base, which simultaneously opens six sections to unveil the tiny treasures inside.

Fabergé President, Robert Benvenuto, said: "We are delighted to be sharing this historic moment - the unveiling of the Fabergé Pearl Egg - with the Al-Fardan family. It is a distinct pleasure and privilege for both me and the Fabergé team to have collaborated with them in sourcing some of the finest pearls in the world for this creation. We hold our partnership, and indeed our friendship, in the highest regard."

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The last Imperial egg auctioned reportedly in 2014 for more than $30 million.