Fabergé Eggs are some of the most valuable and coveted objects in the world.
And two of the world’s esteemed houses of luxury have joined forces to deliver a new one.
Fabergé and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have joined forces to create the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg, designed and named after the mascot that has adorned Rolls-Royce cars since 1911.
The design, conceived by Rolls-Royce Designers Stefan Monro and Alex Innes and rendered by Fabergé Lead Designer Liisa Talgren, has been brought to life by Fabergé workmaster Paul Jones, creating a contemporary interpretation of one of the world’s most fabled and prized possessions.
A team of seven craftspeople from Fabergé undertook the challenge of fabricating the design using the finest materials married with their extraordinary skill as artist jewellers.
Design cues from Fabergé’s heritage are masterfully woven into the intricate design which stands at 160mm and weighs just 400g, with the Egg harnessing the ‘surprise and delight’ for which Imperial Eggs are celebrated.
The Egg rests on an engine-turned, hand-engraved, purple enamel guilloché base of 18 karat white gold.
Arms of rose gold define the shape of the Egg, acting as a protective chamber for its precious inhabitant.
Upon operating the movement, via a discreet lever at the base of the stand, there’s a real sense of theatre as the boughs open to reveal the fine figurine of the Spirit of Ecstasy, hand-sculpted in frosted rock crystal.
The rose gold vanes, embellished with nearly 10 carats of round white diamonds, resolve into swathes of natural amethyst weighing over 390 carats, specially selected for its colour saturation and quality.
The purple hue of the enamel and amethyst provide a playful nod to the use of colour found in Fabergé’s heritage.
A highly complex operating mechanism, conceived through computer aided design and animation, was developed with the help of micro engineering.
In fact, the design could not have been created by man alone as it has probably has the most complicated opening mechanism of any Fabergé Egg to date.
Fifty Imperial Easter Eggs were created for the Russian Imperial family between 1885 and 1916.
These creations are inextricably linked to the lives of the Romanov family.
Ten Eggs were produced from 1885 to 1893 during the reign of Emperor Alexander III; a further 40 were created during the rule of his dutiful son, Nicholas II, two each year – one for his mother the dowager, the second for his wife.
If we explore the great archives of Rolls-Royce, we find that Tsar Nicholas II was indeed also a patron of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
The ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg will be placed on public display in Fabergé’s London window this Christmas time.
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