A Creation From Two Of The World’s Most Esteemed Houses of Luxury
Like fairy tales and enchantments, from Kings and Queens to entrepreneurs, many of the most prominent and wealthy collectors of the 20th and 21st century have been enchanted by the lure of a Fabergé Egg. With just 50 pre-1917 Imperial Eggs completed, these exceptionally precious creations are some of the most valuable and coveted objects ever to have been made.
Now, two of the world’s most esteemed houses of luxury – Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Fabergé, have collaborated to create one unique object of art for one discerning patron who also happens to be a great collector of both brands. The results – The ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg.
This ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Fabergé Egg is the second to be commissioned in the ‘Imperial Class’ since 1917, a category reserved only for Fabergé’s most illustrious creations, and it celebrates the history, heritage and legend for which both Rolls-Royce and Fabergé have been revered over more than a century. It was born from an intrinsic desire to further the realms of Bespoke personalisation. Responding to the continuing demands of patrons in search of unique and cherished possessions, a designer at the House of Rolls-Royce sketched an Egg, igniting a fascination that will undoubtedly become one of the most collectable items of modern times.
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.
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 the Egg’s precious inhabitant. Upon operating the movement via a discreet lever at the base of the stand, a sense of theatre ensues as the boughs open to present the fine figurine of the Spirit of Ecstasy, hand-sculpted in frosted rock crystal, standing nobly in her opulent surrounds.
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.
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.
