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Rolls-Royce And Faberge Unveil ‘Spirit Of Ecstasy’ Faberge Egg (Video, Photos)
Being wealthy affords you the luxury of having some items that are exclusive to yourself only, such can be said of Rolls Royce and the Faberge Egg.
Rolls Royce teamed up with Fabrege to remake the Faberge Egg, the story goes back to 1885.
In 1885, Emperor Alexander III of Russia wanted to give his wife a one-of-a-kind gift for Easter. Chocolate Easter eggs were the first choice back then and were sold in the U.K., however, the emperor wanted to give Empress Maria Feodorovna something that’s more special.
With that, the emperor turned to renowned jeweler House of Fabergé in Saint Petersburg to make a jeweled egg as a gift. The company obliged and made a golden egg with an opaque white enameled shell which then opened to a yellow-gold yolk. Inside, there’s a golden hen with a small diamond replica of the imperial crown, wherein a small ruby pendant was suspended.
The jeweled came to be known as the Faberge Egg and has become an Easter tradition in imperial Russia, including Tsar Nicholas II, who has a collection of Rolls-Royce Ghost units in imperial purple. Of note, the third Imperial Faberge Egg in 1887 was sold in auction in 2014 at an eye-watering $33 million.
In 2018, Faberge and Rolls-Royce joined hands in creating a modern take on the Imperial Faberge Egg but with a RR twist, therefore giving birth to the Spirit of Ecstasy Faberge Egg.
The jeweled egg has been on public display at Fabergé’s premises in London’s Mayfair.
Conceived by Rolls-Royce and brought to life by Fabergé, the egg stands at 160mm high and weighs 400g, embodying the ‘surprise and delight’ attributes of the original Imperial Eggs.
The Egg rests on an engine-turned, hand-engraved, purple enamel guilloché base of 18-carat white gold. Arms of rose gold define the shape of the egg, acting as a protective chamber for its precious contents. Operating a discreet lever at the base of the stand opens the shell to reveal a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine 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.
The operating mechanism, thought to be the most complicated ever created for a Fabergé Egg, blends the latest computer-aided design and micro-engineering technology with the traditional goldsmiths’ art.