A rare crystal and diamond-encrusted Fabergé “Crystal Egg,” made for the Russian Imperial Family before the 1917 Revolution, will be sold at Christie’s. The egg is estimated to fetch more than 20 million pounds ($26.4 million).
The auction house said the egg is one of only seven Fabergé eggs of its kind remaining in private collections. The sale is scheduled to take place in London.
The egg, about 10 centimeters tall, is made of high-quality crystal and is completely covered with a delicate pattern of platinum snowflakes, each containing about 4,500 diamonds. Inside the egg is a small decorative basket with quartz flowers, symbolizing spring.
The head of Christie’s Russian art department said the work resembles a “luxurious Kinder Surprise.”
The egg was created by designer Alma Peel in 1913, commissioned by Nicholas II. The Tsar had given it to his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna. Peel’s other Fabergé egg is now in the collection of the British royal family.
The egg is expected to surpass the current record for a Fabergé egg, $18.5 million, set in 2007.
Today, 43 imperial Fabergé eggs have survived, most of which are on display in museums.
