Jewelled egg maker Fabergé has introduced a new luxury egg called Journey in Jewels in partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The egg was unveiled at a gala event in Miami, Florida, on December 10, and is currently on display aboard Regent’s newest ship Seven Seas Grandeur.
It is the first Fabergé egg to permanently reside at sea.
Crafted in southern England from 18 ct white gold, the outer shell of the egg has been enamelled in an ombre of blues, meant to represent the colours of the sea.
This shell consists of seven blades to symbolise the seven seas. Each blade is tipped with pearls and white diamonds to mimic a breaking wave.
The egg is mounted on a plinth plastered with emeralds, tsavorites, blue sapphires and white diamonds, with colourful gems meant to represent the colours of the ocean. The gem-set plinth is anchored to a geometric and symmetrical layered stand accented with pearls and diamonds at the edges.
By rotating the pearl helm anti-clockwise, the seven blades open to reveal another hand-painted egg, covered in gemstones and a wrap-around diamond-set frost pattern.
Hand-carved mother-of-pearl carvings, alongside white opals set in 18 ct yellow gold, are also featured on the internal egg.
Fabergé said the complex technique of ombre lacquering was a first for the egg, as was the incorporation of a new mechanism that allows the internal egg to rotate when opened, which has taken many months to perfect.
"I am honoured to have been chosen as godmother to this exceptional new ship which, like Fabergé, has been inspired by the past and reimagined for the future.
“The Fabergé x Regent ‘Journey in Jewels’ Egg is inspired by the colours of the sea; the blues and the greens of the water, that reflect and sparkle in sunlight, and by water in its different forms,” Fabergé Heritage Council founding member Sarah Fabergé said.
Fabergé is a member of coloured gemstone miner and marketer Gemfields Group, which mines rubies in Mozambique and emeralds in Zambia.