Doha Jewellery Expo: The New Fabergé Pearl Egg

Over his thirty two year career Karl Fabergé made fifty of his signature eggs for the Tsar’s family, of which forty-two survive today. Continuing the Easter tradition, Fabergé, as it exists today, has created a new art object – the Fabergé Pearl Egg.

The ‘Pearl’ Fabergé Egg was made in collaboration with the Al-Fardan family from Qatar, one of the oldest and most prestigious names in jewellery in the Arabian Gulf. One particular member of the family, Hussain Ibrahim Al-Fardan, is the owner of an extremely wide collection of rare pearls.

I have a passion for natural pearls and it took me many years to build my current collection gathering some of the most extraordinary pearls in the world. Fabergé has a great history in making jewellery for royalty and a truly precious Fabergé Egg is a luxury treasure and the symbol of a long-gone era of opulence. This is why I partnered with Fabergé to combine these two traditional treasures: the Fabergé Egg and natural Arabian Gulf pearls, to create an exceptional piece. – Hussain Ibrahim Al-Fardan, Chairman of the Alfardan Group

A total of 139 superb snow-white pearls with a golden luster were personally selected by the collector for the design of this new Fabergé Egg. On top of this were 3,305 diamonds, carved rock crystal and mother-of-pearl, with the body made from white and yellow gold. An original mechanism ensures that the egg rotates and opens up into six petals to show the design traditionally hidden inside. The egg took no fewer than twenty master jewellers almost a year to create!

Hidden inside the egg is the piece’s most valuable asset: a unique grey 12.17 cts pearl from the Arabian Gulf. The incredibly rare grey colour makes this ‘gift of the sea’ a real object of desire among collectors. Another sought-after 19.44 karat pearl is the central gem in the diamond and pearl necklace which accompanies the egg. This work of art, ‘The Pearl’, was brought to the attention of the world at a jewellery exhibition held in Qatar’s capital, Doha, from 23rd to 28th February. The Fabergé Egg did not go unnoticed, with a few collectors showing an interest in getting their hands on the masterpiece which was valued at about $2 million. At this point we don’t yet know in whose private collection this new work by the legendary jewellery company will end up.