This Russian Enamel Egg necklace is both simple and stunning. The egg is 14k gold and covered in a mesmerizing guilloche enamel. The enamel is opaque enough that the gold underneath it creates a beautiful celadon green that is cast with warm undertones. The gold is subtly textured, giving the egg a pearly illusion reminiscent of fish scales or running water. The egg is marked with letters from the Cyrillic alphabet and the Russian mark for 14k.
Circa 1910, this egg follows in the tradition of the Fabergé eggs that were commissioned each Easter by the Russian Tsar Alexander III and his son Nicholas II as gifts for their wives and mothers. From 1885-1917, the House of Fabergé, run by Peter Carl Fabergé, would create an ornate Easter egg at the request of the royal family. Fabergé was instructed to design anything he wanted—his one requirement was that each egg must contain a secret. Fabergé’s famous eggs would open to reveal elaborate surprises, such as a miniature gold replica of the Gatchina Palace; a route map of the Trans-Siberian Railway; and a tiny flower basket studded with 1,378 diamonds. These lovely Russian gold enamel eggs have become a symbol of this tradition and Imperial Russia.
We’ve added a contemporary Italian 14k gold chain, which has a pull tab that allows the chain to be adjusted to any length. The necklace weighs 5.1 grams (including the chain) and the egg is 1/2” x 3/8”.
