Opalia Fine Jewellery
  • Home
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Contacts
  • Services
  • Store

Events, News & Fashion

Easter Traditions and Luxury

27/3/2016

0 Comments

 
Easter has always been linked to eggs: decorated, painted, wooden, chocolate eggs..

 There are various traditions connected to eggs throughout centuries, starting from Roman, Greek, Chinese, Persian and last but not least Egyptian culture (link).
 An exchange of decorated eggs  took place during spring cults or at the equinox due to the belief that eggs represent resurrection and the image of the Earth and Sky.
 With the beginning of Christianity they kept being the symbol of resurrection and during the Middle Age began eating consecrated eggs before the easter banquet.
The tradition of decorated eggs had a turning point during the XIV century, when King Edward I of England decided to have 450 eggs for his guests: they were all coloured and decorated with gold leaf. Since that moment, became common to use precious elements as egg decorations.

 The most famous examples are the bejewelled eggs of Peter Carl Fabergé, goldsmith of the Romanov Monarch Russian family between 1883 and 1917. The Tsar Alexander III in 1883 asked Fabergé to realise a special and precious gift for his wife Maria Feodorovna of Denmark.
Picture
The Romanov Family

​ He got inspired by the european chocolate eggs containing a surprise and the typical russian matryoshka nested dolls: he made a polished platinum egg, with a decreased size golden egg inside which had in it a small chick of gold, precious gems and a miniature of the imperial crown. The Tsarina was so happy that Fabergè became the official jeweller and every year he had to invent a new precious egg for Easter. He used various techniques, like different carvings of gemstones,  started using varnish and a variety of compositions using diamonds, gold, silver or platinum. In the nucleus, usually there were small surprises like pearls, mechanical birds, clocks etc.
​
Picture
Picture
Picture

During the Russian Revolution, some of the Fabergé eggs where lost. One the eggs was kept and hidden accidentally by an American antiquarian. He bought the egg in a flea market and later surfing on the net,  he discovered that it was a one of the missing Fabergé eggs (Also known as 
The Third Imperial Egg; by pressing the diamond in the center, the egg opened and a small clock appeared, made by Vacheron Constantin). The antiquarian turn to Kieran McCarthy, Fabergé expert from the Mayfair jeweller Wartski. The rediscovery of the egg had a worldwide media coverage and the value of the Third imperial Egg is has an estimated price of 33 million dollars.
​

Picture
"The Third Imperial Fabergé Egg" - Open View
Picture
"The Third Imperial Fabergé Egg" - Closed View
Picture
NEED INFORMATIONS? CONTACT US, WE ARE WORLDWIDE!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Maria Elena Labianco
    Sales and Marketing for Opalia
    &
    ​Daniela Zamperetti
    Blogger and History of Art Expert


    Archives

    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    "Colorful Memoirs Of A Dream"
    Interviews
    Opals & News
    Seasonal

    RSS Feed


      Signup for Blog Updates
      Receive our news straight in your inbox.

    Subscribe to Newsletter

Services

Shipment
Assistance
Repair

Company

History
The Company
Collaborations
​What we Guarantee

Support

Contact
​
Where2Buy
FAQ
Terms of Use
© Opalia Fine Jewelry
Owner Paolo Labianco
Malta
​VAT Number MT21661325
© OPALIA COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Contacts
  • Services
  • Store