Faberge eggs on display in the Von Dervis Mansion Exhibition, St. Petersburg, March 1902
A scrap dealer who bought a trinket with plans to melt it down and sell it for scrap was surprised to find out that the item was a missing Faberge egg, estimated to be worth £20 million.
The 8.2cm tall Imperial Easter Egg was one of fifty designed in 1887 by Carl Fabergé for Russian Tsar Alexander III, but disappeared from public view after being confiscated from the royal household in the wake the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. It was finally sold by the soviets in 1922 as part of their “Treasures for tractors” policy
The egg was thought lost until a scrap metal dealer bought it at a bric-a-brac sale for £8,000 looking to melt down the gold and sell off the diamonds and sapphires.
However, before stripping the egg, the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, noticed the inscription “Vacheron Constantin” on the watch inside and googled the phrase to see if he could find information. That searched turned up a newspaper article with a picture of the egg, which asked “Is this £20 million nest-egg on your mantelpiece?”.
The owner flew to London to meet with experts in Faberge eggs at Warski, who immediately returned to the US Midwest with him to verify the discovery according to the Mirror.
The current owner is lending the egg for exhibition at Warski’s headquarters in Mayfair, London between 14-17 April.
