Good things come in threes and next week London will host a trio of the very best jewels and objects of the past century. Such a coming-together of magnificent and historic bejewelled objects makes London, for at least one week, the most exciting place on earth for jewellery lovers.
With the recently found third Imperial Fabergé Easter Egg on display next week at Wartski, the 1901 Fabergé Apple Blossom Egg exhibited at Harrods until 21 April and Elizabeth Taylor's famous Bulgari emerald suite at the V&A Museum as part of the new exhibition The Glamour of Italian Fashion, London is the epicentre of an extraordinary and unprecedented gathering of rare jewels.
The object that has most caught the public's attention is the Third Imperial Fabergé Easter Egg made in 1887, which had disappeared for almost a century. An opulent and intricate creation, the yellow gold egg contains a Vacheron Constantin watch with diamond set gold hands. Carl Fabergé created only 50 of these lavishly decorated eggs that the Russian Royal family and other wealthy clients of the time gave as extravagant Easter gifts. After the 1917 revolution and the execution of the Russian Imperial family, most of the eggs were destroyed by the Bolsheviks or sold to collectors, but eight remained missing, making the discovery of this egg a very exciting find with a fascinating story to go with it. The Third Imperial Fabergé Egg will be on show at Wartski's on Grafton Street in London from the 14 to the 17 Apri 2014l.
And by a happy coincidence, another Fabergé Easter Egg is on view at Harrods in Knightsbridge. The 1901 Fabergé Apple Blossom Egg, carved from green nephrite, was commissioned by Alexander Kelch as an Easter gift for his wife. This particularly charming egg is on loan to Fabergé by the National Museum of Lichtenstein and is the first time the egg has been seen outside of a museum.
And just across the road at the V&A museum, Elizabeth Taylor's emerald Bulgari jewels are among the star attractions at The Glamour of Italian Fashion exhibition. Sold by Christie's in December 2011 in New York, the jewels were given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton and are not only excellent examples of Bulgari jewels but are laden with history and intrigue too.
With these three exceptional pieces in the capital, you can rest your eyes on some of the rarest and most fascinating jewels of our times in a single morning. And I doubt the opportunity will ever present itself again, so don't miss this remarkable moment in London.
