By Maria Doulton in London
There is just something deliciously appealing about Fabergé's plump little egg-shaped Charms. Twirling around on a bracelet or hanging from a necklace, they sparkle and shimmer with the slightest movement. Showing off their perfectly shaped curves, the Fabergé Egg Charms are punctuated with candy-bright gemstones, deeply ridged golden swirls or lustrous enamel.
Natalia Shugaeva, Fabergé's design director, tells us: "Our Egg Charms collection is designed to enjoy the signature Fabergé eggs in a fun and playful way. We have created a flexible and layered look that can be customised to create a fashion statement or a personalised gift."
Eggs are, of course, synonymous with the famous Russian jewellery house Fabergé. Since the Russian aristocracy began giving bejewelled golden eggs as gifts at Easter, the tradition has remained and today taken a step further with this smaller, more playful interpretation of the magnificent Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs.
These miniature eggs come in many tempting guises. Like gazing into a box of chocolates, they are all so appealing that it is difficult to know which one to choose. From the Fabergé Heritage collection, these designs may be alluringly different, but each one harks back to a famous jewellery making skill, a cultural reference or an important moment in the house's rich history.
Take the Treillage eggs, which are inspired by the 1892 Imperial Easter Egg of the same name. Both the larger egg and its baby version feature a deep quilted pattern of gold, dimpled with precious gemstones, which creates a most appealing imitation of luxurious upholstery. Likewise the Rococo design, which refers back to the 1902 Fabergé Rocaille egg created for Varvara Kelkh that was, in turn, inspired by the Rococo designs of swirling scrolls popular during the reign of Louis XVI of France.
The brightest of the designs are the Fabergé Emotion eggs, which are covered in precious gemstones. As if dipped in pink sugar, they sparkle joyfully with sapphires, amethysts and diamonds. This gem-setting technique is devilishly difficult, but the result is so charming that you may be forgiven for thinking it was the work of little elves.
Other versions include a riot of green hues courtesy of tsavorites, tourmalines and diamonds or the colourful clash of yellow sapphires, aquamarines, rubies and diamonds. Gem-set ribbons float in to form the Spiral egg shapes, making use of the negative space to charming effect. The Cadeau eggs, with their sweet bows and diamond ribbons, are perfect gifts, while the solid gold versions allow you to personalise your present with an engraved message.
The Fabergé Charm eggs can be worn on a gold link bracelet, and you can load up as many as you like. But be warned, like the most delicious chocolates, they are addictive and one Charm inevitably leads to another, making this the perfect Christmas present that grows, year on year.
