Fabergé Invades London with an Egg for the Queen and an Easter Egg Hunt

The Fabergé Diamond Jubilee Egg.

Luxury jewelry house, Fabergé, has unveiled a custom bejeweled egg honoring Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in London Tuesday as residents scoured the city streets to begin a 40-day hunt for elaborately decorated Easter eggs in a charity benefit.

Crafted with precisely 500 grams of rose gold, the design of the one-of-a-kind Diamond Jubilee Egg is topped with 60 gemstones—one for each year of the Queen’s reign—set in the pleats of its quilted rose gold surface and comprising diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires. Actress Emilia Fox displayed the egg during the unveiling outside the recently opened Fabergé London boutique.

Actress Emilia Fox with the Fabergé Diamond Jubilee Egg.

The Diamond Jubilee Egg is valued at $157,850 and is the top prize in the The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt. It will be on display at the Fabergé boutique from February 21 until April 1, and then at Harrods in Knightsbridge from April 2 -8.

More than 200 eggs, each around 2 ½ foot in height and designed and decorated by designers and artists have been “hidden” around central London as residents try to find the eggs. Each egg holds a unique code which, when texted to the number provided via SMS, provides an entry to win the Diamond Jubilee Egg. Each additional code submitted provides an additional entry, increasing the chances of winning the Diamond Jubilee Egg. Charges apply to each text message, with the proceeds going to the two charities: Action For Children and The Elephant Family. Fabergé seeks to raise one million pounds for each charity

The creative talent decorating the eggs represents many disciplines—including architects product designers, fashion houses, jewelry designers and artists. They include Marc Quinn, Chapman Brothers, Sir Peter Blake, Zaha Hadid, Nicky Haslam, Candy & Candy, Gordon Murray, Bruce Oldfield, Robinson Pelham, Sir Ridley Scott, Diane von Furstenberg and Mulberry.

Each of these works of art will be sold by auction to raise funds for the charities. See www.thebigegghunt.co.uk for more information.