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Thursday, 5th February 2004 (6000 views)

A Russian oil tycoon has today stepped in to buy one of the most exquisitely fashioned pieces of jewellery in the world.<BR/><BR/>Industrialist Victor Vekselberg has landed a prize collection of Faberge eggs, crafted from gold enamel, for an undisclosed fee. <BR/><BR/>Mr Vekselberg bought the collection from American publisher Malcolm Forbes and says he plans to bring the eggs home to Russia, where the collection was originally housed.<BR/><BR/>The sale, which includes 12 of the bejewelled eggs, was conducted by Sotheby, with analysts speculating that the most valued item in the deal - the Coronation Egg - could go for as much as $24 million itself.<BR/><BR/>Just 13 centimetres tall, the eggs have commanded a fascination from a wide range of collectors, with the beautifully intricate gems and jewellery designs astounding observers.<BR/><BR/>Mr Vekselberg said the collection “represents perhaps the most significant example of our cultural heritage outside Russia”.<BR/><BR/>“The religious, spiritual and emotional content captured by these Faberge eggs touches upon the soul of the Russian people,” he added.<BR/><BR/>Carl Faberge created jewellery for European royalty in the 19th century, and was commissioned by Czar Alexander III of Russia in 1885 as an Easter gift for his wife, beginning a tradition that grew the collection.

 

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