Fabergé Egg Found On Board A Seized Russian Yacht
The alleged Fabergé egg was discovered aboard the superyacht of a Russian oligarch sailing from Fiji to San Diego.
The deputy US attorney general welcomes the "exciting" discovery aboard the yacht seized by US authorities.
Lisa Monaco, deputy US attorney general, recently told the Aspen security forum that this is one of the most "interesting" discoveries made by her team.
A Fabergé Egg Was Found On A Russian Yacht
"Let's get to the juicy stuff: the yachts. We found some very interesting things ... we recovered a Fabergé - or an alleged Fabergé egg - on one of these [yachts], so it gets more and more interesting," she told the forum dedicated to discussing the role of law enforcement in freezing and seizing Russian assets.
The official did not mention the name of the Russian billionaire owner whose superyacht was seized but said the craft was anchored in San Diego Bay after sailing from Fiji last month.
The yacht has an approximate value of $300 million, is named "Amadea", and was brought to San Diego after an extensive legal battle to find out who owns it.
Monaco said that if the Fabergé egg is deemed authentic, it would be one of the few remaining in the world and would be worth millions of dollars.
Fabergé Eggs - The World's Most Expensive Jewels
Fabergé eggs are among the world's most expensive jewels and cannot be bought in shops.
They have become a symbol of opulence and luxury since the young jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III of Russia in 1885 to make one as a gift for his wife, Maria. It would later become a Romanov tradition for the next three decades.
Most Fabergé eggs are the work of Peter Carl Fabergé, who created them, especially for the Russian Tsars between 1885 and 1917.
In total, around 70 Fabergé eggs were created (of which only 57 have survived to this day), each with a delicate composition of metals, gemstones, and enamel.
The first Fabergé egg, created as a gift for the Tsar's wife, is called "The Chicken" and was made of gold and covered with enamel, and it holds another surprise: a golden chicken with ruby eyes.
It also contains a miniature copy of the imperial crown, made of gold and diamonds, and a ruby pendant. Although it looks like a simple piece of jewelry, it is a testament to Fabergé's creativity and attention to detail.
It is not yet known what the alleged Faberge egg discovered on the Russian yacht "Amadea" looks like, and whether it is an original.
