Fabergé’s Newest Bejeweled Egg Is Inspired by the James Bond Classic ‘Octopussy’
Fabergé’s latest creations may have been cooked up with Q Branch.
The storied artist jeweler just unveiled the first in a series of collections celebrating the iconic James Bond archive. The inaugural Fabergé x 007 line is inspired by John Glen’s Octopussy. The 1983 classic is the 13th film in the franchise and the sixth to feature Roger Moore as the world’s favorite MI6 agent. The plot is also fittingly centered around an elaborate Fabergé egg heist.
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The first pieces to be revealed in the Fabergé x 007 Octopussy collection are an Egg Objet and an Egg Surprise Locket. Created by Fabergé’s head of design Liisa Tallgren, the two rarities blend classic design elements with artful references to Octopussy.
Handcrafted from 18-karat yellow gold, the egg stands just over 3 inches tall but is mounted on an ornate stand set with white diamonds and blue sapphires. The exterior is hand-painted with a rich green enamel that evokes the egg featured in the film. Underneath the enamel lies an ornate pattern that combines the jeweler’s signature guilloché with engraved octopus tentacles. Fabergé says the application of this intricate artwork requires one week of work alone, with the whole egg taking six months to come to fruition.
The egg opens to reveal a bejeweled octopus nested inside. Made of 18-karat yellow gold, the animal features white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes. The octopus pays homage to both the villain in Octopussy and Peter Carl Fabergé. (The famous Russian jeweler was renowned not only for his decorative eggs but for his quirky little animal studies.)
“Continuing our special partnership with EON Productions and the James Bond franchise we decided the surprise inside this first capsule collection had to be an octopus, in dedication to the eponymous antagonist at the heart of the film,” Fabergé’s creative director Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell said in a statement.
The character Octopussy is also at the heart of the Egg Surprise Locket. The necklace sees a green enamel egg encased in a gold lattice and adorned with flowers made from blue sapphires and white diamonds. The bail of the locket is shaped like an “O” as a nod to the film’s title, while the miniature octopus inside the locket egg honors the movie’s namesake. The animal is again made of 18-karat yellow gold and has two black diamond eyes.
“Octopussy is a powerful businesswoman and jewel-smuggler who leads the all-female Octopus Cult, and her name derives from her favorite octopus, the Blue Ringed Octopus, which she keeps as a pet,” Josina adds. “The octopus surprise inside the Fabergé x 007 Egg Objet and Egg Surprise Locket encapsulates her strong character.”
The Fabergé x 007 collection is available at Fabergé’s boutiques in Dubai and Macau, online at the Faberge website and the official 007 Store, and via select authorized retailers around the globe. The Egg Objet is limited to 50 numbered pieces, so best be quick if you want it. Prices are available upon request, naturally.
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