Timed to highlight the month’s birthstone, the Fabergé x Gemfields Malaika Egg that was revealed July 1—the latest collaboration between the iconic art jeweler and the colored gemstone miner and marketer—is decorated with 308 Mozambican rubies.
The deep red stones used in the one-of-a-kind egg objet come from Mozambique’s Montepuez ruby mine, which Gemfields majority-owns. Malaika means angel in Swahili, a language spoken in Mozambique, and the pattern on the egg’s exterior—done in the signature guilloché enamel that Fabergé is famous for—was designed to resemble angels’ wings.
Fabergé combined the rubies with 4,312 round brilliant-cut white diamonds, 252 round brilliant-cut brown diamonds, 421 round pink sapphires, and 61 amethysts to bring out the fiery hue of the rubies, the brand said in a statement. All of the stones are set in 18k rose gold to complement the objet’s reds and pinks.
The Malaika Egg is priced at $1.2 million, and Fabergé has pledged $100,000 from the sale to the Gemfields Foundation, which funds poverty-alleviating projects in communities around Gemfields’ mines in Mozambique and Zambia, and more widely in sub-Saharan Africa.
Fabergé creative director Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell tells JCK that her company and Gemfields have enjoyed working together. “The artful fusion of different precious materials utilizing time-honored techniques, such as guilloché enameling, have long been associated with Fabergé,” she says. “Working closely with Gemfields, we seek to showcase exceptional colored gemstones…. Marrying the artistic use of exciting materials, bringing them to life as part of an exceptional creation which tells a story about rarefied craftsmanship and provenance, are some of Fabergé’s most treasured responsibilities.”
As always, Fabergé added a surprise treasure inside the egg. As the pearl ring at the base is turned counterclockwise, the blades of the egg slowly lower in unison, revealing a hidden gem: a 5 ct. “truly stunning square cushion Gemfields Mozambican ruby,” says von dem Bussche-Kessell. The ruby was responsibly mined by Gemfields and is encased in a rose gold filigree-like sphere.
The golden sphere can be removed from the egg and opened, allowing a closer view of the precious gem it holds. While the ruby is set in the piece, it also can be removed and reset in a bespoke Fabergé jewelry creation.
Once described as “the heart of Mother Earth,” rubies have long been associated with passion, prosperity, and protection. Many believed rubies held the power of life, so they were often carried into battle for protection. The ruby in the Malaika Egg’s interior is even more special, according to Elena Basaglia, Gemfields’ head of partnerships and product–downstream.
“This five-carat Gemfields Mozambican ruby has a unique shape, a square cushion with softly bowed sides, which offers an ideal window to enjoy the vibrant red body color and lively reflections within,” Basaglia said in a statement. “The large spread of the gemstone means that no weight is hidden below the setting line, allowing maximum appreciation of its beauty. No visible inclusions are present within the gemstone, making it a deserving piece for this special egg.”
(Photos courtesy of Fabergé)
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