Jewellery & Watch News
There have been numerous Royal occasions over the last decade, however June 2022 is set to be one of the most significant, forever defined by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. To commemorate this very special milestone, colleagues at C W Sellors Fine Jewellery and their Derbyshire design team have collaborated with the esteemed artisans at Fabergé to release 22 limited-edition egg surprise lockets, with a crown hidden inside. The Imperial State Crown design brings together the proud British jewellery heritage of C W Sellors, with the artistic craftsmanship and enduring legacy of Fabergé.
With a royal collection synonymous with the world’s finest jewellery and famous gemstones, deciding which crown should inspire the surprise element of the design was of utmost importance. Whilst it is widely known St Edward’s Crown was used for the coronation, on the Queen’s return to the palace she wore The Imperial State Crown, and it is this iconic headpiece the Queen is seen wearing in official coronation photographs taken inside Buckingham Palace and on her balcony appearances.
Adding some personal insight into the chosen crown design, Rebecca Sellors, Director at C W Sellors explained, “With our own workshop and design team using the world’s finest gemstones, the Imperial State Crown is such a special piece. With its striking gemstone inclusions, it made a natural choice for us to explore with our friends at Fabergé for this memorable royal occasion.”
Within the gold frame of the original crown’s design, there are 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies, many of which hold great historical significance. The inspired crown design set within the exclusive Fabergé C W Sellors collaborative locket is 12mm in height and features delicately set gemstones in homage to the most famous gems set in the original headpiece. It includes a 1.7mm ruby centrepiece that depicts the Black Prince’s Ruby and a 1.5mm diamond to represent the Cullian II diamond. The intricate crown surpriser also features emeralds which are seen prominently in The Imperial State Crown, and the inclusion of blue sapphires represent the famous St Edward’s Sapphire and Stuart Sapphire. On the outside of the 18-carat white gold locket, the egg is decorated in purple guilloché enamel and set with diamonds. Purple was chosen for its relevance to the Platinum Jubilee and to represent the purple in Her Majesty The Queen's Robe of Estate and Coronation Gown.
Underpinning the limited-edition nature of the crown surprise locket is a Platinum Jubilee hallmark engraved on its base, which features an orb and reflects the fineness mark for platinum. Sanctioned by the body which oversees UK hallmarking, the British Hallmarking Council, the commemorative mark can only be struck on qualifying jewellery items until 31 December 2022 and has also been a key feature in C W Sellors' wider 2022 Jubilee Hallmark collection.
Speaking about the new collaboration, Sarah Fabergé, great-granddaughter of Peter Carl Fabergé and Head of Heritage Council and Director of Special Projects at Fabergé, commented, “Fabergé today continues the tradition of my great-grandfather’s company by creating bespoke gifts to mark significant occasions. This crown surprise locket, created in partnership with C W Sellors, honours the remarkable reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee.”
In a project that both companies have managed to keep a closely guarded secret, the crown surprise locket will be officially revealed on 2nd June 2022 at 11.15 am – the precise time and date at which the Queen’s Coronation began in 1952.
Following the release of the official design, the 22 limited-edition pieces, commemorating this significant year, will be hand-crafted in Germany, overseen by Fabergé Workmaster Dr Marcus Mohr. The Fabergé Heritage White Gold Diamond and Purple Guilloché Enamel Locket with Crown Surprise will be exclusively available to C W Sellors Fine Jewellery and W Hamond customers.
