Exclusive Collaboration With Iconic Brand Fabergé a ‘Dream Come True’ For Yorkshire Jewellery Designer
01 Feb 2022
Iconic jewellery house Fabergé is to launch a Yorkshire Rose egg pendant at Easter designed exclusively by award-winning jeweller Kay Bradley.
The exquisite piece features a hand-enamelled Yorkshire Rose with yellow sapphire centre in homage to the region’s rich heritage, and will be unveiled at a celebratory gala at Castle Howard in April.
The solid gold Fabergé ‘Essence Egg Pendant’ is inspired by Kay’s strong ties to the historic city of York, where she runs her independent boutique jewellery business, Bradley’s Jewellers, in a grade II-listed former apothecary building on Low Petergate.
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She described the partnership as a “dream come true” having grown up with a fixation on Fabergé’s opulent designs, and collected replica ornamental eggs as a young girl.
Kay Bradley said,
“I loved the sheer beauty of Fabergé eggs, with their opulent gold décor, exquisite colour palettes and intricate detail.
"I was captivated by their whimsical charm and intrigued by the treasures hidden within. Even as a child I knew that Fabergé eggs were breathtaking pieces of art “Never did I dream that one day I would be designing a bespoke Fabergé commission, that holds such symbolic meaning, for my very own store in York.”
Kay has designed the 18k gold luxury pendant in three colour variations – rose gold, white gold and yellow gold – and each has a diamond-set bail, a yellow sapphire on the clasp and a delicate Yorkshire Rose hidden inside.
Image: Kay Bradley holding her PJ Awards trophy outside Bradley’s Jewellers
She explained,
“The Yorkshire Rose is such a powerful emblem to the region and its people. I’m so lucky to walk to work past the magnificent York Minster with its stunning, stained glass Rose Window, and I’m reminded daily of its symbolic significance and its simple beauty.
“I’m proud of my Yorkshire roots. I recently created my own Yorkshire Rose jewellery range of rings, earrings, neckwear and wristwear, so it felt right to incorporate this theme in my Fabergé egg.”
The history of the infamous Fabergé egg dates back to 1885, when Russian emperor Alexander III commissioned Fabergé to create a bespoke jewelled egg as an Easter gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna.
Over the course of more than 30 years, some 50 Imperial Easter Eggs were made for the royal family, of which 43 are still accounted for today. These ‘objets de fantasie’ are considered pinnacles of the goldsmiths’ art and are today worth millions of pounds and treasured in museums and private collections around the world.
Kay began talks with Fabergé before Christmas. Both attended the prestigious 2021 Professional Jeweller Awards, where Bradley’s Jewellers was named Fine Jewellery Retailer of the Year, and Fabergé accepted the award for Fine Jewellery Brand of the Year.
Their exclusive partnership will see the luxury brand sold at Kay’s York store, with a range of egg pendants and charms, as well as Fabergé’s signature ‘Colours of Love’ collection, featuring rings and earrings made with ethically-sourced coloured gemstones.
In a nod to Fabergé’s history, Kay will officially launch the range at Easter and unveil her Yorkshire Rose Essence Egg Pendant at a gala, at historic Castle Howard, near York. The ticket-only event will showcase a number of historical Fabergé creations never before seen by the UK public and one lucky prize draw winner will become the first to own one of Kay’s pendants. A proportion of the prize draw proceeds will be donated to the York Minster Fund for the conservation and restoration of the cathedral.
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Source: Bradley's Jewellers York