The Secret Lies Within
©2018 by Cynthia Rutledge
The world of Peter Carl Fabergé changed on the day that he was contacted by Alexander III, the Emperor of Russia, to create an Easter gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1855. The House of Fabergé was already well known in Russia as a high-end jewelry house, renown for their perfection, but this commission was truly an important one. The first egg, the Hen Egg, delighted the Empress so much that a standing yearly order was placed. The tradition continued from 1885 through 1917 for a total of 50 Imperial Eggs created by the House of Fabergé for Emperor Alexander III and Nicholas II, his son.
Many of the eggs had end caps of portrait diamonds (a highly faceted flat-backed diamond) that protected a miniature painting or enamel. The Coronation Egg (c. 1897) has the portrait diamond covering a jeweled monogram of Empress Alexandra (Nicolas II's wife) and the date. Celebrating her coronation, this egg opens to reveal a perfect miniature carriage! Along with portrait diamond end caps many of the eggs had pop up components, like miniature lockets.
Along with Easter Eggs, there were other commissions to include a clock and 19 fabulous snuffboxes. One of the snuffboxes has a locket on the lid that opens to show a portrait of Emperor Nicholas II. These works of art are a testament to the glory and tragic fate of the last ruling Romanov family. Thankfully, many of these pieces still exist for the world to enjoy and to reflect on the lives of a royal family.
The Secret Lies Within is a locket that opens to reveal images of your dear ones. A personal piece, the locket can be presented on a cuff bracelet (in this case) or on a necklace. Photographs are protected with a laminating film then supported and bezeled in peyote stitch. The two halves are connected, embellished beautifully, and in this case attached to a beaded cuff.
This design is all about the locket as it can be used in quite a few ways. Whether you place it on a cuff bracelet, a long chain or a close fitting necklace, the design is truly timeless!
Skill level: Advanced
Workshop length: This is a 1-day workshop.
Dimensions: 1 1/8 inch wide by desired length.
Techniques:
Flat peyote stitch
Flat circular peyote stitch with decreases
Flat odd count peyote stitch using step-up/step-down techniques
Stitch-in-the-ditch techniques
Tubular peyote stitch