Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Jewel of the Month: The Hen in the Egg

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Welcome to my latest blog feature: starting with this post, I’m going to be introducing a new jewelry design every month. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be beginning a design and finishing it in 30 or 31 days. Instead, I will be presenting designs that may have taken months or years to finish. The jewel of the month for November 2009 has been in the works since I went to Copenhagen in July 2007.

On that trip, I visited the treasury of the Rosenborg Castle. One of the pieces in the collection is “the hen in the egg.” More of a work of art than a piece of jewelry, it’s an egg that opens up multiple times — think of Russian nesting dolls — to reveal a gold egg, a yolk, a hen and eventually a tiny diamond ring. Faberge made the concept of a jeweled egg famous, but this isn’t a Faberge piece. It’s believed to have been made in Paris.

You know that I love complicated mechanical jewelry, so I was entranced by this egg and knew right away I wanted to do a mini version. Even though I started planning it immediately, I had to finish work on other complicated projects like the “squirrel in the acorn” necklace, which I was inspired to do shortly before encountering the egg. When that was finished last year, I started work on the egg, but these things can’t be rushed. (39thandbroadway.com has posted an interview with me in which I discuss the design process so I won’t repeat all that here.) Any piece with elaborate moving parts may require its own special mechanism — a unique hinge and closure that work specifically for that piece.

A big challenge was perfecting the size and shape of the egg itself. It couldn’t be huge, but it had to be big enough to contain a surprise inside. I should point out that this kind of piece is not stamped out by a machine in a factory. This perfectly shaped, symmetrical egg was originally carved by hand out of hard wax, as was the hen.

Finally finished this month, my tribute to the Danish artwork is a golden egg that opens to reveal a silver hen with diamond eyes — she’s connected to the egg by a short chain so you can’t lose her. The hen then opens to reveal three tiny golden eggs in her nest. The bail (the piece that connects the pendant to the chain) is decorated with diamonds. Behold!

©Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

©Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

©Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

©Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

© Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

© Wendy Brandes. Photo by Squaremoose.

I’ve only made one of these for the time being; when I sell this one, I’ll make another. I don’t know if there will be more than that. This is limited-edition, wearable art and it is priced accordingly.  I consider this an appropriate piece for people who are passionate and knowledgeable about craftsmanship and are collectors of original art, antiquities and historical artifacts, couture clothing and/or other rarities. Click here to purchase.

That said, if you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I like to have something for everyone. I have my Genie in a Bottle locket for $1,000 and the Teeny Genie in silver for $50. I know a lot of my gorgeous blog readers and clients think chickens are adorable, so next month — right in time for the the holidays — I will have a very affordable hen necklace. She won’t be in a golden egg but she’ll still be sitting on her nest keeping her three little eggs warm. Stay tuned!

UPDATED TO ADD: I meant to include a link to a Denmark-related book club post about Queen Caroline Mathilde and her crazy husband, Christian VII. And, for those of you who remember my book club posts, I swear they will come back. Very soon.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Wow, that is brilliant! Sadly, the whole egg is way out of my price range, but I will definitely be putting the chicken on my christmas list!

  9. I absolutely love it. I can’t wait to see the chicken…are you doing it in silver? I have your silver squirrel that I won in enc’s contest last year, and I have a silver pig that my husband bought me in Korea, so it could be the beginning of a collection.

  11. My friend keeps chickens in her backyard, yes in the city. One of them is named Clucky Lucky, which I think is one of the all-time best names and not just for a chicken.

    Not sure why, but that seemed an appropriate thing to mention here.

    This is an amazing piece! You’re not only an artist but an engineer too!
    xoxoxo

  17. You are a freaking jurry design genius! I love the story and I love how you interpreted it.

    It’s just “gawjuss” (it’s my captcha. How appropriate.)

  18. Beautiful!
    Can’t wait for the interview on the design process. What I like about your pieces is the thought behind every one of them.

  20. AMAZING! That is why I love jewelry so. Everyone has a fantastic story or memory associated with a piece. Precious little gems to remind us of our history.

  21. Wendy…no bullshit…you are one of the most creative people I know with a fabulous sense of self, great humour, and amazing creative talent! The design world is lucky to have you in its orbit!

    Jill

  22. Wow, that is so gorgeous! I love all the detail in it, right down to the tiny gold eggs. You are truly an artist, Wendy.

  26. I love quirky jewellery and I love the concept of this. A great conversation starter, I hope I can afford the follow up!

  27. Its great to hear the story of what inspires you, where you gain the inspiration and how long it takes, you really are such a craftswoman!! This is another uniquely stylish piece, very intricate and so very gorgeous, well done indeed!

  32. Hi Wendy
    I’ve been reading your blog for more than a year now…
    Its awesome!
    Congratulations on yet another wonderful design 🙂
    It really is…. awesome!

    Best wishes for everything 🙂
    And lots of love

  35. So impressed! I am startled and fascinated by the work, the ingenuity, and the execution. Too cool and though I\’m no fan of birds (they creep me out), I\’m totally a fan of this. The lucky people who come to own the 12 versions won\’t regret it, I\’m sure. What a piece of jewelry!

  36. That is a truly stunning piece!! Believe you me, if I had the riches I would buy one for myself, my mom, my sister, and my best friend. Mmmhmmm that’s right!

  40. That really is a beautiful necklace. I love the way you explained the process and the craftsmanship behind making this necklace. It is truly a work of art.

  44. I can’t even imagine how many hours must have gone into the creation of this wonderful piece. I just love the soft sheen on the gold egg. Stunning!

  49. You really are so incredibly talented! I love the Egg/Chicken necklace, what a unique concept. Although, I really, really, covet the Marie Antoinette ring (I’m a little obsessed with it!)

    Thank you again for putting so much into our interview, it came out fantastic! Thanks!