Six Day Wait: Police Recover Faberge Egg Swallowed by Suspect
December 07, 25
(IDEX Online) - Police in New Zealand have recovered a diamond-encrusted Faberge egg pendant - after a suspect allegedly swallowed it at a jewelry store.
The man was arrested on the premises. It then took six days for nature to take its course and for the egg to re-appear without medical intervention. Officers monitored the man continuously.
An unnamed 32-year-old suspect grabbed the James Bond-themed Octopussy egg, valued at $19,000, at Partridge Jewellers, in downtown Auckland on 28 November.
The pendant is 3.3 inches (8.4cm) tall, set with 183 diamond (tcw 1.49 carats), two black diamonds, four yellow diamonds and four blue sapphires with green guilloche enamel on 18-karat yellow gold, according to Faberge's specification.
The hand-crafted Faberge x 007 Octopussy Egg Objet, with a tiny gold octopus inside, was made as a limited edition of 50.
The suspect appeared in court the day after he was arrested. He did not enter a plea, but is due to appear again on 8 December, charged with theft.
Pic, courtesy New Zealand Police, shows the recovered Faberge egg.