Around the world people celebrate Easter in different ways, although the giving and receiving of eggs – symbolising new life – is perhaps the most popular. And while a chocolate egg might be a highlight in many households this weekend, at Hollybush House in Richmond a different type of egg entirely became the focus of the family that once lived there.
In 1986, the internationally renowned jeweller, Paul Kutchinsky, returned home to Hollybush House having visited an exhibition in Munich where a number of Fabergé treasures had been on display. Inspired by what he saw, Kutchinsky set his sights on creating the world’s largest jewelled egg - a homage to the Russian jeweller's most famous creations. Four years later and after a 10-month design process, in collaboration with Argyle Diamonds of Perth, he painstakingly crafted The Argyle Library Egg. This eye-popping object stood 60cm tall and was made from 15kg of 18-carat gold with 24,000 pink diamonds. It was valued at some $11.5 million (£7 million).
For Serena Kutchinsky and her siblings, their father’s work was the topic of conversation around the family dinner table; talk of it filtered across the tennis court during matches at home; and its wonder was the theme for bedtime stories. In 1990, they proudly watched in the living room as Paul Kutchinsky was interviewed on the BBC’s talk show, Wogan.
The many late nights and long hours Kutchinsky spent conjuring the design both at home and at the firm's Knightsbridge HQ were recognised by the Victoria & Albert Museum where the egg was displayed before going on a worldwide tour, featuring on television networks across the globe. The egg even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records before later selling to a private buyer.
While the Kutchinsky family moved on, Hollybush House has remained a much-loved family home. The historic detached property is situated in grounds of just over an acre – perhaps the perfect setting for a fun-filled egg hunt, although there’s one egg that definitely won’t be found there.
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