Priceless "Faberge" eggs were found during searches on a superyacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, which was seized due to Russia's attacks on Ukraine, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced on Thursday.
Monaco, who attended a security forum in the U.S state of Colorado, revealed information about their operations against Russian oligarchs. Monaco, giving details of the operation on a super yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, said: “Let’s get to the juicy stuff: The yachts. We’ve been finding some really interesting things ... we recovered a Faberge – or alleged Faberge egg – on one of these (yachts), so it just gets more and more interesting.”
Tens of millions of dollars worth "Faberge" egg was created by Peter Carl Faberge when Tsar Alexander III of Russia commissioned him to create a jeweled egg as an Easter gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, in 1885. Even though it was a one-time order, it became a tradition in the Romanov dynasty and Faberge created a total of 50 eggs for the royal family, while only 43 are known today. The eggs' worth lies in their creativity and the artist's skill rather than the precious materials it is adorned with.
Not detailing the seized superyacht, Monaco stated that it is currently anchored in San Diego after it left Fiji last month.
Within the framework of the U.S. sanctions against Russia, the 107-meter (351-feet) luxury yacht named Amadea, estimated to be worth $300 million, belonging to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov was forced to sail from Fiji upon the request of the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.
If the seized "Faberge" egg is certified original, it is estimated to be worth a fortune, Daily Sabah reports.
