Daily London
Police in New Zealand have charged a man with theft after he allegedly stole a jewel-encrusted gold Fabergé egg locket from a jeweller’s by picking it up and swallowing it.
The unusual incident occurred on Friday afternoon at a store in central Auckland, according to a statement from Inspector Grae Anderson, Auckland Central Area Commander at New Zealand Police.
Store staff contacted police around 3.30 p.m., and officers “responded minutes later, arresting the man inside the store,” Anderson said.
The 32-year-old man has been charged with theft and has been remanded in custody prior to a scheduled court appearance on December 8, according to the statement.
In a separate statement, Anderson said the man had undergone a medical assessment at the time of his arrest and is being constantly monitored by an officer.
“Given this man is in police custody, we have a duty of care to continue monitoring him given the circumstances of what has occurred,” said Anderson.
“At this stage the pendant has not been recovered,” he added.
The stolen item is a Fabergé James Bond Octopussy Egg locket worth 33,585 New Zealand dollars ($29,300), according to court documents seen by CNN affiliate Radio New Zealand.
A listing for the locket on the Fabergé website reveals that it is made from 18-karat yellow gold and green guilloché enamel, and it also features 60 white diamonds and 15 blue sapphires.
“In true Fabergé style, the beautiful egg locket also offers a surprise — opening to reveal a miniature 18k gold octopus inside, capturing the spirit of the film’s namesake,” the description reads.
“The octopus has been set with two black diamond eyes,” it adds.
Fabergé is a historic jewellery house founded in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1842.
On Tuesday, one of 50 Imperial Eggs produced by Fabergé for Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II sold for £22.9 million ($46.3 million), including fees, breaking its own record as the most expensive work by the Russian jeweller ever to appear at auction.
The Winter Egg’s astronomical price tag reflects the growing rarity of the eggs, none of which had been seen at auction in over 23 years.
It is one of just seven left in private hands, with the others either missing or owned by institutions or museums.
