Fabergé-Style Egg Collectors

Hand someone a jeweled egg and watch them start whispering. It feels imperial, like it should arrive on a velvet pillow carried by someone in white gloves. Lucky for you, it arrives in a presentation box instead, which is easier to wrap. A painted egg is a grand gesture in a small package, perfect for an anniversary, a milestone birthday, an Easter surprise for a grown-up, or a mother who has everything except a reason to gasp.

Dressed for the Ball

These eggs come in their finest. Look for burgundy and maroon stripes laced with roses, white eggs tied with blue ribbons and soft blossoms, a snazzy orange and blue horizon, and footed eggs striped in gold. Some stand on little pedestals with silky tassels and double as perfume holders. One even dangles a smaller jeweled egg like a charm, which is the porcelain version of showing off. Most open on a hinge to reveal a painted interior, and every one arrives gift-boxed.

The Egg Collector's Nest

Egg collectors are among the most devoted in the porcelain world, because each egg is a little world of color and pattern. Display them on individual stands so they sit at their best angle. A glass dome can create a single showstopper on a side table, while a lighted curio cabinet lets the gold trim twinkle at night. Arrange by palette for a calm, elegant effect, or mix boldly for a jewelry-box explosion. Spring is the obvious season to bring them front and center, but a truly fine egg deserves the spotlight all year.

Gather more glamour from Perfume Bottles, hop over to Easter & Easter Baskets, or learn how to spot genuine Limoges before you crown your collection.