The Imperial Winter Egg with 4,500 diamonds was commissioned by Russia's Tsar Nicholas II in 1913.

Created for the Russian imperial family for Easter 1913, the piece was designed by Alma Pihl, a young jeweler and the daughter of one of Carl Faberge’s leading craftsmen

Crafted for Russia's imperial family in 1913, this crystal and diamond egg was described as 'the Mona Lisa for decorative arts' before it sold at auction in London on Tuesday.