Articles and News

San Diego, CA—If Peter Carl Fabergé were alive today, he’d be very proud of Jim Grahl.

Grahl, owner of J. Grahl Design Studio in Balboa Island, CA, together with his team of artisans, created a masterpiece, nearly two decades in the making, that is worthy of the great Russian jeweler and now is on loan and display at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

The Balboa Park Carousel Egg, left, originally commissioned in 1991 by Dr. Barry Marfleet, was completed in 2008 and was first displayed to the public at GIA (Gemological Institute of America). A one-of-a-kind treasure created from gold, platinum, diamonds and silver, the egg stands 27 inches tall and weighs eighty pounds. It represents an exact scale replica of the world famous Balboa Park Carousel built in 1895. The mechanisms that make the music play, the carousel turn, and animals move, are completely hand made and consist of approximately 5000 individual parts. The 20 musical selections from the 1890’s are played on an antique Reuge music box that is encased in 55% hand formed optical lead crystal so that it and the driving mechanisms can be seen and appreciated.

Elise Misiorowski, curator of the San Diego Natural History Museum, first encountered the egg during her tenure as former director of the GIA Museum. “It is an absolute privilege to have this magnificent egg displayed at the Institute for the very first time,” she said at the time. “This piece is a part of San Diego’s history and we are honored to have it in our Museum to share with the public.”

Ann Laddon, vice president of institutional advancement at the San Diego Natural History Museum says, “the 18-year long challenge to J. Grahl Design’s team of artists is to create a modern day Fabergé egg, matching the craftsmanship and creativity of the original pieces. Greater than the sum of its parts; greater than the efforts of the individual artists, the Carousel Egg is an objet de’ vertu that surpasses its original aspirations.” Grahl has created many museum pieces; eggs and other objets d’ arts. The Balboa Park Carousel Egg was a signature piece at the museum’s All That Glitters: The Splendor and Science of Gems and Minerals exhibition and is featured in its current exhibition The Horse, open through January 20, 2013.