Saturday Sparkle: The Fabergé Bell Push, 1900

Bell Push
Fabergé, 1899-1900
bowenite, gold, sapphire, ruby, amethyst,
moonstone, and diamond
The Royal Collection

When I first came across this interesting object, I guessed (incorrectly) that it must have been one of the many shiny things that my favorite dead Royal and notorious magpie, Mary of Teck, managed to bring into the Royal Collection. I was mistaken. This pretty little thing pre-dates Mary of Teck’s days of collecting and is actually one of Queen Victoria’s additions to the collection.


Here, we see a bell push of enamel, bowenite, gold, sapphire, ruby, amethyst, moonstone, and diamond. Of course, it’s the work of Fabergé and looks every bit of it. I love it. I can’t quite figure how it worked, but I love it anyway. It just goes to show that when you’re Royal, you don’t want to soil your hands by ringing for the servants with just any old brass crank or button.