The £2million Fabergé egg hunt: Moment uncommon emerald went on show earlier than it was stolen from Soho pub…as skilled warns gang might have bought it to rich purchaser in Russia, China or Middle East
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Footage shows a £2million Fabergé egg on display hours before it was stolen from a Soho pub – as an expert warned it could be in Russia, China or the Middle East.
Rosie Dawson, director of premium brands at Craft Irish Whiskey, had her £1,600 bag stolen by Algerian thief Enzo Conticello, 29, as she greeted a friend outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho at 9:50pm on November 7, 2024.
The Dublin-based company, founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Jay Bradley, commissioned Fabergé to make seven of the eggs and watches as part of its ‘Emerald Isle Collection’.
A walnut wood cabinet containing the gold jewellery alongside a bottle of 30-year-old whisky sold for $2.8 million (£2.1 million) in 2024, prompting the firm to call it ‘the most expensive bottle of whisky ever sold’.
Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the egg and watch that Conticello stole on display at a publicity event earlier in the evening at Soho Whisky Club – a private members’ club for connoisseurs.
Later, CCTV from the pub itself shows the thief trying to swipe another customer’s bag inside before heading outside and taking Ms Dawson’s designer handbag, which had been left on the floor.
Christopher A. Marinello is CEO of Art Recovery International and one of the world’s foremost experts in recovering stolen artwork.
He said the egg could have been moved out of Britain within hours and may already be in the hands of a foreign buyer in Russia, China or the Middle East.
Video obtained by the Daily Mail shows the egg and watch that Conticello stole on display at a publicity event earlier in the evening at Soho Whisky Club
Enzo Conticello, also known as Hakim Boudjenoune and from Algeria, swiped Rosie Dawson’s handbag on November 7, 2024
Ms Dawson, left, had credit cards, a laptop, the Fabergé egg and a Fabergé watch valued at more than £2million inside her stolen handbag
‘Normally gold will be melted down – as we saw from the Blenheim Palace golden toilet theft,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘However, an item like this is a fabulous piece of jewellery manufacturing so its value would be enhanced in keeping it intact.
‘Thieves want to monetise items quickly and getting it out of the country is the best way to do that – particularly when there is a lot of attention around the theft. You could drive it out of the UK or you could put it in your suitcase and fly it out. It’s not like we’re dealing with a big painting or sculpture.’
Mr Marinello suggested the egg could have ended up in Russia.
‘There are countries in the world that don’t care if something is stolen – that includes Russia, where Fabergé has a huge following.
‘Russian buyers will buy anything of value if they think it will get a big discount and won’t do any due diligence. So the thieves might be trying to find a buyer in that part of the world or the Middle East.
‘Or it could go to Eastern Europe to find a Chinese buyer.
Lawyers for Conticello – who was today handed a two-year jail sentence – insisted the thief had ‘absolutely no idea’ how valuable the items were and had given them away.
On November 20, a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods after the company that commissioned the egg and watch was approached with questions about the items’ value – but Scotland Yard took no further action
Mr Marinello said it was not unusual for criminals to know very little about the items they had stolen.
‘Criminals aren’t necessarily the most intelligent and tend to abuse and debase artwork not knowing that keeping it intact is the best way to maintain its true value,’ he said.
‘But is a piece that should remain intact to have any value. The problem for the thieves with this item is it’s unique enough that it will eventually surface somewhere in the world and be offered for sale.’
Both the Fabergé egg and watch remain missing and the Metropolitan Police have urged anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward
CCTV from November 2024 captured the moment Conticello struck outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho
This picture shows the case in which the egg and whisky would have been stored
The egg and watch were specially created by Fabergé for Craft Irish Whiskey’s ‘The Emerald Isle’ collection
The Daily Mail understands Conticello, who fled England and gave himself a new identity in Northern Ireland, was finally snared after being identified through fingerprint analysis.
He was eventually caught in Belfast having been circulated as wanted in connection with the theft in London.
Detectives from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) arrested Conticello in connection with an unrelated theft on November 9 2025, but the suspect gave a different name and handed over fake Irish identity documents.
However, it’s understood his fingerprints exposed his real identity and the Metropolitan Police was alerted that their wanted man had been found.
Detectives from the Met travelled to Belfast to arrest Conticello as he was released from Maghaberry Prison on January 26.
He was then flown back to London and hauled before the courts a day later.
London has seen a spate of luxury thefts in recent years, with Algerian nationals featuring prominently among suspects ending up in court. Robbers usually operate as part of organised criminal networks, with items quickly exported for sale abroad.
Conticello was sentenced for theft and three charges of fraud by misrepresentation, after using bank cards to purchase cigarettes and other goods at supermarkets in the Soho area.
Prosecutor Julian Winship told the sentencing hearing: ‘On November 7, 2024 at just before 10pm, [Ms Dawson] went to the Dog and Duck pub in Soho.
‘She was outside the premises in the designated smoking area, she put her handbag on the ground in between her legs, and a few minutes later she noticed her handbag was no longer there.’
Ms Dawson’s handbag also contained a £1,500 Apple laptop, Apple AirPods, a £350 store voucher, keys, Ms Dawson’s three bank cards, £200 worth of make-up, a Mulberry card holder worth £150 and £20 in cash.
The handbag belonging to Ms Dawson contained a rare Fabergé egg and watch which had been on display at an event earlier that evening, as well as her computer and purse
Conticello took Rosie Dawson’s bag, laptop and credit cards, which he used to buy himself a drink and cigarettes in a nearby Co-Op and Nisa Local
Mr Winship said Conticello ‘wanted to obtain some easy cash’ and prosecutors accept he did not intend to steal the Fabergé egg and accompanying watch.
Insurers have paid out £106,700 to the drinks company for the loss, but the prosecutor said there are only seven Fabergé sets – containing a jewelled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars and humidor – in existence.
Three had been sold for between $2million and $3million each and the company was seeking similar amounts for the remaining four sets.
Asked by the judge, Ms Recorder Kate Livesey KC, what Conticello had done with the stolen items, Kate Porter-Windley, defending, said: ‘He gave the bag to someone to purchase drugs.
‘He was a cocaine addict at the time, I am pleased to say he is now eight months clean, but at the time he just gave the bag away.’
She said the Algerian had ‘absolutely no idea’ what the Fabergé items were, adding: ‘I confess I didn’t know what the item was, I had to look it up myself.
‘And it certainly wasn’t known to Mr Conticello. He had absolutely no idea the value of it, none whatsoever.’
But the judge said: ‘It’s quite an extraordinary item, isn’t it?’
Conticello, who was captured on CCTV, has now been jailed for two years and three months
The Algerian was sentenced for theft and three charges of fraud by misrepresentation, after using bank cards to purchase cigarettes and other goods at supermarkets in the Soho area
The egg was created to accompany the company’s triple distilled single malt, The Emerald Isle
Craft Irish Whiskey heralded the accompaniment as ‘the world’s first Celtic Egg from Fabergé’
Each Celtic Egg was moulded from 18k yellow gold, also including a pavé diamond Celtic knot
Ms Porter-Windley replied: ‘In fairness to Mr Conticello, who was sleeping rough, he simply didn’t recognise it.
‘These offences were committed in circumstances where it looks as though the defendant wanted to obtain some easy cash, and his usage of the cards suggests precisely that.
‘He is not likely to be a man with any significant means at all.’
She added he felt ‘genuine remorse’ for his actions and ‘does not want to be someone tagged as a bag snatcher. It’s certainly not something he wants to do again’.
Conticello appeared in the dock today wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit, looking unsettled and with arms folded.
Prosecutor Julian Winship said: ‘The Crown does not contradict he did not intend to steal the Fabergé egg and Fabergé watch.
‘But the nature of this type of theft is that sometimes little value would be realised, sometimes a great value would be realised.’
The court was told the insurance company paid out £106,700 for the Fabergé items, though a statement by its owners suggests they have sold for up to $3million as part of a full set, one of seven in existence.
Three ‘bespoke emerald isle sets’ previously sold for $2million, £2.8million, and $3million.
But Mr Winship added: ‘The difference of value may not affect the outcome in this case as this is a high value theft.’
Passing sentence, the judge told Conticello: ‘The basis of your guilty plea is that you were acting opportunistically.
‘I accept the degree of loss was wholly unexpected when you took the bag.’
Quoting a statement by the victim, the judge referred to her ‘particular shock and panic that a bag containing items of such value had been stolen.’
She noted the ‘incredible stress’ the theft had on Ms Dawson, adding: ‘She had called the police almost every day since the incident.’
Conticello has two previous convictions for seven offences, the judge said, most recently for theft, attempted theft, and going equipped for theft on November 8 last year.
He was jailed for 27 months for the leading offence of theft, taking into account his ‘knowledge and intention’ and early guilty plea.
Conticello was also given a six-day jail term for his fraud offences, to be served concurrently.
The judge ordered no costs beyond the statutory surcharge, ‘owing to your inability to pay it’ following a ‘long custodial sentence’.
Conticello remained emotionless during the sentence and only said ‘yes’ to confirm he understood the charges.
Detective Constable Arben Morina, leading the Metropolitan Police’s investigation, said: ‘Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions – and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed.
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‘This theft has had a significant impact on the victim, who was on her way home from a work event when she was targeted.
‘The defendant never explained to the police what he did with the expensive jewellery. Our investigation to find the egg and the watch is ongoing and we’d urge anyone with information to contact us.’
Conticello, who was in custody and is also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, pleaded guilty to the offences in February.
After Conticello admitted the charges then, Judge Martin Griffiths told him: ‘I expect it was probably quite a surprise to you when you discovered that egg.
‘What you did with it, I don’t quite know, but I expect we’re going to find out.’
The court did not hear exactly how much the Fabergé egg and watch were worth, but was told the items have a minimum value of $2.8million.
The judge previously said he wanted to be ‘certain’ of the jewellery’s value, adding: ‘Unfortunately, you can’t ask Mr Fabergé, can you?’
Metropolitan Police detectives travelled to Belfast to arrest the suspect after the Police Service of Northern Ireland had detained him for an unrelated theft offence.
Officers continue to appeal for information about the missing items and are keen to hear from anyone who may have been offered them for sale or with information about their current whereabouts.
