Somebody has died and in their will left you 10 Fabergé eggs.

[arcadian]

They aren't the high end eggs, they are only worth between $10,000 and $15,000 each. But their value to art lovers and art historians is immeasurable. It is documented that hidden within one of the eggs is a diamond worth 5 million dollars. The diamond was not placed there by Fabergé so it's presence does not increase the value of that particular egg or the collection in general. Art historians have never been able to find out which egg contains the diamond. X-rays, scans, etc. have revealed nothing about the diamonds location within the egg or within which egg it is hidden.

So, what do you do? Keep the collection intact and enjoy it or start smashing eggs?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. If it's documented that one egg holds that diamond, then the whole set has that value

So, sell it as a set.

I would, anyway - I'm not a big fan of faberge eggs, and could use the 2-3 million an auction might bring in to invest in something else.

[arcadian]

3. The set only has the value of the eggs.

Not of the diamond.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. But if it's documented that the diamond is in the set somewhere, then the set has the value

including the diamond.

Sorry, but we have to real with a real world scenario in this one.

[arcadian]

15. The documentation is from 1923

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. You know what, I don't like games in which the conditions keep changing,

or in which the information needed is doled out selectively and at whim by the originator.

I'm done.

Next time, try asking the question with all the pertinent conditions spelled out first.

What a waste of time.

[joeybee12]

2. Is it really documented that there is $5 million, or just a rumor?

I would try and find some way to determine if that diamond is somewhere before smashing. Then....well...$5 million...and I've never really seen the big deal with these eggs.

[arcadian]

4. Nobody knows, per haps another owner found out how to get the diamond

without smashing the eggs.

[joeybee12]

6. Do you know how many eggs there are total in the world?

IF a lot, yeah, I'd smash 10 of them.

[Brother Buzz]

8. Only fifty

I'd plan a nifty egg.

[joeybee12]

17. That's not many...

...may actually NOT smash them.

[Brother Buzz]

19. I'd plan an egg hunt and charge a million dollars a head to participate

All money raised goes to a charity of my selection committee's choice. You can join my selection committee.

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. If nobody knows, then it isn't documented.

[mitchum]

5. I would smash them; I have always found them to be incredibly gaudy

very expensive kitsch

[Rabrrrrrr]

14. I was really surprised when I saw them the first time at Forbes' office.

Quite disappointing. Gaudy indeed. Incredible skill in making them, yes, but not really all that interesting or fancy as I had expected them to be.

Compared to the jewelery of the Romanovs, they pale.

[mitchum]

18. I've always thought that even Elvis Presley would have found them tacky

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. That's always a good litmus test! lol "Would even a southernor find this tacky?"

:rofl:

Indeed.

[Jersey Devil]

7. Depending on where you live you may have to sell some to pay inheritance tax

If the person who died lived in NJ and the eggs were given to someone who was not a child (lineal descendant) or spouse then 10 eggs valued at $12,500 each would be a total of $125,000 and taxed at 15% or $18,750 (or more if the estate was over $675,000). Taxes for a sibling inheriting the same amount would be $9,900.

So if you break any eggs and find a diamond don't let the lawyer know or you'll pay tax on that too.

[yawnmaster]

9. Why don't you just wait until they hatch?

then you can easily look through the shells for the diamond.
Or are you saying that the diamond would then be in the body of the Faberge chick.
Maybe then you could xray the chick and it would be easier to see the diamond.

[Chan790]

10. I'd smash all 10 anyways...

iconoclasm as art in its' own right?

Even if there is no diamond.

[yawnmaster]

13. Do a documentary about the diamond and smashing the eggs...

publicize, charge for the viewing.
should be able to recoup some of the cost.

but then again, you could just wait until they all hatch.

[gmoney]

22. Al Capon's Egg Vault, hosted by Geraldo Rivera?

[redwitch]

16. Auction baby!

They are of historical significance so I wouldn't smash them.

[BlueIris]

25. Same. nt

[Bertha Venation]

20. Sell the collection. I need the money.

[Lyric]

21. I'd keep them.

Diamonds can be made in a laboratory. Fabergé eggs cannot.

[gmoney]

23. Shake them? But if Faberge did NOT put the diamond in, then there must be a way...

to get inside the egg for the diamond hider to put it in there, so you should be able to figure out which has been tampered with, or if a part is removable for stowing diamonds, it should also be evident.

I know your point is a values judgement exercise, but like the egg, there is at least one hole in the question as stated.

[tonekat]

24. Anybody want some egg fragments? N/T

[Orsino]

26. If x-rays don't show it, it ain't there. n/t

[Recovered Repug]

33. Real diamonds won't show up on x rays.

I suppose that they would show up on ultra sound, though.

[kentauros]

37. Even if the x-rays don't show the diamond,

they will indicate a space ;)

Ultrasound is but one of many nondestructive testing techniques :)

[Fire Walk With Me]

27. That's better than 10 prairie oysters.

:shrug:

[kentauros]

29. Considering the artificial "value" of diamonds

and the fact that the eggs are worth more for their artistic value than the individual materials, I would auction them off.

The other thing to consider is that most if not all of us here do not have the means to properly store, protect and insure such valuables, whereas rich museums and collectors do. Better to get rid of them fast before someone steals them from you.

Also, as has been pointed out, if an x-ray can't see it, then it likely isn't there. Don't forget all the other means of looking inside of solid matter, such as MRI, CAT scan, ultrasound, DOI (Diffuse Optical Imaging), and any of the ones on this list that can be used for forensics of art :)

[Turbineguy]

31. I love those!

although the creamy insides are awful sweet.

Oh wait. I'm thinking of the Cadbury eggs.

[mike_c]

32. the diamond only has value if it is sold...

...so there is no loss of value in keeping the eggs intact, as long as you-- and future buyers-- can be assured that one of them really does contain a diamond. So the whole collection is automatically worth the value of the diamond as long as it is kept intact. You can have the collection and the diamond, too!

Need five million dollars? Sell the entire collection to someone who wants 10 eggs plus one diamond.

Remember, YOU must accept that there is indeed a diamond in one of them before there is any payoff for smashing even one-- otherwise, you simply destroy a valuable collection. Assuming you're a rational person, it's likely that another rational person would share your conviction that the real worth of the intact collection is five mil.

[old mark]

34. Sell them at Christie's - Cash is better than eggs right now....nt

[quakerboy]

35. Put them in a garbage bag.

seal it shut. Smash it all together. Throw the entire unopened bag in the trash. I am no great shakes, when I exit this world, I will not be remembered for anything by anyone. This would change that. I bet I would even get a wiki entry. The guy who smashed 10 irreplacable Faberge eggs, then threw away a 5 million dollar diamond.

Ok, not really. Dunno. I am thinking, if it is doccumented to be there, then others would know it and value it. I would auction them seperately and let the egg savers and the diamond covetiers duke it out financially for who's ideology would win out.

[Orangepeel]

36. I would not trade $100,000 to $150,000 on a lottery ticket

How many low end eggs are there? One might have a diamond in it (even if it is documented that there was a diamond worth 5 million in one egg once, how would I know it is still there?). I wouldn't trade that much money on the chance that it might be in one of mine.

If each egg were worth $10 bucks I might smash a few.

on edit: I re-read the question. Is it documented that one of my 10 eggs has a diamond in it? I thought it was just some egg. I guess if the odds were that good, I'd have to question the documentation and the likelihood that the diamond might have been removed before I set up the ebay auction. Still, it would sound fishy and I'd almost certainly sell them.

[Inchworm]

38. sell sell sell

that is all

:)

[Jamastiene]

39. Sell the entire collection with the documentation...

That way, they would bring more $$$ at auction, someone who appreciates such things and can care for them will get them, and I can go build my house.

[carlyhippy]

40. I would sell to the highest bidder ala Sotheby's auction

Pretty eggs to look at, but a heaping pile of cash to pay off my bills would be even prettier to look at.