Stolen Fabergé egg pendant with 183 diamonds and two sapphires recovered after being swallowed by suspect

A 32-year-old man was arrested at Partridge Jewellers in central Auckland, minutes after he allegedly ate the locket.

The locket was set with 60 white diamonds and 15 blue sapphires, according to the jeweller's website, and opens to reveal an 18-carat gold miniature octopus.

Earlier this week, officers in the New Zealand capital said the man had undergone a medical assessment and is constantly being monitored.

A spokesman said: "Given this man is in police custody, we have a duty of care to continue monitoring him given the circumstances of what has occurred."

The man was charged with theft.

According to officers, "medical intervention [was] not required" to retrieve the egg.

The egg is nicknamed the "Octopussy egg" as it was inspired by the 1983 James Bond film of the same name, which features an elaborate Fabergé egg heist.

Founded in Russia more than two centuries ago, Fabergé is most well known for its eggs made of gems and precious metals.

Partridge Jewellers said the locket will be returned to Fabergé, Radio NZ reported.

The suspect is set to appear in court again on December 8.

According to charge sheets, he has also been charged with allegedly stealing an iPad from the same jewellery store on 12 November and making away with cat litter and flea control products worth NZ$100 from a private address a day after, reports the BBC.

Last week, a jewel-encrusted Faberge egg created for the mother of Russia's final tsar has fetched a record-breaking £22.9million at auction in London.

The Winter Egg was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 as a present for Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.

The jewel-studded piece is considered among the most luxurious of all Faberge's imperial works.It piece is intricately carved from rock crystal, featuring a frost pattern engraved on its interior.

Its outer surface is adorned with platinum snowflake designs set with rose-cut diamonds.

Auctioneer Christie's confirmed the egg sold on Tuesday for £22,895,000, surpassing the previous Faberge world auction record by more than £13million.

That earlier record was established in 2007 when the Rothschild Egg fetched £8.9million.

This marks the third occasion the Winter Egg has set a record price for a Faberge work, according to Christie's.

Christie's head of department for Faberge and Russian works of art, Margo Oganesian said: "Christie's is honoured to have been entrusted with the sale of the exquisite Winter Egg by Faberge for the third time in our history."

She added: “Today’s result sets a new world auction record for a work by Faberge, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece and celebrating the rarity and brilliance of what is widely regarded as one of Faberge’s finest creations, both technically and artistically.

“With only a handful of imperial Easter eggs remaining in private hands, this was an exceptional and historic opportunity for collectors to acquire a work of unparalleled importance.”