The egg you choose sets the scale of everything else — the hinges, braid, miniatures and stand. Here’s how the common eggs compare.

Quail

The smallest egg used in egg art, speckled and delicate. Good for miniature ornaments and jewellery-scale pieces with micro miniatures and fine braids.

Duck

Smooth, fine-textured shells a little larger than a hen’s egg. Popular for small jewel boxes, ornaments and sets of matching eggs.

Guinea fowl

Small but notably hard, thick shells, which suit detailed cut-work that would be risky on a thinner egg.

Goose

The all-rounder and the best starting point. Large enough for a hinged door, a lining and a figure inside, and the egg most of our kits and all our pre-cut eggs are made on.

Rhea

Large eggs between a goose and an emu in size, suited to bigger scenes and jewel boxes.

Emu

Emu shells are dark green on the outside with lighter layers beneath, which is why they are prized for carving: cutting through the layers creates shaded designs. They also make impressive large jewel boxes.

Ostrich

The largest and strongest shell, with a thick cream wall. Ostrich eggs carry heavy decoration, lighting and large scenes, and need a heavy-duty stand.

Matching supplies to the egg

As the egg gets bigger, scale everything up: wider braids, larger hinges, taller miniatures and a wider stand. Product pages list sizes and, for stands, the eggs they suit. See how to choose an egg stand.