In the country that hosted the World Cup, Fabergé eggs are objects of fascination, mystery and exceptional artistic work. The mystique that hovers over imperial eggs began in 1884, when Tsar Alexander III commissioned a luxurious Easter egg from the royal household jeweler to present to his wife. Today, they are valued in the millions of dollars.
gift of love
Easter was a very special date in Tsarist Russia: everyone kissed and said “Christ is Risen”, receiving the answer “Truly, Christ is Risen”. And they presented themselves with eggs, which represented the new life that emerged, the rebirth of hopes. The eggs that the people exchanged with each other were painted.
As for the eggs that members of the royal family and court nobles gave each other, they were made of gold, silver, decorated with enamel and precious stones.
In 1884, Tsar Alexander III commissioned the official jeweler of the Russian imperial court, Peter Carl Fabergé, an egg as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, containing a surprise: a golden yolk with a hen accommodated in a nest. Inside the chicken, also made of gold, is a replica of the imperial crown studded with diamonds and a ruby pendant cut in the shape of an egg. Thus began the tradition of Fabergé eggs.
Each year the Tsar ordered a new egg to present to the Tsarina at Easter, leaving Fabergé to make it however he wanted. On the emperor's death in 1894, Fabergé continued to raise the eggs for the Russian imperial family. The Coronation Egg of the new Tsar Nicholas II was made in gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies and rock crystal, presented by him à Tsarina Alexandra. Inside this egg, there was a replica of the carriage that transported the Tsarina through the streets of Moscow during the coronation festivities. From that day on, Nicholas II began to annually order two eggs: one for his mother and one for his wife.
genuine luxury
The Fabergé eggs were one of a kind. Some celebrated family themes, others honored notable events of the Russian state. They were equipped with small and delicate mechanisms that showed the secret of their interior.
Because they are exclusive and meticulously crafted, Fabergé eggs have become extremely valuable pieces. Measuring around 13 cm, each egg took a whole year to make, and everything was done in absolute secrecy.
Much more than just symbols of luxury and opulence, Fabergé eggs are objects of fascination, mystery and exceptional artistic work. Between 1885 and 1917, Fabergé created 96 highly artistic and creative eggs for the Russian family. However, after the revolutionary conflicts of 1917, the coveted eggs were expropriated from the imperial family, some were lost during the looting of the palaces, not knowing where they are.
Although Fabergé continues to operate as a jeweler producing delicate works of art, the limited number of original and imperial eggs means that, today, real Fabergé eggs are recognized worldwide for their sumptuousness, artistry and value, and are sought after by collectors from all over the world. the world, reaching great values in the market. The House of Fabergé is represented in France, England, Germany, the United States and Brazil.
Curiosities
- The Nécessaire imperial egg, created in 1889, survived the Revolution and was sold, in 1952, by a family of antique dealers to a mysterious buyer. After that, his whereabouts are unknown. This egg was adorned with diamonds, rubies and emeralds and was used to store beauty accessories.
- The most expensive egg produced by Fabergé was the 1913. Made of the finest crystal adorned with engravings, platinum and 3246 diamonds, it was nicknamed the Winter Egg and sat on a base that looked like melted ice. Her surprise was a platinum basket of flowers made from white quartz, gold, jade and other precious materials. At the time, it was valued at 24600 rubles.
- The Queen of England has three. King George V and Queen Maria were true fans of Fabergé objects and, therefore, in 1933, they acquired three exquisite imperial eggs: Columns, Basket of Flowers and Mosaic. The eggs currently belong to Queen Elizabeth II, who also has several other Fabergé collectibles, such as ornaments, boxes and photo frames.
- In 2012, the Imperial Egg of the Blue Serpent Clock narrowly missed being smelted. An unidentified man spotted the egg while looking for gold objects and bought it for $14, hoping to make some easy money by selling it to a metal melter. But there were no buyers because he had overestimated the value of the watch and the jewels inside the egg. Desperate, the man searched the Internet and realized that he might have a Fabergé egg. When the scrap dealer approached London antiques dealer Wartski, he was shocked: the records showed that the 8cm high egg was the third imperial jewel commissioned by the Tsar and that the masterpiece was removed from St Petersburg after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, having been missing for decades in the United States and was valued at $20 million or $78 million.
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