THE HOUSE OF CARL FABERGÉ

Biography and Early Years

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

The Fabergé firm was founded in St. Petersburg in 1842 by Gustav Fabergé, a Baltic German jeweler. Its true flourishing came under his son, Carl Gustavovich Fabergé (1846–1920), who studied art in Dresden and Paris. Upon returning to Russia in the 1870s, he transformed a modest workshop into a grand artistic manufactory. At the 1882 All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow, Fabergé’s works earned a gold medal, marking the beginning of imperial patronage. By the early 20th century, Fabergé operated branches in Moscow, Kiev, London, and Odessa, employing over 500 artisans. The firm ceased operation after the 1917 Revolution; Carl Fabergé emigrated and died in Switzerland.

TITLES, AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Fabergé held the title of “Supplier to the Imperial Court” and produced jewelry for the Romanov family and other European royal houses. It received gold medals and Grand Prix awards at the World Exhibitions in Paris (1889, 1900). The firm’s most celebrated creations are the Imperial Easter Eggs, commissioned by Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II between 1885 and 1917, each embodying technical perfection and symbolic sophistication.

ARTISTIC SPECIFICITY AND TECHNIQUES

Fabergé’s artistic style blended Russian decorative traditions with European Art Nouveau and Rococo revival. The firm’s craftsmen mastered all jewelry techniques – from chasing and engraving to filigree, hardstone carving, and guilloché enamel. The use of translucent enamel over engine-turned metal became a hallmark of Fabergé design. Beyond jewelry, the firm produced refined desk and table objects, miniatures, animal figurines, and portrait busts from colored stones, reflecting the opulent yet inventive spirit of its time.

LEGACY AND MASTERPIECES

Fabergé’s name has become synonymous with the pinnacle of jewelry artistry. Among its masterpieces

The “Hen Egg” (1885), the first Imperial Egg, now in the Kremlin Armoury.

The “Coronation Egg” (1897), created for Nicholas II’s coronation, adorned with a golden lattice and miniature carriage, now in the Barlot Collection (USA).

The “Trans-Siberian Express Egg” (1900), symbolizing modern progress and artistic innovation.

Hardstone animal sculptures and crystal miniatures in the Hermitage, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

PRICE HISTORY

Fabergé objects continue to command strong demand and rising values among collectors and institutions.

Exceptional works – Imperial Eggs and items with documented provenance, €2–25 million. Record sale – the “Winter Egg” (1913), sold for €24 million in 2002.

Rare works – minor workshop pieces, hardstone carvings, and enameled vessels by masters such as Mikhailov, Rappoport, Perchin, and Wigström, €150,000–800,000.

Series works – silver tableware, small boxes, brooches, and rings, €5,000–100,000.

Today, Fabergé remains a symbol of supreme craftsmanship and artistic legacy in global collecting culture.

Price history