Why are Faberge eggs so prized?

The gift made such a strong impression on the Empress that from then on, jeweler Carl Faberge made a new egg for her every year for Easter. The Emperor set only 2 conditions: unique design and an obligatory surprise inside. Nicholas II also preserved this tradition. Only he had already given 2 eggs – to his wife and mother.

The story of the jeweler Faberge

The Faberge jewelry house was opened in St. Petersburg in 1842. The founder of the company is Gustav Faberge, whose ancestors were Baltic Germans and French Huguenots. Moreover, initially they had a different surname. But the change of residence led to the fact that Favry (or Fabry) first changed to Fabrière, and in 1825 turned into Faberge. At first, things went well for Gustav. There were orders, but there was no talk of any popularity. In 1846, there was an addition to the Faberge family – a son, Karl, was born. And the father did everything to give his first-born an excellent education. At first, Karl studied at one of the St. Petersburg gymnasiums, and continued his studies in Dresden. Then he met the best jewelers in Germany, France, England, and visited museums and galleries. However, it was clear that Karl would not become a jewelry genius. But he found himself in someone else. He approached jewelry making as a scientist, studying all kinds of techniques for working with precious stones and metals. In 1864, Karl returned to St. Petersburg. The knowledge he gained allowed him to begin cooperation with the Hermitage. Faberge seriously engaged in research and restoration work, restoring jewelry. Gustav was not disappointed in his son. On the contrary, he understood that Karl would be able to manage the family business without his help. And so he moved to Dresden. And Faberge Jr. inherited a company that employed about a hundred craftsmen from different European countries. His younger brother Agathon became his assistant. In 1882, the Faberge brothers presented their works at the All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition. There they were noticed by Emperor Alexander III. The exhibition of the Faberge house delighted him. Soon Karl became the jeweler of His Imperial Majesty and the jeweler of the Imperial Hermitage. This title allowed Karl to reach a new level. His company began to receive orders for jewelry not only from Russia, but also from Europe. Karl managed the company, not suspecting that the hour of triumph was approaching.

surprise egg

The spring of 1885 had arrived and Easter was approaching. According to one version, it was Emperor Alexander III who ordered a surprise egg from Faberge to please his wife. However, there is a version that the idea of ​​​​an unusual souvenir came to the mind of master Mikhail Perkhin. The basis was taken from precious egg-shaped trinkets belonging to the Danish monarchs. The souvenir was made and put up for sale. When the sovereign found out about this, he paid over 4 thousand rubles for the jewelry, which at that time was a substantial amount. Maria Fedorovna received a unique gift for Easter – a precious egg. Its “white” was made of white enamel, its “yolk” was made of gold. Inside the “yolk” was a golden hen that held a ruby ​​crown. Naturally, Maria Fedorovna remembered her Danish origin and was touched. Whether the emperor himself came up with the Easter egg or simply bought it does not matter. He hit the bull’s eye with the gift. Since then, the life of Carl Faberge himself and his company has been divided into “before” and “after”. He became the Supplier of the Supreme Court and had the right to place the emblem of the empire on his products. At the same time, Charles had an obligation to the imperial family – every year at Easter he was required to give a new egg. The monarch did not force the creator into strict limits. Alexander only demanded that the product be unique and with a mandatory surprise inside. And the House of Faberge got to work. The following year, Charles presented the sovereign with a chicken with a sapphire pendant inside. However, this egg was the last of the “simple” ones. In subsequent years, Faberge masters complicated the product. For example, in 1891, Maria Fedorovna received an egg called “Memory of Azov.” The frigate of the same name was hidden in the egg, on which Tsarevich Nicholas and his brother George made the Far Eastern voyage. When creating a souvenir, jewelers used gold, platinum, aquamarine, and diamonds.

Keeping traditions

Nicholas II, who replaced his deceased father on the throne in the fall of 1894, continued the Easter tradition. Only now Faberge received 2 annual orders for eggs. One was intended for the sovereign’s wife Alexandra Feodorovna, the second for his mother. Thus, Faberge Easter eggs finally strengthened their status as a symbol of the Russian imperial family. And the jewelers tried to match it. In 1898, Maria Fedorovna received a Pelican egg. It was covered with gold in the Empire style, and on top sat a pelican in an enamel nest. The gift hid inside platinum miniatures with images of the institutions that the sovereign’s mother founded. Nikolai presented his wife with a Lily of the Valley egg. The gift was decorated with pearl flowers, and inside there were portraits of the emperor, as well as his daughters Olga and Tatyana. In the early 1900s, the Russian Empire was overwhelmed by a wave of revolutionary upheavals. However, Faberge regularly produced 2 eggs for the emperor year after year. The only exception is 1904 and 1905. It is not known whether the jeweler made souvenirs at all or not. Possibly 2 unnamed eggs were lost. In 1912, Nikolai presented his mother with a Napoleonic egg in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War. Jewelers used not only gold, diamonds and ivory, but also velvet and satin. The wife received the “Tsarevich” souvenir. Hidden inside the egg was a double-headed eagle with a portrait of Tsarevich Alexei. The tradition was not interrupted even during the First World War, into which the Russian Empire entered unprepared. The difficult situation in the country left its mark on works of jewelry. This is especially clearly seen on souvenirs from 1916. Maria Feodorovna received the Order of St. George egg. And although the craftsmen used gold, crystal and silver, not a trace remained of the former luxury. Alexandra Feodorovna received an even more modest gift – an egg called “Military Steel”. The souvenir was made of steel, on which the jewelers placed a gold coat of arms and a crown. Inside was a miniature depicting the visit of the emperor and the heir to the troops.

After the revolution

The February Revolution of 1917 took place in the country. In March 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne. But, as you know, this did not save the royal family. Maria Feodorovna was able to escape from Russia and return to Denmark in 1918. She took with her only 1 egg as a souvenir – “Order of St. George”. Over three decades, Carl Faberge and his jewelers made more than fifty Easter eggs for the royal family. But besides Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Fedorovna, several other people had unique souvenirs. The philanthropist and philanthropist Varvara Petrovna Bazanova received at least 7 eggs as a gift from her husband Alexander Kelkh. Princess Yusupova, the Duchess of Marlborough, the Rothschilds and several other rich and influential people could also boast of souvenirs. While the Civil War was going on, no one paid attention to the Easter eggs of the imperial family. They were remembered only in 1925. A catalog of valuables from the House of Romanov was compiled, including souvenirs. And then some of them were sold, and at a low price – about $400 per egg. Times were hard, the country needed currency. As for Carl Faberge himself, he fled Russia in 1918. The jeweler understood that he had no chance of life under the new government. The revolutionary events greatly undermined the old man. He was never able to recover from the blow and often repeated: “There is no more life.” Faberge passed away in September 1920. Charles’s four sons also left Russia. Evgeniy and Alexander, having settled in Paris, even founded the company “Faberge and Co.” But they failed to achieve their former greatness. It is not known exactly how many eggs were produced by the Faberge jewelry house. It is generally accepted that 71 (imperial – 54). But 65 have survived to this day (imperial – 48). Now they are kept in state museums and private collections. And not only in Russia, but also in the USA, Great Britain, Switzerland, Monaco. “Dear egg for Christ’s day.” The proverb takes on a special meaning when it comes to Faberge eggs. Not a simple pysanka or an egg painted with onion skins, but gold, enamel, precious stones, rock crystal and fine workmanship. 10 facts about the peaks of Faberge’s jewelry craftsmanship.

Memories are a gift

The prototype of Faberge’s first work was an egg from the Danish royal treasury. In the 18th century in Denmark, jewelry Easter eggs were made with a surprise chicken inside. According to the principle of a nesting doll, a crown was kept in a chicken. Emperor Alexander III gave his wife Maria Feodorovna, the former Danish princess Dagmar, an analogue – a work by Carl Faberge. This gift served as the basis for the entire collection.

Freedom of creativity and three conditions for a court jeweler

When setting to work, Carl Faberge had to stick to the shape of an egg. Connect the content with the life of the royal family and avoid repetition. The Emperor was impatiently interested in the plot of the new work, to which the jeweler replied: “Your Majesty will be pleased.”

A surprise inside every egg

Faberge justified the high status of the court jeweler by maintaining intrigue. 71 eggs were made, more than 50 were imperial. And every surprise is a miniature miracle. The most famous is an exact copy of the coronation carriage of Nicholas II, the most unexpected are a manicure set and a map of the empire with the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Family tradition along with the throne

After the death of Alexander III, his successor Nicholas II continued his father’s tradition. Now gifts by Faberge were received by two crowned ladies – the wife and mother of the emperor. Maria Fedorovna was able to take out only one gift – the “St. George’s” egg – in 1918, when leaving Russia for Denmark.

Faberge and company

Carl Faberge is a hereditary jeweler and a whole concern worked on royal gifts. Among the masters are the most famous Mikhail Perkhin and the only lady artist Alma Pihl, who invented frost on crystal – “Winter Egg”. The team of jewelers spent a year on each job, just before Easter.

In the spirit of the times

Not only precious metals were used in jewelry work. In the pre-revolutionary years, many craftsmen from the Faberge company went to the front, and in difficult times for the country, Alexandra Feodorovna received a “Military Steel” egg as a gift. And in 1917, an egg was made from Karelian birch for Maria Feodorovna.

Criminal interest

Faberge eggs and criminal interest in them are a favorite topic for filmmakers. Soviet – “The Investigation is Conducted by Experts” and Western – one of the Bond series, pictures with Mick Jagger, Audrey Hepburn, Martin Lawrence. And for the film “Ocean’s 12” they made a metal copy of a Faberge egg. The work cost four thousand dollars. See also:

• Magic candlestick and other treasures of the Empress
• 150 years of the Historical Museum: 5 interesting exhibits
• Alexander III: peacemaker and collector

Based on Faberge

Jewelry fantasies on an Easter theme haunt fashion designers. Entire fashion collections are created based on the works of the imperial jeweler. The first – Valentina Yudashkina with dresses in the shape of eggs in the style of Faberge – created a sensation at the show in Paris. Pierre Cardin was the first to congratulate his young colleague on his success.

Faberge hallmark

The double-headed eagle mark – the Faberge mark – gives jewelry eggs artistic value and adds additional zeros to the market value. Many people tried to work “like Faberge”, and at the end of the 20th century there was even an exhibition of fakes in New York. Original works are in the collections of five countries – Russia, USA, Great Britain, Monaco, Switzerland.

See with my own eyes

After the Bolsheviks sold the royal heritage, only part of Faberge’s products returned to their homeland. The world’s largest collection of eggs is located in St. Petersburg, in the Faberge Museum