Fabergé, Goldsmith to the Crown - Iconic Works at The Met NY | The Culture Concept Circle The objects on display at The Met Museum include works from the collections of Matilda Geddings Gray ( New Orleans Museum of Art ), India Early Minshall ( Cleveland Museum of Art ), Lillian Thomas Pratt ( Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond) , Marjorie Merriweather Post (Hillwood Museum, Washington, DC) and Malcolm S. Forbes (The Forbes Galleries, New York). Nine eggs and approximately 180 other items from the House of Faberge, founded by Carl’s father Gustav, were once owned by Malcolm Forbes of the Forbes magazine dynasty in the largest set of Faberge items outside the Russian Kremlin. His heirs were set to auction the collection with Sotheby’s in 2004 but oligarch Victor Vekselberg bought the whole collection before the sale started. Vekselberg is estimated to have paid between $90 and $120 million (£57.7 and £77m). WOW...

Kate Hudson at the 69th Venice International Film Festival The most stunning works in the show come from a sophisticated collector, Louisiana heiress and philanthropist Matilda Geddings Gray, who amassed 57 rare pieces highlighted by three Russian Imperial Easter Eggs at a time when the name Fabergé was virtually unknown in the USA, have attracted much attention over the past two years. Fond of travel, she first encountered the works of Fabergé at the Chicago World Fair of 1933 and was inspired to go on a quest to find more. After Matilda Geddings Gray died in 1971, her outstanding collection passed to the foundation that she had established, with the stipulation that a broader public should always be able to enjoy it. An interesting aspect of the show at The Met Museum will be towards the end when they will display forgeries of Fabergé made by those attempting to cash in on their value at a time when passions ran high and high status collectors were reaching for the stars. Long after the death of the famous jeweler in 1920, the first boutique in the U.S. of Fabergé opened on Madison Avenue at New York in March 2012.

Hollywood actress Kate Hudson, looking absolutely fabulous, chose to wear jewelry from their Les Fabuleuses collection to the premier of the film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Opening ceremony of the the 69th Venice International Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema 2012 at Venice in Italy A good proportion of Peter Carl Fabergé’s original work was based on the revival of pre revolutionary French style of decoration, inspired by the jewellery of the ancien regime. Eros, or Cupid the God of Love figured largely in his works. Cupid is revealed subduing a phoenix on a splendid gold and pink guilloche enameled lid of a circular nephrite box produced in the Louis XV or so-called Rococo style. The symbolism is love revived, since the mythical phoenix has traditionally been associated with hope and renewal, which is it seems what the House of Fabergé today is all about. Apprenticed as a young man to his father’s atelier at Saint Petersburg, Peter Carl Fabergé took it over in 1872. He transformed it into one of the most successful jewellery companies in the world, which at the peak of its success employed some five hundred artisans and designers.

Coronation Egg 1897 Easter gift to Alexandra, workmasters Michael Perchin & Henrik Wigström Given access to the amazing collection of ancient gold jewellery pieces housed in the Russian Museum, The Hermitage during the 1870’s, Fabergé set his people to work cataloging, repairing and restoring many of its precious resources of ancient jewellery. In the process they discovered the secrets of the ancient goldsmiths and began re-producing pieces, using their techniques as well as replicas of some of the most famous of the ancient pieces yet found. Many of these had originally been unearthed in southern Italy at Herculaneum since 1738 and at Pompeii from 1748 having been buried by the resultant flow and ash from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD The Russian goldsmith was an eclectic genius and great visionary. His firm came to the attention of the Czar and the Imperial family during the Pan-Russian exhibition held at Moscow in 1882 where he had some of his replicas on display.

Nominated ‘Goldsmith by special appointment of the Imperial Crown” in 1885, he was commissioned to produce the first of what would become the most unique objets de luxein history, the Imperial Easter Egg. The eggs were a gift from the Czar Alexander III to his wife Maria Feodorovna, perhaps they may be the greatest ever ‘love’ objects made. When their son Czar Nicholas II ascended the throne in 1894 he carried on the tradition, having them made for both his mother and his wife. The idea was that there would always be a surprise inside. The Coronation Egg, an Easter gift to Alexandra Fedorovna is among the most recognised of all Faberge’s eggs. its surprise inside was an exact replica of the Imperial coach used to take her to her coronation in Moscow in May 1896. Perfectly articulated, the steps can be let down when the doors open. Inside pale blue curtains behind the upolstered seats and footstool and it has a daintily painted ceiling.

the egg is varicolored gold, translucent lime-yellow and opaque black and blue enamel, diamonds with an off-white velvet lining Coach is made of gold, platinum, strawberry red enamel, diamonds, rubies and rock crystal. The amount of work and skill that went into the manufacture of these luxury objects required the work of a great many people, who were employed for one whole year to produce them. Just one small object required the talents and skill of engravers, enamellers, polishers gem cutters, designers and so the cost was an extravagance of major proportions. Enameling is a technique that takes extreme patience, great skill and long periods of time if it is to be a success as each layer has to dry in a damp atmosphere. Faberge’s enamelling was a tour de force. The eggs were set with gems; diamonds, emeralds, pearls, crystal, ivory and sapphires and they opened up to reveal all sorts of magical miniature views and scenes inside. The work that is considered his floral masterpiece, the “Lilies of the Valley Basket’, was made in 1896.

It consisted of nineteen individual stems emerging from nine separate plants in a “moss” of spun, fused, clipped, and polished green and yellow gold. Each pearl blossom was edged in silver set with rose-cut diamonds, with realistic leaves made of hard, dense nephrite and carved with the striations characteristic of the lily-of-the-valley plant. The czarina adored her Lilies-of- the-Valley Basket, because the blossoms were among her favorite flowers, and pearls were her favorite jewels. She kept it on view in the private apartments and often took it with her when she went travelling. One of fifty-two jewelled eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé - gold, guilloché enamel, rose-cut diamond, platinum, ivory, gouache, velvet, silk by the House of Fabergé. Workmaster: Henrik Emanuel Wigström (Finnish, 1862–1923). Miniaturist: Vassily Ivanovich Zuiev Russian (Saint Petersburg), 1912.

courtesy of the Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The three Imperial Easter Eggs on view include the Imperial Danish Palaces Egg, which Czar Alexander III presented in 1890 to his wife, and which is divided into twelve sections in opalescent pink enamel with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. It opens to reveal a surprise folding ten-panel screen that bears miniatures of the Empress’s favorite Danish and Russian retreats. The Imperial Caucasus Egg, an opulent piece adorned with diamonds, pearls, crystal, and ivory, has four oval doors, each of which opens to reveal a different miniature view of Abastuman, the imperial hunting lodge in the Caucasus Mountains. The final is the Imperial Napoleonic Egg, which Czar Nicholas II presented to his mother, the dowager empress Maria Feodorovna, on Easter 1912. It commemorates the centenary of the Russian victory over the armies of Napoleon, opening to reveal a folding six-panel screen with miniatures showing the six regiments of which the dowager empress was an honorary colonel.

Peter Carl Fabergé, a giant of the jewellery trade An interesting aside to the Fabergé story is that businessman Alfred Cartier’s son Pierre Cartier went to Russia in 1904 and 1905 to study the political and economic situation under Nicolas II as well as the professional success of their famous colleague. After testing the market they concluded it would be far safer for Cartier to set up a new business in the United States, rather than Russsia as the first signs of revolution were already in the air. Pierre became the head of Cartier New York in 1909, where right from the beginning and the sumptuous jewellery of the Belle Epoque until today, its name has also been associated with numerous illustrious patrons. This would prove a wise decision, although falling under Faberge’s spell, the firm of Cartier began manufacturing their own enamel objects, using ancient techniques. Queen Elizabeth & the then Catherine Middleton examining works by Fabergé in The Royal Collection. As a relation of the Russian royal family Queen Elizabeth II has a fine selection of Fabergé, including three of his now renowned 'eggs'. They pioneered all-new colour combinations with a great refinement of style.

The Russian Revolution happened as they suspected it would in 1917. Following the revolution, the House of Faberge in Russia was nationalised in 1918. Peter Carl Fabergé was on the last diplomatic train to leave for the Latvian capital Riga, from where he finally fled to Germany when the Communist revolution spread west to encompass Latvia. These events brought an end to Carl Peter Fabergé’s life’s work. The artisan died at Lausanne in Switzerland, in 1920. But his story did not end there. Peter Carl Fabergé’s two sons Alexander and Agathon had been imprisoned in Russia, while Madame Fabergé avoided capture and crossed the border into Finland with their younger brother Eugene. Alexander escaped prison in 1925 by bribing the guards. Agathon would not escape until 1927 with his family and they spent the rest of their lives in Finland. The diamond set head ornament that he produced was mounted in gold and set in silver in the form of a wreath of myrtle; the leaves and berries of which were sacred to the ancient Goddess of Love Aphrodite. It is a superb piece of 'love jewellery'.

In 1924, Peter Carl’s son Alexander and his half-brother Eugène opened Fabergé et Cie at Paris, to distinguish themselves from the shop owned by the state back in Russia. They were a modest success. They used the trademark “FABERGÉ, PARIS” and the store continued in 2001. In 1937, the brand name “ Fabergé ” was sold and then re-sold in 1964 to cosmetics company Rayette Inc., which changed its name to Rayette-Fabergé Inc. As the name was resold more times, Fabergé companies (such as Fabergé Inc.) launched clothing lines. The cologne Brut (which became the best-selling cologne at the time), the perfume Babe, hair products, and they also undertook film production. In 1984 Fabergé et Cie lost their rights to use the trademark Fabergé for jewelry against Fabergé Inc. It been started by Samuel Rubin at the suggestion of his friend American oil billionaire Armand Hammer, who was a renowned Fabergé collector.

He had purchased the brand name Fabergé from Fabergé & Cie in 1937. The reputation of Fabergé as a producer of the highest standard was maintained by Fabergé Inc, although there were other companies fighting to secure the rights to the name. Major exhibitions such as those at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1994 and the Royal Collection in 2003–4 aided their cause. Following the end of the Soviet Union and the rise of the oligarchs, Russian collectors sought to repatriate many of Fabergé’s works and auction prices reached record highs. On 27 November 2007, the Rothschild Fabergé Egg was auctioned at Christie’s in London for £8.98 million. It was record price for a piece of Fabergé as well as the highest price ever paid for a Russian object and the most expensive price for a timepiece.

The company history since the 80’s is extremely complex to say the least, suffice to say that in January 2007 the global portfolio of Fabergé trademarks, licences and all associated rights were sold to a new firm who announced it proposed to establish the Fabergé company once more as the world’s most exclusive luxury brand. It has boutiques at London, one in Geneva, one in Hong Kong and Fabergé in Madison Avenue at New York. Faberge Nephrite Egg with Imperial Crown For Sale at 1stdibs LU576221682 About Fabergé Best known for creating the lavishly ornate and intricately devised Imperial Easter Eggs given by the last czars to their families as annual holiday gifts, the House of Fabergé was the most prestigious Russian luxury goods maker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Serving the aristocracy and the well-to-do through stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow and as far afield as London, Fabergé crafted a wide range of jewelry, clock cases, silver and myriad objets de vertu that included picture frames, cigarette boxes, cufflinks and carved hardstone floral and animal figurines.

Following the revolution, the firm was closed by the Soviet state in 1918. Master goldsmith Gustav Fabergé, a descendant of Huguenot emigrées, founded the company in St. Petersburg in 1842. The firm did a brisk trade among the lesser nobility and the merchant class, but it flourished under the guidance of Gustav’s eldest son Carl Fabergé, who took over in 1872. Cosmopolitan, widely-traveled and himself a master goldsmith, the younger Fabergé drew early design inspiration when he volunteered to catalogue and restore pieces in the imperial jewelry collection in the Hermitage. Fabergé pieces based on historical jewelry from the Hermitage caught the attention of Czar Alexander III at a Moscow exhibition in 1882, and three years later he commissioned the first Imperial Easter Egg as a gift for the czarina.

(Relatively simple in design compared to the complex cloisonné-adorned eggs that followed, the first egg was a white-enameled ovoid containing a gold “yolk” that held a gold hen, which in turn contained a replica of the imperial crown from which hung an egg-shaped ruby pendant.) Czar Nicholas II continued the tradition, presenting two eggs each Easter — one for his wife and one for his mother. As the appointed goldsmith to the royal court, the House of Fabergé became the darling of Russian aristocrats as well as wealthy patrons across Europe. Many and varied objets — hundreds of thousands by one count — were made to meet their demand. The firm employed some 500 craftsmen and designers when it was shuttered. After the Russian Revolution, the Fabergé name and trademark endured a checkered passage through the 20th century. Family members left their homeland in 1918 and set up a new business in Paris that was mainly concerned with repairing and restoring earlier-made wares. The name was adopted by an American fragrance and beauty products maker in the late 1930s, and later authorized by the family in a 1951 agreement.

The trademark has been subsequently sold several times, and attached to numerous products including jewelry. For connoisseurs, true Fabergé refers to items made in the firm’s brief, golden decades from 1885 to 1917. Collectors are advised to make a study of Fabergé works in museum collections such as the Victoria & Albert and the Royal Collection in London to gain an understanding of the quality of genuine goods made by the original firm, and then to purchase only from reputable and reliable dealers, such those at 1stdibs. As you will see from the jewelry and objects on these pages, Fabergé pieces are richly redolent of a romantic past, and a source of thorough delight. Additional Information + The works of Peter Carl Fabergé ~ M.S. Rau Antiques A A A The public's appreciation and fascination with the works of Fabergé have continued unabated for more than 100 years. Born in 1846 to a modest jeweler of French Huguenot decent, Peter Carl Fabergé lived his life against the backdrop of one of the most powerful and glittering empires in history.

The last Czars of Russia enjoyed an elegant lifestyle and the son of this St. Petersburg jeweler became the leading and most famed goldsmith, jeweler and designer of the Western decorative arts. As a child, Fabergé attended the finest schools in Germany, Italy, France and England. By 1842, his father had established himself as the premier jeweler in St. Petersburg, dealing also in fine decorative objects, a passion Peter Carl would cultivate in his own endeavors. Peter Carl enjoyed the luxury of making a World Tour and finally returned home to an apprenticeship under his father, whose jewelry business was thriving. After his father's retirement in 1870, however, the younger Fabergé made a bold decision and moved the focus of the business away from heavy, ornate jewelry to items of a lighter nature. The new Fabergé put as much importance on the design and execution of an object as he did on the value of the material used.

Assisted by his sons and such Swiss artisans such as François Berbaum, Fabergé gained popularity as a brilliant designer, utilizing precious and semiprecious materials such as gold, silver, nephrite, agate and malachite as well as incomparable enamel detailing. Soon, the Fabergé firm expanded its empire to include workshops in Moscow, Kiev and London, all of which operated under his direct supervision. The Fabergé workshops were home to the talents of such outstanding craftsmen as Michael Perchin and silversmith Julius Rappaport. This change caught the attention of Czar Alexander III who first encountered his work at the 1882 Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow. Alexander III and his wife Czarina Maria made a purchase at the Fabergé exhibit. There, Fabergé was presented with a gold medal honoring him as "...having opened a new era in jewelry art." Until that time, many felt the value of jewelry was intrinsic, based upon the precious metals and stones utilized in a piece. Fabergé felt that the artistic creativity and fine craftsmanship of jewelry made it an art form that transcended monetary value.

Alexander III was so impressed by Fabergé he made him the official Court Jeweler on May 1, 1885. With such and appointment, Carl Fabergé was no longer burdened with concerns such as cost or time consumption when working on an item. He was limited only by his imagination. From this union was born some of the most spectacular and innovative objets d'art the world had ever seen, each executed to the highest degree of scrutiny from Fabergé himself. The most important commissions Alexander III made was for the celebrated Imperial Easter Eggs, which became the delight of royalty throughout Europe and Asia. Easter is considered the most important feast of the Russian Orthodox church and is celebrated with the giving of beautifully decorated Easter eggs. Alexander III commissioned the first egg in 1884 for Czarina Maria. The egg was made of gold with white enamel for the shell. Inside was a golden "yolk" with a miniature gold hen in the center. The empress was so delighted by the egg that Alexander had Fabergé create one each year for her, each bearing a tiny surprise inside.

When Alexander III died in 1894, his son Nicholas II continued the tradition for his mother and for his own wife and children. Birthdays, weddings, christenings and an extensive family network kept Fabergé busy creating masterpieces to satisfy the Imperial family's voracious appetite. Imperial patronage led to even greater success and the name Fabergé was echoed around the world in the most elite circles. Commissions from princes, sultans, business tycoons and dukes poured into his workshop keeping it busy year round. The Russian Revolution in 1917 marked the collapse of not only the Imperial Russian government, but the Fabergé firm as well. The poor leadership of Alexander III successor, Nicolas II, created great unrest among the impoverished lower class. Coupled with the hardships of World War I and the long-brewing tension between the two camps of Social Democrats, the radical Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and the comparatively moderate Menshiviks, riots erupted throughout Russia calling for an end to the reign of the Russian Imperial family. Fabergé's entire world came to an abrupt end. The new Soviet leadership would not tolerate the creation of any ‘objects of luxury,' forcing Fabergé into exile.

He settled for a short time in Germany, then in Switzerland on Lake Geneva, bearing witness the entire time to the downfall of his esteemed clientele in the Russian, German and Austrian empires. Fabergé died on September 24, 1920 in Lausanne, Switzerland. After the Russian Revolution, many Fabergé treasures were lost or destroyed. Items of silver and gold were melted down to mint ingots and rubles during economic unrest. The few pieces known to exist are indeed extraordinary reminders of this significant period in world history. Today, pieces can be found in museums, with relatively few examples finding their way to the open market. From dazzling pendants to jeweled canes and captivating array of gold and silver objects, these cherished pieces stand as a testament to the epitome of the Russian decorative arts as well as the life of one of the most talented and widely-respected artisans in history. Walking Stick with Faberge Jeweled Amber Handle Fabergé Bell Push Faberge collection of the Royals goes on display in Buckingham Palace | Daily Mail Online comments It's a tea set fit for a queen - although it's unlikely to help quench her thirst.

This stunning collection of intricate works of art by Russian jeweller and goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé is what the Royal family has amassed over more than a century. The works were unveiled - some of them publicly for the first time - as part of an exhibition at Buckingham Palace's summer opening. Intricate: A miniature Fabergé tea set that is among more than 100 items collected by the Royals since the reign of Queen Victoria goes on display at Buckingham Palace Tea anyone? A curator from the Royal Collection examines a miniature tea set measuring just 1cm in height which was originally owned by Queen Alexandra of Denmark The Royal Fabergé collection includes more than 100 items from the celebrated artist who was first collected by Queen Victoria in the late 19th century. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Sine then, six generations of Royals including Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Charles have been fascinated by the priceless baubles. Among the collection is an Imperial Easter egg with an ornate basket of flowers that was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II for Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna in 1901.

Glitter ball: A specialist handles a mosaic egg which forms part of a display at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace where over 100 Faberge pieces will be exhibited Easter surprise: The famous mosaic Fabergé egg with its tiny cut emeralds, rubies and diamonds, and right, a miniature Fabergé figure of a Chelsea Pensioner which also forms part of the display The famous Mosaic Imperial Easter Egg is made from tiny cut emeralds, rubies and diamonds with portraits of the five children of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. The Egg was a gift from the Tsar to his wife in 1914 and was confiscated during the Russian Revolution before being purchased by King George V in 1933, probably for Queen Mary’s birthday. Also going on display are a miniature gold tea set that originally belonged to Queen Alexandra and the only known Fabergé figure of a Chelsea Pensioner, acquired by King Edward VII in 1909.

Keepsake: A Fabergé double photograph frame containing portraits of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth taken in 1946 Royal approval: A crystal Fabergé inkwell was presented to The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) and The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of their wedding in November 1947 (left) and Queen Victoria used a red and white Fabergé notebook to sign autographs for foreign rulers who attended her diamond jubilee (right) The summer opening also includes a display of the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress. One of the most striking items is a red and white enamelled notebook that Queen Victoria used for autographs for foreign rulers who attended her diamond jubilee. Among the exhibition highlights is a crystal inkwell presented to The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) and The Duke of Edinburgh on the occasion of their wedding in November 1947. Fabergé produced a diverse range of works, often turning the most routine object into a miniature work of art. The vast majority of his designs were never repeated and most pieces were made entirely by hand.

One very valuable flower pot: Royal Collection curator Caroline de Guitaut admirers Fabergé's glittering Basket of Flowers egg was originally commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1901 Left: The Royal Fabergé collection will be displayed during Buckingham Palace's Summer Opening from July 23 to October 3, which allows visitors to view the nineteen state rooms while The Queen makes her annual visit to Scotland Right: Peter Carl Fabergé was a Russian jeweller of Baltic German-Danish and French origin, best known for the famous Fabergé eggs, made in the style of genuine Easter eggs The success of Fabergé’s business was inextricably linked to the patronage of the Romanov Dynasty and the close ties between the British, Danish and Russian royal families. The Danish Princess Alexandra married the future King Edward VII in 1863, and her sister Dagmar became Tsarina Maria Feodorovna after her marriage to Tsar Alexander III in 1866. There was a constant exchange of gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, and to commemorate occasions when the families met – many of the objects on display are therefore intimately connected to the royal families.

Royal Fabergé is part of a visit to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, 23 July – 3 October 2011. Faberge Eggs Faberge Eggs 0 0 Fabergé eggs are decorative eggs produced by Russian jewellery firm the House of Fabergé between 1885 and 1917. They are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gem stones. Thousands of miniature eggs were produced to be given as gifts celebrating Easter, the most important feast of the Russian Orthodox Church. These miniatures were attached to neck chains and worn singly or in groups. The most famous of the eggs however are the 65 larger versions, 50 of which were specially commissioned by Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia. Others were made for a small select number of private clients. These larger eggs were each designed around a different theme, and were intricately detailed and lavishly decorated. The eggs have come to represent both the peak of jewellery craftsmanship and the decadence of a doomed monarchy, and today they are highly prized as antique works of art and significant cultural artefacts.

Collecting Due to their limited numbers and high price tags, Faberge eggs are relitively difficult to collect. Notable collectors of Faberge eggs include Malcolm Forbes. History The first Faberge egg In 1885 Tsars Alexander III commissioned the jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé to create a jewelled egg as a gift for his wife Empress Maria Fedorovna. This first egg, known as the ‘Hen’s Egg’, had a gold shell covered in polished white enamel to resemble an real egg. The two halves opened to reveal a matt gold yolk, within which was a small golden hen with ruby eyes. Inside the hen was a tiny diamond replica of the royal crown, which concealed an even smaller ruby pendant. The Empress was delighted and Fabergé was appointed a ‘goldsmith by special appointment to the Imperial Crown’. He was commissioned to create a further egg each year, and was given the freedom to create them around whichever theme he wished. The only stipulation was that each one should contain a surprise. When Alexander died suddenly in November 1894, his son Nicholas II ascended to the throne and continued the tradition, but ordered one each for his mother and his wife the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.

Commissions In 1900 the Imperial Eggs were displayed at the World Exhibition in Paris, and Faberge’s craftsmanship brought him celebrity and awards. The Fabergé workshops were flooded with commissions from aristocracy and leaders of industry from around the world, transforming an ordinary goldsmith shop into the famous "House of Fabergé." During this time Fabergé also produced a series of seven eggs for the Russian industrialist Alexander Kelch, along with seven individual commissions for clients such as the Duchess of Marlborough and the French socialite Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild. In 1917, the Russian Revolution led to the overthrow of the government and the abdication of Nicholas II, who had grown disconnected to the realities of poverty and hardship in the country. With no support from the people or the army he attempted to flee with his family but was arrested, and executed in Siberia in 1918 along with his wife and five children. The Kremlin Armoury Following the Revolution, the House of Fabergé was nationalized by the Bolsheviks, and the Fabergé family fled to Switzerland, where Peter Carl Fabergé died in 1920.

The Imperial palaces were looted, and the majority of their treasures including the eggs were taken by Lenin to be stored in the Kremlin Armoury. There they lay hidden until 1927, when they were rediscovered and offered for sale to the West by Stalin to raise much needed funds. Between 1930 and 1933, fourteen of the Imperial Easter eggs were sold and left the country. Ownership Many of the eggs were sold to Armand Hammer, president of Occidental Petroleum and a personal friend of Lenin, whose father was founder of the United States Communist party. He struggled to find buyers in America, which was in the middle of the Depression, but eventually he sold them, along with thousands of Russian works of art on behalf of the Soviets, to collectors by touring them round department stores throughout the country. Some were sold for as little as a few hundred dollars, rather than the millions they command today. In all, 57 of the 65 large eggs created have survived today. Eight of the fifty Imperial eggs have never been discovered.

Ten of these Imperial eggs remain in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow, and nine were recently returned to Russia by the industrialist Viktor Vekselberg after he purchased them from the Malcolm Forbes collection in February 2004. The rest, along with the Kelch eggs and other individually commissioned eggs, are in the hands of various museums and private collectors worldwide. Types of Faberge egg There were 65 large Fabergé eggs created, with 57 known to have survived. Each of these has a specific name and a history behind it, along with its individual theme designed by Peter Carl Fabergé. The whereabouts of each surviving egg is well-documented. The world’s most expensive Fabergé egg The most expensive Fabergé egg ever sold at auction was the Faberge Rothschild Egg, created in 1902. It featured a clock and opened at the top to reveal a gold cockerel automaton. It was sold by Christie's in 2007 to Alexander Ivanov, the director of the Russian National Museum, for a record-breaking price of $18,499,830.

It simultaneously became the most expensive timepiece, Russian object, and Fabergé object ever sold at auction. Fabergé Brooches - 4 For Sale at 1stdibs Fabergé Brooches House of Fabergé (Russia, 1842 - 1918) Learn More About Fabergé House of Fabergé (Russia, 1842 - 1918) Best known for creating the lavishly ornate and intricately devised Imperial Easter Eggs given by the last czars to their families as annual holiday gifts, the House of Fabergé was the most prestigious Russian luxury goods maker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Serving the aristocracy and the well-to-do through stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow and as far afield as London, Fabergé crafted a wide range of jewelry, clock cases, silver and myriad objets de vertu that included picture frames, cigarette boxes, cufflinks and carved hardstone floral and animal figurines. Following the revolution, the firm was closed by the Soviet state in 1918.

Master goldsmith Gustav Fabergé, a descendant of Huguenot emigrées, founded the company in St. Petersburg in 1842. The firm did a brisk trade among the lesser nobility and the merchant class, but it flourished under the guidance of Gustav’s eldest son Carl Fabergé, who took over in 1872. Cosmopolitan, widely-traveled and himself a master goldsmith, the younger Fabergé drew early design inspiration when he volunteered to catalogue and restore pieces in the imperial jewelry collection in the Hermitage. Fabergé pieces based on historical jewelry from the Hermitage caught the attention of Czar Alexander III at a Moscow exhibition in 1882, and three years later he commissioned the first Imperial Easter Egg as a gift for the czarina.

(Relatively simple in design compared to the complex cloisonné-adorned eggs that followed, the first egg was a white-enameled ovoid containing a gold “yolk” that held a gold hen, which in turn contained a replica of the imperial crown from which hung an egg-shaped ruby pendant.) Czar Nicholas II continued the tradition, presenting two eggs each Easter — one for his wife and one for his mother. As the appointed goldsmith to the royal court, the House of Fabergé became the darling of Russian aristocrats as well as wealthy patrons across Europe. Many and varied objets — hundreds of thousands by one count — were made to meet their demand. The firm employed some 500 craftsmen and designers when it was shuttered. After the Russian Revolution , the Fabergé name and trademark endured a checkered passage through the 20th century. Family members left their homeland in 1918 and set up a new business in Paris that was mainly concerned with repairing and restoring earlier-made wares. The name was adopted by an American fragrance and beauty products maker in the late 1930s, and later authorized by the family in a 1951 agreement.

The trademark has been subsequently sold several times, and attached to numerous products including jewelry. For connoisseurs, true Fabergé refers to items made in the firm’s brief, golden decades from 1885 to 1917. Collectors are advised to make a study of Fabergé works in museum collections such as the Victoria & Albert and the Royal Collection in London to gain an understanding of the quality of genuine goods made by the original firm, and then to purchase only from reputable and reliable dealers, such those at 1stdibs. As you will see from the jewelry and objects on these pages, Fabergé pieces are richly redolent of a romantic past, and a source of thorough delight. Refine Collection of Faberge Eggs Goes on Show in U.S Collection of Faberge Eggs Goes on Show in U.S Aug 15, 2011 — 23:00 Most Read This 1903 Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg is one of six in the exhibit. RICHMOND, Virginia — Ornately jeweled Easter eggs designed by Karl Faberge for the Russian royal family are among hundreds of Faberge objects on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

“Faberge Revealed” includes imperial Easter eggs and other pieces from the museum’s own collection, along with sculptures and other works loaned from three private collections, making the exhibit the largest public Faberge collection in the United States, said Geza von Habsburg, a Faberge expert and the exhibit’s guest curator. A standout piece is the Imperial Lilies of the Valley Basket sculpture, which represents all aspects of Faberge’s artistry in one work, Habsburg said. “One can see the jeweler’s art in the pearl buds and little rosebud diamonds; the stonecutter’s art in the nephrite leaves, which seem to be alive; and the goldsmith’s art in the gold basket,” he said. “And the moss, it’s utterly amazing.” It was presented to Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna in 1896, the year of the coronation of her husband, Nicholas II, Russia’s last emperor. The work was her favorite, displayed on her desk until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The couple and their children were executed the following year. The exhibit, which ends Oct.

2, includes six eggs Nicholas presented to his wife and mother as Easter gifts, including the 1903 Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg, the 1912 gold and lapis lazuli Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg and the 1912 gold and green enamel Imperial Napoleonic Egg. Commissioned to mark the bicentennial of St. Petersburg, the Peter the Great Egg is crafted from gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, sapphire and enamel with miniature watercolors on ivory. Inside is a miniature replica of Falconet’s Bronze Horseman statue of the 17th-century emperor that rises when the egg is opened. An imperial egg can fetch $25 million to $30 million at auction, Habsburg estimates. Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg bought nine imperial eggs from the Forbes collection in 2004; the Imperial Coronation Egg’s purchase price, for example, was estimated between $18 million and $24 million, he said. Faberge’s company became supplier to the Imperial Court after he sold a piece of gold jewelry to Tsar Alexander III’s wife, Empress Maria Fyodorovna, in 1882.

He then started his series of imperial Easter eggs, which subsequently made him famous and forever linked him with the opulence of the Russian dynasty’s final days. With his four sons and his brother, Faberge employed a 40-person design studio in St. Petersburg and 500 craftsmen and other workers to create 150,000 unique objects, distinguishing the House of Faberge as the leading jeweler of the period. “Each piece was one of a kind, meaning there were no repetitions,” Habsburg said. “That sets him aside from any other craftsman or jeweler of his time.” Alexander gave his wife 30 eggs, and Nicholas II, Russia’s final emperor, gave 20 to Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. The Bolsheviks destroyed most of the Faberge pieces during the Revolution, melting the metal and selling the jewels and stones. Only a few hundred objects remain in Russia, Habsburg said. The royal family’s imperial eggs were confiscated, and eight disappeared during the Revolution. Ten are in the Kremlin Armory Museum in Moscow.

The Bolsheviks ordered the others sold between 1925 and 1933 through a government agency in charge of art sales; 42 eggs survive and are in both public and private collections. Because he was a symbol of artistic decadence in the run-up to the overthrow, Faberge and three of his sons fled the country in 1918. A fourth son who remained in Russia was imprisoned. After Faberge’s death in 1920, the sons tried unsuccessfully to revive the brand in Paris, Habsburg said. “But if you think what the ’20s were, it was the art deco period of flappers and jazz, so Faberge’s beautiful things in the French 18th-century style were no longer in demand,” he said. The doomed Russian imperials fascinated many Americans, including Virginian Lillian Thomas Pratt, whose collection was bequeathed to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts after her death in 1947. Pratt, wife of a General Motors executive, scrimped during a slumping economy to purchase items from 1933 to 1945 with the help of New York art dealer Alexander Shaffer.

She acquired the Imperial Peter the Great Egg in 1939, and was allowed to chip away at the $16,500 bill in monthly installments from 1942 to 1944, museum accounting logs show. She also acquired some of her objects from the businessman and art collector Armand Hammer, but some since have been determined to be knockoffs, Habsburg said. The exhibition also displays some of what he calls “Fauxberge” items, including hardstone animal figurines and floral pieces. Faberge Eggs in Moscow There is no need to travel to Virginia to see Faberge eggs because the Kremlin Armory Museum has 10 of the precious gifts on show. The eggs are at the heart of the museum’s collection of jewelry, tableware, icons and decorative objects on the second floor. The most well-known egg in the collection is the Trans-Siberian Railway Egg, which was created on completion of the trans-Siberian route in 1916 and given by Nicholas II to his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna. The Kremlin Armory Museum, Sobornaya Ploshad. Metro Borovitskaya, Alexandrovsky Sad.

+7 (495) 921-4720. shares Story of Fabergé Story of Fabergé JW Player goes here The story of Fabergé Fabergé, the world’s most iconic artist jeweller, creates extraordinary jewellery, timepieces and objets d’art, as well as bespoke commissions for a discerning international clientele. Founded in 1842, Fabergé has been the most revered name in jewellery ever since Peter Carl Fabergé became official goldsmith to the Russian Imperial Court; the house created exquisite jewels and objects, including the legendary series of lavish and ingenious Imperial Easter Eggs. Peter Carl Fabergé was renowned for his exquisite and artistic use of colour, making the most of each gemstone’s unique characteristics and developing a vibrant enamel palette. His worldwide reputation attracted royalty, nobility, tycoons, industrialists and the artistic intelligentsia of not only Paris, Moscow and London but also America and the Far East, becoming the ultimate gift purveyor. In 1917, the Russian Revolution brought an abrupt end to the Romanov dynasty, and to the House of Fabergé.

The company was nationalised, all production closed down and Peter Carl Fabergé and his family fled Russia. Following its founder’s death in Switzerland, the Fabergé heirs lost the rights to the Fabergé name. History came full circle in October 2007 when Fabergé, under new ownership and direction, announced the reunification of the Fabergé brand with the Fabergé family. This opened a new chapter in the intriguing story of Fabergé, and set the stage for a total revitalisation of the Fabergé name and philosophy, in tune with its original values, aesthetics and spirit. Today, Fabergé takes inspiration from its storied past to create eternally original pieces that, when worn, convey breath-taking individuality. By painting with the world’s finest coloured gemstones, Fabergé explores the art of colour through creations which are designed to become future heirlooms. Celebrating the concept of the artist-jeweller in today’s world of luxury, Fabergé traces the legacy of excellence in creativity, design and craftsmanship to introduce a new era of enchanting and enduring personal possessions and gifts for contemporary connoisseurs.

Current collections are available at Fabergé boutiques in New York, London, as well as at Harrods in London and other exclusive international retailers. Selected items are also available via Fabergé’s online boutique at Faberge.com. Copyright © 2017 FABERGÉ. All rights reserved. FOLLOW US PRIVACY POLICY CLOSE X PRIVACY POLICY We appreciate that protection of your privacy is very important to you. Accordingly, the Fabergé group will only use personal information you give us for strictly limited purposes. Your personal information includes details like your name, email addresses, physical addresses, phone numbers. We do not hold or transmit your credit card details. These are held directly by WorldPay, our payment service provider. We will hold and use your personal data only for authorised purposes such as dealing with any enquiries you make to us, including registering you as a user on our web site if you request it, carrying out appropriate credit or identity checks if you want to buy something from us, processing your order, delivering your purchases to you. We may pass your data on to third parties in different jurisdictions for these purposes.

We will not pass your personal information on to parties outside the Fabergé group for marketing purposes, but we may use it for our own marketing and in offering you our products and services, or inviting you to events. This may mean your personal information is passed to a Fabergé group company outside the jurisdiction where you live. You will of course be entitled to opt out of receiving our marketing information if you wish. We and our service providers collate statistical information about website traffic, sales and other commercial information, but these statistics are not passed to other parties. Our website uses cookies (a cookie is a piece of software that is stored on your computer or mobile device by your web browser which allows the website to remember your preferences). Most browsers are automatically set to accept cookies but usually you can alter the settings of your browser to prevent automatic acceptance. If you chose not to accept cookies, you will still be able to use most of the features on our website. However, if you do experience any problems or questions then please contact us at info@faberge.com . Please note that we may disclose your personal data to regulatory or other bodies in order to comply with any legal obligation. This may include exchanging information with other organisations for the purpose of fraud prevention.

By giving us your personal information, you promise that the personal data you give us is accurate, that you will let us know if it changes, and you agree that we may hold and use your data for the purposes set out above and any other lawful purpose. This Policy reflects Fabergé’s current practices but may be changed and updated. The last update will be noted at the end of this Policy. You may ask Fabergé for access to or to correct, update or delete information about you by contacting our team at info@faberge.com. CONDITIONS OF USE OF OUR WEB SITE This website is owned and operated by Fabergé (UK) Limited which has its registered office at 23 King Street, London SW1Y 6QY, United Kingdom. If you do not wish to accept these terms and conditions of use of our website, you should not use our website. By using our website, you agree to these terms and conditions of use. We may revise these terms- if we do the latest date of update will be noted at the end of these terms.

1 Intellectual Property Rights The Fabergé group is the owner or licensee of the intellectual property rights (designs, images, graphics, photographs, sounds, videos, copyright, trademarks etc) in the website and any material published on it. This material, including the design of any items featured on the website, is protected by intellectual property laws around the world. Nothing on this website or any material displayed on it (including the design of any items featured) may be copied, reproduced, adapted, downloaded, distributed, or used or exploited in any way, in whole or in part, without the prior express written permission of Fabergé. This is an important term for us and Fabergé is vigilant in protecting its intellectual property rights. 2 Linking You may link to our website but you must link to our home page so that users of your site do not think we are associated or connected to you. When sites do link to our website, or when we link to other sites, we are not responsible for the content on the other sites or any use you make of those sites. Those sites will have their own terms and conditions of use.

3 No Commercial Use You are permitted to print one copy of any of the pages from our website for your own personal, non-commercial reference. You may not copy, adapt, publish, transmit, generate advertising, or use or exploit the site in any other way. 4 Accuracy of Information on this Website We have taken care to ensure that information and material on this site is accurate but we make no representation and give no guarantee that it meets any particular standard of reliability or accuracy. It is provided free of charge for your own personal information. The information is not intended for business or academic use. 5 Limitation of our Liability To the maximum extent permissible by law, we expressly exclude liability for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages, whether in contract, negligence or otherwise, arising out of your or anyone else’s use of this website or the reliance of information on it. If we are held liable by a court of competent jurisdiction for any loss you suffer as a result of your use of, or inability to use, this website, or use of any information on it, you agree that the maximum liability to the Fabergé group of companies, is GBP 5,000.

Nothing in this section limits or excludes the liability of the Fabergé group of companies for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, nor our liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, nor any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited by law. 6 Governing Law and Jurisdiction. These terms and conditions of use are governed by the laws of England and you agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts irrespective of where you live or access our website. updated on 18/01/2016 CLOSE X Fabergé Terms and Conditions of Sale These Terms and Conditions apply to all sales made on our web site or in our company stores (currently in London, New York and Geneva). Unless we tell you otherwise, they do not apply to any purchases you make from Authorised Fabergé Retailers or other outlets - those retailers will have their own terms and conditions of sale. 1 Who We Are The particular Fabergé entity you contract with to sell your purchase to you varies depending on how and where you purchase your items. In all instances, we will refer to this party as “Fabergé”, or “us” or “we” etc in this agreement.

If you purchase your items ONLINE or at our LONDON store, the seller is Fabergé (UK) Limited, whose registered office is 23 King Street, London SW1Y 6QY. If you purchase your items from our GENEVA store, the seller is Fabergé Suisse S.A., whose registered address is Grand Hotel Kempinski Arcades, Quai du Mont-Blanc 19, 1201 Genève, Switzerland. If you purchase your items from our NEW YORK store, the seller is Fabergé Inc, whose registered address is 2711 Centreville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington 19808, Delaware, USA. In general, to contact us, you should do so at sales@faberge.com 2 Eligibility and Personal Details By placing an order with us you must be legally capable of entering into a contract with us. This normally includes being at least 18 years of age. You confirm that the information you provide about yourself is true, accurate and complete and that you are the person referred to in the billing information. If any information changes, you should advise us straight away.

For online sales, you promise to keep your login details secure and not give them to anybody else. You must notify us immediately if you think there has been a breach of security or unauthorised use of your account. We do not guarantee that you will be able to make online purchases in all countries, or that we will accept all payment cards. By making an offer (asking) to purchase merchandise from us you authorise us to carry out credit checks, to transmit or obtain information about you to or from third parties in any jurisdiction, to authenticate your identity, and to process your personal information to complete the transaction. See our Privacy Policy for how we may use your personal information. 3 How the Contract for Sale is Formed ALL OFFERS TO BUY OR SELL MERCHANDISE ARE CONDITIONAL ON THE MERCHANDISE BEING AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT THE TIME OF INTENDED DELIVERY. If you are purchasing IN-STORE, the contract to purchase is formed when you agree with our sales assistant to purchase a particular item, even if you don’t pay for it right then. Simply asking to see an item that is not in stock does not create a contract to buy it. Paying a deposit would be taken as evidence of a contract to buy the item.

If you subsequently change your mind, depending on applicable law and subject to our cancellation and returns policy, we do not have to refund your deposit or purchase price. If you ask us to make a personalised item or some other item especially for you then our agreement to make it and part payment by you will create the contract. From that point on you will be liable for the full contract price. We do not accept cancellations or returns on personalised items or items made especially for you. For ONLINE contracts, your order constitutes an offer to Fabergé that you will buy the merchandise. All orders are subject to acceptance by us. Our online sales procedure is intended to make available for sale only those items we have in stock and items for delivery to countries in the drop down menu. If there is any discrepancy between the sales procedure and these terms and conditions of sale, these terms and conditions take precedence. Not all items advertised on our web site are available for sale online. Items in your shopping basket are not necessarily secure and may be purchased by other customers. We will confirm receipt of your order (Order Confirmation Receipt) but the contract will not be formed until we have checked availability and actually despatched the order to you.

We will send you a Despatch Confirmation when the order has been despatched to you. The Despatch Confirmation serves to confirm that the contract has been formed and also advises you of the delivery details. If you do not receive an Order Confirmation Receipt within 5 hours of placing your order, or you do not receive a Despatch Confirmation within 5 days of placing your order, you should contact our online sales staff at sales@faberge.com . We take care to ensure that the colours of items you see on our web site give an accurate representation of the colour of the item. However, computer monitors vary and there may be some distortion in transmission so we cannot guarantee that the colour you see on your computer screen will be completely accurate. Ownership of any items you have agreed to buy from us will pass to you at the latter of the time you take delivery of the items or the time you pay for them in full. We do not normally give customers items “on approval” or allow them to take possession of merchandise before it is paid for in full.

On the rare occasion that we might allow customers to take possession of goods before they are paid for, the customer will be fully responsible for the merchandise after they have taken possession of it, and if it is lost or damaged, the customer will have to pay for it. 4 Price, Taxes, Payment and Delivery For IN-STORE purchases, the price you actually pay will include any taxes applicable in that jurisdiction. However, in some countries, for example the USA, the displayed or advertised price may not include sales tax which will be added at the time of purchase. You may be entitled to refunds from Customs when leaving a jurisdiction where you bought an item if you are permanently exporting the item. You may also be liable for customs duty or tax for items imported into another jurisdiction. If you are exporting an item you should check the tax implications with the authorities in the country of your intended destination. For ONLINE purchases, the prices displayed on our website for online sales depend on the country the goods will be delivered to, and for the countries in the drop down menu, the quoted price is the “delivered price” (i.e. includes taxes, insurance, shipping). If you want delivery to a country not on the drop down menu, please contact sales@faberge.com .

For deliveries to New York State, NY State Sales Tax will be added to the “delivered price”. We try to ensure that all our advertised prices are accurate, but errors may sometimes occur. If we discover an error in the price of an advertised item or an item you have ordered, we will contact you as soon as possible. You will have an option to reconfirm your order at the correct price or to cancel it. You may pay for your merchandise by credit card, debit card or bank transfer. If you are buying in-store you may be able to pay with cash but local stores will have to comply with local money laundering and other legislation which may restrict the amount of cash we are allowed to accept. All debit and credit card holders are subject to validation checks and if the issuer of your card refuses to authorise payment, we will not be liable for any delay or non-delivery. For online sales we will arrange for delivery to the delivery address but we and our agents reserve the right to delay or decline delivery to any address for security or other reasons. If delivery cannot be made at your chosen address, we will ask you to provide an alternative address.

We take reasonable care to keep details of your order and payment secure but third parties are necessarily involved in processing your card information. In the absence of negligence by Fabergé, we will not be liable for any loss you suffer for unauthorised access to any data you provide us when ordering from our web site or in-store. Cancellations and Returns Cancellations If you buy ONLINE, many jurisdictions give you the right to cancel your order and return items for a short period after you have received them. In the European Union this period is 14 days. Where you bought online, we will honour any such period which is effective in the jurisdiction we delivered your merchandise to. In order to cancel your online order under applicable law, you must write to us at our London address or email us at sales@faberge.com , using the subject heading “Cancellation of Sale in Cooling Off Period.” If you cancel under applicable law (where it is available) we will give you a full refund. You must return the full order to us at our London address at your cost, you must arrange for its insurance at the price you paid for it, and the items must be returned unused and in their original condition and with original packaging and certificates.

Except where otherwise required by applicable law, we will not accept items returned if they are used or damaged or returned without their original packaging, or if the sale was not an online sale or if the item was specially made or personalised for you. In some jurisdictions you may be entitled to cancel online orders if they are not delivered to you within a defined or reasonable time from placing your order, and you have not agreed to a specific delivery date. In the European Union, the defined period is 30 days (unless you have agreed something else with us). We will try to get your order to you as soon as possible and we will honour any law applicable in the jurisdiction the merchandise is intended to be delivered to, that gives you the right to cancel for delayed delivery. If you wish to cancel under this law you should write to us at our London address or email us at sales@faberge.com using the heading “Cancellation of Sale for Non Delivery.” If you cancel under this law (where it is available) we will give you a full refund.

Returns In addition to the legal rights provided in some jurisdictions to cancel your contract for sale (as above), we also offer all customers, both online and in-store, the opportunity to return unwanted items to us for store credit or exchange within 30 days of delivery of the items. The items must be returned within 30 days to the store where you purchased them, or to our London address if you purchased online, and they must be returned unused and in their original condition, with original packaging and certificates. We will exchange or give you a store credit note for returned items (at your option) to the price you paid for the item subject to any special conditions of sale. Items that have been specially made for you and personalised items cannot be returned under this policy. You must use the credit note at the same store (or online) you purchased the item from and you must use it within 12 months of the original purchase. We cannot give a cash refund for any part of your store credit but you can use it to purchase any available items. We will normally refund tax and duty on the item too, but we cannot do this for items purchased on the web site and you will have to take responsibility yourself for claiming refunds if they are available in your jurisdiction.

You must arrange and pay for all insurance, post and packaging costs if you return goods under this policy. Where appropriate we will resize rings, free of charge within 90 days of purchase, but resizing will not always be possible. We will treat your request sympathetically, but we reserve the right to offer this service completely at our discretion. Warranty We offer a lifetime warranty to our customers against manufacturing defects in all jewellery and objets we sell. For watches, the warranty is for three years from the date of purchase. This means that if a manufacturing defect becomes apparent during the guarantee period in any of those items we sell you, we will fix the defect (where reasonably possible) at no cost to you. If we cannot fix the manufacturing defect at a reasonable cost we will discuss some other form of compensation with you. This warranty covers gifts you buy for others and give to them within one year of purchase, but it does not extend to any other disposition of the product. Of course, you must take good care of the product, comply with any care recommendations we suggest and if the item requires servicing, then it must be serviced regularly. You must be able to provide proof that you bought the item from us.

You should always ensure you have insurance to cover loss of stones or other accidental loss or damage to any item. We will not be liable for loss of or damage to stones under this warranty, or for any indirect loss you suffer due to a manufacturing defect in any item you have purchased from us. This warranty does not affect any legal rights you may have if you have been supplied with faulty goods. If your item is damaged in an accident or by normal wear and tear, please contact our sales team at sales@faberge.com and we will try to provide a quote for repair where possible. General We may change these terms and conditions at any time but once you have purchased an item, the terms and conditions current at the time of your purchase will apply. If any of these terms and conditions is invalid or unenforceable, the remainder will continue to have full force and effect. These terms and conditions will not be binding on our assignees or successors unless they adopt these terms and conditions or they are affiliated with Fabergé. If we breach these terms and conditions we will be liable only for your direct losses and the reasonably foreseeable consequences of our breach. Our liability is limited to the price you paid for the goods purchased from us.

We will not be responsible to you for any delay or failure to comply with our obligations if the delay or failure arises from any cause beyond our reasonable control. We do not seek to limit our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, or to exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation by ourselves or our agents. Orders placed in the U.S. are subject to the law of the State of New York, excluding principles of conflicts of law, and all disputes regarding deliveries to U.S. addresses shall be resolved in the courts located in New York, New York. Cookie Policy: We use cookies on this website. if you continue to use this website you will be agreeing to the website General Terms and Conditions of Use , Privacy Policy and the use of cookies while using the website. To find out more about cookies and how to change your preferences please our Cookie Policy

Question: What was the name of the goldsmith, among whose works were the Imperial Russian family Easter eggs?
Answer: (Peter) FABERGE