On Easter morning, Fabergé delivers to the palace what appears to be a simple enameled egg. But to the delight of the Empress this egg is full of surprises. Its shell is white enamel on gold to represent a normal hen’s egg. This pulls apart to reveal a gold yolk, which in turn opens to produce a gold chicken that also opens to reveal a replica of the Imperial Crown from which a miniature ruby egg was suspended.

The tradition of the Czar giving his Empress a surprise Easter egg by Peter Carl Fabergé continued. Fabergé was given complete freedom as to the design of the Imperial Easter eggs as they became more elaborate, the only requirement was that each one should contain a surprise. Czar Alexander III died in 1894 and his son Nicholas II took over the throne. Czar Nicholas II then ordered the continuation of the annual commission of a Fabergé Easter egg for his mother and added a second order to be delivered to his new wife, Czarina Alexandra Fedorovna.

Year by year, Fabergé’s Imperial Easter eggs reached new heights of invention and extravagance, capturing in miniature, the life of imperial privilege. The eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combination of enamel and gem stones. The term Fabergé egg is synonymous with luxury and the eggs are regarded as jewelry masterpieces.

The process of making the eggs usually took about one year. The first part of the process involved detailed and meticulous planning, followed by the preparation of sketches and models. Lastly, there was a team of jewelers, stone-cutters, lapidary workers, silversmiths, goldsmiths, and enamelers that would combine their talents to make the final creation. When an egg was complete, it was brought to the Palace and presented to the Czar by Fabergé in person.

From 1885 to 1917, the House of Fabergé completed 54 Imperial eggs for Alexander III to present to his Empress and for Nicholas II to present to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna and his wife the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna. Of these, 42 have survived and the others are missing. The eggs for 1917 were never completed, but have been discovered in recent years.

Today, ten of the Imperial Easter Eggs are displayed at the Kremlin Armory Museum, Moscow in Russia. After the collection in the Kremlin Armory, the largest gathering of Fabergé eggs was assembled by Malcolm Forbes, and displayed in New York City. Totaling nine eggs, and approximately 180 other Fabergé objects, the collection was put up for auction at Sotheby’s in February 2004 by Forbes’ heirs. Before the auction began, the collection was purchased entirely by the oligarch Victor Vekselberg for a sum estimated between $90 and $120 million.

The famed Fabergé eggs are now dispersed throughout the world in Museums or in Private Collections, proving that their value and exquisite craftsmanship is cross-cultural and timeless.

We dedicated our life to valuable jewelry and we made a passion for admiring and appraising luxurious, unique and fine jewelry. We gladly share our knowledge and give pieces of advice when you are looking for the right jewel. Find out more about jewelry and let yourself be fascinated by this enchanting world…