Fabergé eggs are extremely luxurious miniature masterpieces created in the Russian Empire at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. They were made in the workshops of a company founded by French goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé. They were commissioned by the tsars as Easter gifts for members of the ruling Romanov family, quickly gaining the status of the most recognisable jewellery treasures in history. Fabergé created them from precious materials and equipped them with complex mechanisms and hidden miniatures. Several dozen examples have survived to this day and are considered symbols of the splendour of the Russian court.
The origins of the tradition of giving Fabergé eggs
The name of these works comes from the surname of the creator and owner of the famous jewellery workshop operating in St. Petersburg since 1842. The first imperial egg was created in 1885 at the request of Tsar Alexander III as an Easter gift for his wife, Maria Feodorovna. The ruler was inspired by the tradition of offering decorative Easter eggs, known at other European courts. The model called “The Hen’s Egg” had an enamel shell and contained a golden hen and miniature surprises inside. The success of this gift earned the jeweller the title of court supplier, and the designs began to take on an increasingly impressive and complex form with each passing year.
Fabergé eggs at the Romanov court
After the death of Alexander III, the custom of giving priceless gifts was continued by his son Nicholas II, who ordered two Easter eggs every year: one for his mother and the other for his wife Alexandra Feodorovna. Each egg contained a secret surprise, kept hidden until the moment the gift was presented. The designs often referred to political events, family anniversaries and the achievements of the empire, such as the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The decorations featured miniature palaces, portraits of members of the dynasty and symbols of power, and one of the most famous examples, the “Coronation Egg” from 1897, concealed a golden miniature coronation carriage with details made of rubies and rock crystal.
Technique and artists
The eggs were made using gold, silver, precious stones, mother-of-pearl, enamel and ivory. A team of master jewellers worked on the designs, among whom Michael Perkhin and Henrik Wigström stood out. Each object was created according to an individual design approved by Peter Carl Fabergé himself and then refined down to the smallest detail. The works were distinguished by the precision of their mechanisms and the craftsmanship of the miniatures, which often functioned as tiny works of engineering. In 1900, the famous eggs were presented at the World Exhibition in Paris, where they won gold medals, and their creator received the Legion of Honour, which only cemented his international reputation.
Fabergé eggs today
By the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, a total of over 50 imperial Easter eggs had been made, of which about 40-45 have survived to this day, either in whole or in fragments. After 1917 and the abolition of the Russian monarchy, the workshops were nationalised and the Fabergé family left the country. Some of the treasures ended up in the Kremlin, while others were sold abroad in the 1930s. Today, the famous eggs are found in museums and private collections around the world, and their value on the art market reaches record prices. For example, the “Winter Egg” from 1913 was sold in 2025 at an auction at Christie’s in London for a record £22,895,000, or approximately PLN 110 million! This is the highest price ever paid at auction for any item made by Fabergé.
Contemporary interpretations and the brand’s legacy
After the sale of the brand rights in the second half of the 20th century, the Fabergé name was used by various jewellery companies, and limited series inspired by historical designs appeared sporadically. One of the most famous contemporary creations was the so-called “Peace Egg” made for Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, followed by other objects, including the “Millennium Egg” and designs inspired by the phases of the moon. The studio’s legacy is also preserved in museums and exhibitions, where Fabergé eggs are treated as the pinnacle of European jewellery art and one of the most luxurious symbols of the Tsarist era.
Source: e-diamenty.pl, bankier.pl
See also: Jewellery | Russia | History | Interesting facts | Gold | Stone
