{"id":18765,"date":"2023-02-06T13:51:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T12:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=40023"},"modified":"2023-02-06T14:36:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T13:36:42","slug":"what-are-faberge-eggs","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/what-are-faberge-eggs\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Faberg\u00e9 eggs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The infamous Faberg\u00e9 egg has intrigued and beguiled the world since the 19th century. Here’e Everything you need to know about Faberg\u00e9 eggs and the mystery that surrounds them… <\/p>

By Emma Longstaff\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 06 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When Nicholas II was crowned Emperor of Russia in 1894, he was the wealthiest man on the planet. Worth 240 billion pounds in today\u2019s money, he was richer than any modern day billionaire.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the Russian royal family spent lavishly, and were served by several official court jewellers.<\/p>\n

But names like Hahn, Ovchinnikor and Bolin have been largely forgotten. Only one \u2013 the House of Faberg\u00e9 \u2013 has achieved longevity, becoming a byword for absolute luxury\u2026<\/p>\n

What are Faberg\u00e9 eggs?<\/h2>\n

Like other Russian jewellers, Faberg\u00e9 retailed small egg-shaped pendants to be worn on a chain at Easter<\/a> time, an opulent interpretation of the Orthodox tradition of gifting painted eggs at Easter, which dates from around the fifteenth century.<\/p>\n

Faberg\u00e9 also made specially commissioned, much larger decorative eggs for the Russian royal family, known as the Imperial eggs<\/a>. It\u2019s these eggs for which Faberg\u00e9 has become best known.<\/p>\n

How many Faberg\u00e9 Imperial eggs are there?<\/h2>\n

Fifty eggs were completed by Faberg\u00e9 between 1885 and 1917\u2013 ten for Alexander III, who gave them to his wife, and a further 40 for Nicholas II, who gifted one to his mother and another to his wife each Easter.<\/p>\n

A further two eggs were commissioned but never completed, due to the upheavals of the Bolshevik revolution in 1917.<\/p>\n

Are any of the Imperial Faberg\u00e9 eggs lost?<\/h2>\n

Between 1885 and 1917, fifty Imperial eggs were completed by Faberg\u00e9, and a further two ordered but due to the upheavals of the revolution never completed.<\/p>\n

The whereabouts of seven is now unknown. Wartski sold one of these \u2013 the so-called N\u00e9cessaire Egg \u2013 in 1952 to an anonymous buyer recorded as \u201cA. Stranger\u201d, but its current ownership is unknown.<\/p>\n

How much do Faberg\u00e9 eggs cost?<\/h2>\n

As almost all the eggs are in museum collections<\/a> it\u2019s unlikely they will ever be sold, making them priceless.<\/p>\n

The last egg to be sold was the Third Imperial Egg of 1887, which a dealer in the US bought without initially realising that his find was by Faberg\u00e9. This was then sold privately in 2014. It is believed to have fetched tens of millions of pounds.<\/p>\n

Why are Faberg\u00e9 eggs so valuable?<\/h2>\n

The value of the eggs isn\u2019t in their intrinsic gem and precious metal content. They\u2019re completely unique works of art which have achieved cult status, in part due to the supreme skill and ingenuity with which they\u2019re made, but also their association with the doomed Russian royal family.<\/p>\n

Where to see Faberg\u00e9 eggs<\/h2>\n