Fab-A-Day At Fabergé
Fabergé Four Seasons Winter Egg And An Approx 13 Carat Pear Solitaire.
Fabergé, one of the world’s most iconic artist jeweller, creates extraordinary jewellery, timepieces and objects d’art, as well as bespoke commissions for a discerning international clientele. Founded in 1842, Fabergé has been the most revered name in jewelry 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. Today, Fabergé takes inspiration from its storied past to introduce a new era of enchanting and enduring personal possessions and gifts for contemporary connoisseurs. By painting with the world’s finest coloured gemstones, Fabergé celebrates a life in colour through creations which are designed to become future heirlooms.
Recently Fabergé hosted a private preview, by invitation only for the creme-de-le-creme at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai in association with Gemfields and the socialite Chhaya Momaya. I was elated to attend the preview and experience the master crafted jewels designed and manufactured by Fabergé. It’s said that going forward Fabergé will be hosting private previews in Delhi and Mumbai.
Dr Geza Von Habsburg’s Favourite Fabergé Egg From The 43 Eggs By Him Is The Winter Imperial Egg Made In 1913. PC- Pinterest.
Asking him to pick his favourite Fabergé egg, says Dr Geza, “Of the 43 extant eggs my favourite – a difficult choice – is the 1913 Winter Egg, today in a private collection in London. In my opinion this masterpiece stands out by the sheer brilliance and novelty of its design and its unrivalled craftsmanship. Incredibly, this egg is crafted from two hollowed-out wafer-thin half shells of engraved and frosted rock crystal, incrusted with thousands of rose-cut diamonds set in platinum, forming ice crystals. It stands on a further bloc of rock crystal simulating melting ice, with platinum-mounted diamond rivulets of water. The egg hides a diamond-set platinum basket of wood anemones carved from white quartz and nephrite. The genius of Faberge has created a timeless work of art, visualizing both the re-birth of Nature after the hardships of a long Winter, but more to the point and to its deeper religious meaning, symbolizing the Resurrection of Christ from the dead as feasted on Easter Sunday, when the egg was presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. According to the original Fabergé invoice, 3,046 rose- and brilliant-cut were diamonds were used to create this miracle. It is one of two eggs designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, a member of the Holmström jewellery workshop, the other one being the brilliant 1914 Mosaic Egg in the collection of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, which is a close contender for first place in my affections.”
Fabergé Rococo Lace Sapphire and Diamond Rose Gold Bangle.
The Most Expensive Egg
Fabergé Mosaic Egg,1914 Estimated Currently At Approx GBP 27.7 Million. PC- Stalking the Belle Époque
“For many years, The Winter Egg was believed to be the most expensive. However, a few years ago the previously lost invoices for the 1912, 1914 and 1915 Fabergé Imperial Eggs were found in the State Archive for the Russian Federation.
These revealed that the most expensive Imperial Egg was the Mosaic Egg in the Queen’s Collection. It cost 28,300 roubles in 1914. It is not surprising as this is the most technically demanding of all the Imperial Eggs. King George V purchased it on 22 May 1933 for £500. Roubles 28300 would have converted into £2830 in 1914, so he got a bargain! Adjusting the 1914 value into today’s money (ie adjusting for inflation by the UK RPI) the price would be £294,551.99. In 1914 a room at Claridge’s was 10-shillings a night, whereas today they are from £490. Using these price points, today the Mosaic Egg today would be about £27.7 million, which would be about right.” as quoted by John Andrew, a member of the Fabergé Heritage Council.
StylePrer was mesmerized by the intricacy and detailing in every piece of jewelry. So were the wrist watches with mind-boggling mechanisms that gave me a high. It indeed was Fab-A-Day at Fabergé !!! 🙂
At The Fabergé Private Preview At The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. (L-R) Alyssa Fontaine (Client Relationship Coordinator – Fabergé), Prernaa Makhariaa (Founder – StylePrer), Dr Geza Von Habsburg (An Internationally Renowned Expert On Fabergé), Rupak Sen (Director Of Marketing And Sales, Asia and Middle East – Gemfields).
