Why are faberge eggs still treasured today

The work was then carried out in stages: setting the precious stones, enamelling the flowers, adding the gold stalks and grasses, and finally assembling the flowers.

Following its success in St. Petersburg, in the firm established a branch in Moscow. These imaginatively designed works are among the finest objects produced by the firm and were usually given to commemorate important anniversaries, as diplomatic offerings, and as trophies. A gem-set parcel-gilt silver-mounted ceramic tobacco humidor, the mounts marked K. The jewel in question is likely to be the aquamarine and diamond tiara above , which was offered to Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland as a wedding gift.

The Russian system of hallmarks includes a mark for the city of production, the date of the piece, the standard of gold or silver used and the name of the maker. For example, works from St. General surface scratching and light wear are to be expected and do not have a great impact on value. Other points of condition to look for are cracks to hardstone objects, damage to the functional parts of frames and clocks, and missing or replaced gold mounts.

At its peak, Bolin supplied more to the Imperial Court than all other jewellers put together. Acquired through the exchange of birthday and Christmas gifts between the Russian, Danish and British royal families, it is unique in its quality and range. Related auctions Follow. You may also like Related content. But the eggs -- and Faberge's other artistic creations -- shot back into the consciousness of collectors and decorative art enthusiasts when, in , British author Henry Bainbridge published the first monograph on the jeweler, Munn said.

A rich network of artisans. Much has been written about Faberge since Bainbridge's study. One of the latest books on the subject, "Faberge: His Masters and Artisans," takes an unconventional approach to the jewelry house's oeuvre by focusing on the collaborators that Faberge surrounded himself with, from designers to the master gold- and silversmiths who helped bring their visions to life.

The business occupied a five-story building in St. Petersburg, with four branches in Russia and one in London. The workshop of one of Faberge's "work masters," the gold- and silversmith, August Hollming.

How a macabre reminder of death became a Renaissance status symbol. The inspiration for the book, she said, came from her own past: Tillander-Godenhielm's great-grandfather was a goldsmith to the Russian imperial court, and worked in the same period as Faberge. But the author also looked to her native Finland for material. I went to personally find their families, and gathered their anecdotes and memories of the years that their late relatives spent working for Faberge. The result is a beautifully illustrated tome recounting the craftsmen's stories through letters, photographs and images of the items they produced for the House of Faberge.

Faberge's workshop also produced other decorative items, such as this miniature sedan chair. Tillander-Godenhielm depicts Faberge as a businessman ahead of his time. To begin with, two of his chief designers were women -- Alina Holmstrom and Alma Phil. No two were even slightly similar, and each contained a surprise meaningful to the recipient. The shell is made of gold embellished with translucent yellow enamel and overlaid with black enamel double-headed eagles.

Inside the white velvet-lined egg is an exquisitely detailed miniature 18th-century golden carriage. The Gatchina Palace egg, which Nicholas II gave to his mother Maria Feodorovna, has a pearl-encrusted shell of gold, enamel, silver-gilt, portrait diamonds and rock crystal.

It opens to reveal a faithful rendering of the palace Maria called home. All was shiny and beautiful in the imperial palaces, but by the early 20th century, Nicholas II was contending with international conflicts, nationwide impoverishment, a population boom and a growing number of former serfs eager to overthrow a czar they saw as oppressive and out of touch. He resumed the tradition in , though, and had one delivered every Easter until His entire family was executed by Bolsheviks the following year.

So what became of the imperial eggs? Under the orders of new leader Vladimir Lenin , the Bolsheviks packed up the eggs and other royal valuables they found at the imperial palaces and stashed them safely at the Kremlin in Moscow. The country's new leaders, looking to make some quick rubles, started selling the imperial eggs to international buyers. The fate of eight imperial eggs remain a mystery.