While the House of Fabergé is best known for creating the lavishly ornate and intricately devised Imperial Easter eggs given by the last czars to their families as annual holiday gifts, it was the most prestigious Russian luxury goods maker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Serving the aristocracy and the well-to-do through stores in St. Petersburg, Moscow and as far afield as London, Fabergé crafted a wide range of brooches and other jewelry, clock cases, silver and myriad objets de vertu that included picture frames, cigarette cases, cufflinks and carved hardstone floral and animal figurines. Following the revolution, the firm was closed by the Soviet state in 1918.
Master goldsmith Gustav Fabergé, a descendant of Huguenot emigrées, founded the company in St. Petersburg in 1842. The firm did a brisk trade among the lesser nobility and the merchant class, but it flourished under the guidance of Gustav’s eldest son Peter Carl Fabergé — known also as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé — who took over in 1872.
Cosmopolitan, widely-traveled and himself a master goldsmith — he was sent on a Grand Tour in the 1860s — the younger Fabergé drew early design inspiration when he volunteered to catalogue and restore pieces in the imperial jewelry collection in the Hermitage.
Fabergé pieces based on historical jewelry from the Hermitage caught the attention of Czar Alexander III at a Moscow exhibition in 1882, and three years later he commissioned the first Imperial Easter egg as a gift for the czarina. Czar Nicholas II continued the tradition, presenting two eggs each Easter — one for his wife and one for his mother.
Relatively simple in design compared to the complex cloisonné-adorned eggs that followed, the first Fabergé egg was a white-enameled ovoid containing a gold “yolk” that held a gold hen, which in turn contained a replica of the imperial crown from which hung an egg-shaped ruby pendant.
As the appointed goldsmith to the royal court, the House of Fabergé became the darling of Russian aristocrats as well as wealthy patrons across Europe. Many and varied objets — hundreds of thousands by one count — were made to meet their demand. The firm employed some 500 craftsmen and designers when it was shuttered.
After the Russian Revolution, the Fabergé name and trademark endured a checkered passage through the 20th century.
Family members left their homeland in 1918 and set up a new business in Paris that was mainly concerned with repairing and restoring earlier-made wares. The name was adopted by an American fragrance and beauty products maker in the late 1930s, and later authorized by the family in a 1951 agreement. The trademark has been subsequently sold several times, and attached to numerous products including jewelry.
Fabergé pieces are richly redolent of a romantic past, and a source of thorough delight — for connoisseurs, true Fabergé refers to items made in the firm’s brief, golden decades from 1885 to 1917.
Collectors are advised to make a study of Fabergé works in museum collections such as the Victoria & Albert and the Royal Collection in London to gain an understanding of the quality of genuine goods made by the original firm, and then to purchase only from reputable and reliable dealers, such those at 1stDibs.
Find Fabergé eggs for sale and other objects and vintage jewelry on 1stDibs.
$2,620Sale Price|20% Off
W 0.59 in L 1.08 in
18K Gold Pendant Jade Egg, Circa 1970s, Gump's San Francisco
By Gump's San Francisco
Located in Northampton, MA
What a treasure for the Gump's collector and jade lover! This 1970's jewel from the iconic San Francisco retailer, Gump's, features a hand-carved deep forest green nephrite jade egg...
Jade, 18k Gold
$1,300
H 0.83 in Dm 0.4 in
Antique Imperial Russian S. M Egornov Egg Pendant Chalcedony 56 Gold 14K / 2.1 g
Located in SE
Antique miniature Passover Egg pendant made in Imperial Russia between the years 1898 - 1908. Body in solid Russian Chalcedony from famed deposits in the Ural Mountains mounted on 14K Gold hanger. The colors of this stone are a fuzzy mix of Grey, Blue, Lavender, Rose Pink, and Black. Bail hallmarked with Russian Imperial 56 on the bail, maker's hallmarks a bit fragmented "CE" . Initials of Егорнов Семен Матвеевич / S. M. Egornov, jeweler, owner of a workshop and shop in Moscow between 1884 - 1908. Worked with Gold, Silver, and Enamels. Length of the egg including the hanger 21mm / or without 17 mm x Ø 10 mm at widest. Weight: 2.1 grams Used finest condition, with no apparent damage to the surface of the stone. Note : The second egg will not be included > Most of the items that we sell are not new at all if not stated otherwise. Accordingly, most of the items most often show some signs of use. We do our best to photograph and describe condition as accurately as possible if we notice something. There is no point in hiding anything or lying about the condition of used items that are at least several decades old.. Also presume that sometimes metal parts, stones or enamels ,etc. may show minor scratches, chips, micro-dents, minor deformations and other signs of wear and aging that we could miss to notice in description, unintentionally. . If there are questions about an item, please email me before you buy it. I will note in the description any anomalies but also provide visual aid concerning condition though photographs, and these should be considered part of the description. Most images of items listed were taken under natural light at daytime. We use modern high quality digital cameras and additional photo equipment for image processing. We upload high quality images that allow to see well the shapes, colors and flaws of very small stones . So look carefully before you buy anything. In reality some colors of materials involved may look a bit differently depending on light conditions, settings and functionality of your monitor and my camera. Your personal perception of colors and physiological conditions of your eyes may also affect the vision of the items. Gemstones may often look differently in different light and weather conditions and time of the day, both indoors and outdoors. Stones of the rings photographed alone may look a bit differently when on hand because your finger makes the back side of the stone closed and light no longer can go through and the color becomes different. Stones with closed backs may seem darker than stones with open backs. Such nuances of color perception do not give any excuse to claim item to be not as described. Some buyers tried to make return...
Chalcedony, 14k Gold
Victorian 9ct Gold Vintage Green Agate Pendant
Located in London, GB
9ct Gold Vintage Green Agate Pendant Era 1910 the agate is a faceted edged Oval with a 9ct Gold Button style fixture with scrolling top the jump ...
Agate, Gold
$4,899Sale Price|20% Off
35.69ct GIA Certified Untreated Jadeite Jade A Grade 18k Yellow Gold Pendant
By Gems and Jewels UK
Located in Birmingham, GB
Rare GIA Certified Untreated Jadeite Jade A-Grade Green Pendant Necklace. Huge 35.69 carat beautiful untreated jadeite stone with a mottle...
Jade, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
14K Yellow Gold Green Jade Orb Pendant with Openwork Cage Setting
Located in New York, NY
This pendant is a distinctive and highly appealing jade piece, centered by a green jade orb enclosed within an elegant openwork cage setting. Jade has long been prized for its beauty...
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ming's Hawaii Oval Green Jade Cabochon Pear Shaped Necklace 14k Yellow Gold
Located in Honolulu, HI
Item Specifications: Metal: 14k Yellow Gold Pendant Diameter: 1.5" x 0.80" Stone: Green Jade cabochon Chain Length: 18" Chain Width: 1 mm Chain Type: box Stamped: "14K" "Mings...
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
14 Karat Yellow Gold Jade Pendant
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Designer: custom Material: 14K yellow gold Dimensions: pendant measures 34 x 8.5 mm Weight: 2.68 grams
Jade, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Fascinating Green Jade & 0.21ct Diamond Pendant in 20K Yellow Gold
Located in רמת גן, IL
Elegance carved in calm. This 20K yellow gold pendant features a polished green cabochon jade, framed by 14 round brilliant diamonds (0.21ct total), graded H color and VS–SI clarity....
Diamond, Jade, Yellow Gold
Vintage Jade and Diamonds Pendant Necklace 18k Gold
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Jade and Diamonds Pendant Necklace 18k Gold. Impressive design through the entire piece starting with the pendant for center o...
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 14k Yellow Gold Carved Jade Pendant Necklace
Located in New York, NY
Vintage 14k yellow gold pendant necklace featuring an intricately carved jade centerpiece, displaying traditional craftsmanship and natural green hues. The jade’s fine polish and det...
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Imperial Jade Ruby Gold Egg Pendant by Anders Nevalainen
By Fabergé
Located in Chesterland, OH
We are pleased to present another exceptional item from our collection—a charming miniature rose gold egg pendant crafted from Russian nephrite and adorned with a ruby element. The g...
Jade, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Russian Imperial Gold-Mounted Jade with Diamonds Egg Pendant by Hjalmar Armfeldt
By Fabergé
Located in Chesterland, OH
We are pleased to present an exceptional and rare miniature egg pendant from the Russian Imperial era. Crafted in the St. Petersburg workshop of the famous master jeweler Karl Gustav...
Diamond, Jade, Gold, 14k Gold
Antique Imperial Rhodonite Emerald Gold Egg Pendant by Henrik Wigström
By Fabergé
Located in Chesterland, OH
We are pleased to present another exceptional item from our collection—a beautiful and highly unusual miniature gold egg pendant crafted from genuine rhodonite and adorned with a fac...
Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold
Russian Imperial Gold-Mounted White Jade Egg Pendant by Michael Perkhin
By Fabergé
Located in Chesterland, OH
We are pleased to present an exceptional and rare miniature egg pendant from the Russian Imperial era. Crafted in the St. Petersburg workshop of the legendary master jeweler Michael ...
Jade, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique Imperial Bowenite Ruby Gold Egg Pendant by Alfred Thielemann
By Fabergé
Located in Chesterland, OH
We are pleased to present another exceptional item from our collection—a charming miniature solid-gold egg pendant crafted from bowenite and adorned with a natural ruby. The gold pen...
Ruby, Gold
Russian Imperial Gilt Silver Egg Chrysoprase Pendant, Workmaster Henrik Wigström
Located in Chesterland, OH
A fabulous quality, antique Imperial egg pendant charm! We present a fabulous egg pendant in the form of a miniature gilt silver chick, charming and detailed, and a gorgeous droplet...
Chrysophrase, Silver, Gilt Metal
Emblems of heartfelt emotion, elegant vessels for photos and keepsakes and perfect for layering, these special ornaments are an essential component of any thoughtfully curated jewelry collection.
From vibrant to subtle, elegant to cheeky, enamel jewelry encompasses a wide range of colors and styles, and there are almost as many techniques for creating these distinctive pieces.
