Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
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.
1990s German Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Agate, Amber, Coral, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century Russian Russian Empire Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Ruby, Silver
Early 2000s German Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Garnet, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s German Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Topaz, 18k Gold, Enamel, White Gold
Early 20th Century Russian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver, Gilt Metal
Late 19th Century British Belle Époque Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Enamel, Gold Plate, Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Art Nouveau Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Agate, Ruby, Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Art Nouveau Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Russian Russian Empire Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Fluorite
Early 20th Century Russian Russian Empire Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Quartz
1890s Russian Late Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Pearl, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Agate, Enamel, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gol...
1910s Russian Belle Époque Vintage Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Agate, Diamond, 14k Gold, Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
1890s Russian Russian Empire Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Other, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s Russian Art Nouveau Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Quartz, Carnelian, Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century Russian Rococo Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
Early 1900s Russian Russian Empire Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Enamel
1890s Russian Russian Empire Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Rose Gold
Early 1900s Russian Russian Empire Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Rock Crystal, Blue Sapphire, Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Art Nouveau Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Rock Crystal, Enamel, Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
20th Century Russian Russian Empire Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Chalcedony
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Chalcedony, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Yellow Gold
20th Century Russian Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
20th Century Russian Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
1890s Russian Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
20th Century Russian Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Victorian Antique Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Early 20th Century Russian Edwardian Fabergé Objets d'Art and Vertu
Enamel
Fabergé objets d'art and vertu for sale on 1stDibs.
- Did Faberge make jewelry?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Faberge makes fine jewelry and other items including silver tableware. Although Faberge is known around the world for their Easter eggs, the House of Faberge has a long history of creating exceptional jeweled items and paying great attention to detail. The brand is still in business today and offers a wide range of luxe jewelry options. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Faberge pieces from some of the world’s top sellers.
- Where are Faberge watches made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Faberge watches are made in Geneva, Switzerland. Faberge is Renowned for its luxury jewelry and timepieces and has enthusiasts and collectors worldwide. Shop a collection of antique and contemporary Faberge watches from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.