On a frosty Easter morning in 1885, Czar Alexander III presented his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna, with an exquisite gift of a golden Easter egg. The Czar had called upon the extraordinary talents of the gifted jeweler, Peter Carl Faberge, to design and create the first keepsake. It was the beginning of a collaboration that would result in a magnificent legacy for all the world the marvel at.

The Fabergé family originated in France, but was forced to leave in the 17th century because of religious persecution. During the early 19th century the family settled in Russia. Peter Carl Fabergé was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 30, 1846.  He was the son of a goldsmith.  After apprenticing with several goldsmiths in Germany, France and England, he returned to St. Petersburg ready to enter into the family business. Fabergé was 24 years old when he took over his father's small but moderately successful business.  He went from the production and sale of routine gold and silver jewelry, to an output of objets d'art. Peter Carl Fabergé lead the House of Fabergé to become internationally renowned, catering to the most wealthy and powerful families in the world.

Between 1885 and 1916, the Fabergé workshops produced more than 200,000 articles! The success of Fabergé began in 1885, when Czar Alexander III designated Peter Carl Fabergé "Supplier to the Imperial Court" and in the same year placed the order for the first Imperial Easter Egg.  At first, Fabergé created one Imperial egg per year for Czar Alexander III to give to his wife.  Following the death of Czar Alexander, and the accession of his son, Czar Nicholas II, the production rate doubled so that Nicholas could then present one Fabergé egg to his wife, Czarina Alexandra, and one to his mother, Czarina Maria.  The eggs he presented to his wife and mother were not presented out of duty or obligation, but rather genuine love. The Easter eggs that Fabergé made for the Czars are called "Imperial" Easter eggs. The themes of the eggs were always a surprise and the House of Fabergé deemed the projects a top priority.  They were planned and worked on far in advance- a year or longer, but the design, and "surprise" inside remained a secret until its completion.  Despite repeated inquires by the Czars, Fabergé refused to spoil the wonder of his creation by sharing his secret before Easter morning arrived. He would then hand delivery the egg to the reining Czar.

The House of Fabergé became the largest jewelry firm in Russia, employing more than 500 craftsmen and designers.  He employed some of the greatest goldsmiths and jewelers in the world.  The business was divided in to several small workshops which created fabulous silverware, cigarette cases, Imperial Easter eggs, hardstone animals, along with many other "objet d' art".  Czars, Empresses, Grand Dukes, Queens, Princes, as well as, other members of aristocratic society in Europe and Asia were among those coveting Fabergé’s work.

Peter Carl Fabergé is perhaps most famous for perfecting the technique of enameling. Fabergé was noted for an extensive range of enamel colors, numbering up to 150 different shades.  It was not unusual for women to have dresses made to match the enamel colors of their Fabergé jewelry! Enamel guilloché is obtained by engraving a design on a metal surface using a special machine known as a "tour a guilloché" then applying enamel over the design in translucent colors.

Faberge production of luxury goods ceased completely in Russian with the onset of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The Faberge workshops were taken over by the Soviet government and all the Faberge gold, silver, precious gemstones, tools and dies were confiscated by the Soviet officials. A period of hardship and dramatic change in the social system of Russian had changed the world. Faberge never recovered from the shock of the tragedy that had befallen Russia, the Imperial Family, and the House of Faberge.

Carl Faberge died in Lausanne, Switzerland, on September 24, 1920, at age 74. Those that knew him said that he died from a broken heart. The work of Peter Carl Fabergé can be seen on display year round at the:

• The Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington, DC.

• The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

• The Forbes Gallery, New York.

Fabergé Products Today

Fabergé products are created using original Fabergé elements, many articles are exact replicas of the originals.  In most cases, to the exact original measurements Peter Carl Fabergé used over 100 years ago.  All of our authorized Fabergé articles are hand made, and the petite eggs we carry are made in limited quantities and are numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity.     We hope to pay tribute to the talent and artistry of Peter Carl Fabergé through our collection. All the pieces in our collection incorporate the original designs of Fabergé and are crafted in the highest European tradition with quality materials and faultless workmanship.

Also included in our collection are the Enamel Guilloche Romance Boxes. Made with 24k gilded sterling silver with wonderfully romantic messages engraved inside each box.      From all of us at BBMoon, we are very honored at the opportunity to provide our patrons with these historically significant and quite beautiful objets d'art made by the descendants of the original craftsmen that worked in the  House of Fabergéé