The mastery of Carl Faberge as jeweler was demonstrated from its beginnings in the profession. Their egg-jewel go down in history as pieces of virtually unbeatable beauty and big technical quality, a sample of the unique talent of the jeweler of czars.

Who was Carl Fabergé?

Carl Fabergé (May 30, 1846 - September 24, 1920) was a Russian jeweler. In 1870 becomes the person in charge of the family-owned jewelry store in St. Petersburg. With a reputation as a designer, he worked with semi-precious stones and metals, and make designs of different styles, including Old Russian, Greek, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Nouveau, naturalist and caricature.

His works were exhibited at the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882 and received the gold medal. He received the appointment of a goldsmith and jeweler to the Russian Imperial Court and many other European monarchies. Manufactured jewelry in the shape of Easter eggs of gold and enamel, miniature animals, goblets, candy boxs and other items.

For Easter, 1883, Czar Alexander III commissioned the goldsmith Peter Carl Faberge egg building to give to his wife, Czarina Maria. The gift consisted of a platinum shell egg containing a smaller one in gold. At the opening of the latter, was a miniature golden goose that was on her head a replica of the Russian imperial crown. This particular Easter Egg liked both the Empress that the czar ordered Faberge to conduct a new egg every Easter.

History

The most important festival of the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church is Easter. It is celebrated with three kisses and the exchange of Easter eggs. With respect to the imperial Fabergé eggs, these began to be made in 1885 when Czar Alexander III commissioned an Easter egg for his wife.

In 1885, Faberge was appointed official supplier to the Russian imperial court. The jeweler and his team of craftsmen and artisans, such as the Russian master jewelers and Finns Michael Perkhin Wigström Henrik and Erik August Kollin, designed and made Easter eggs for eleven years of Alexander III of Russia until he died, continuing his son and successor, Nicholas II with tradition. These projects became top priority for the company and were planned and worked a year or more in advance: the surprise that contained the egg always kept secret.

For the design of the Imperial eggs, Faberge was inspired by European artistic styles, such as Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism and the Modernist, as well as works of art that looked during his stay and travel in Europe. There were eggs created to commemorate such events as the coronation of Czar Nicholas II, the completion of Trans-Siberian railway, and to celebrate important anniversaries. Other eggs kept inside the imperial yacht Standart, the Uspensky Cathedral, the Gatchina Palace and the Alexander Palace, to name a few.

Of the 69 eggs that did in total Fabergé House for the czars, the aristocracy and the industrial and financial elite, are preserved 61. 52 Imperial eggs are known, 44 of which have been found today, including the last two of 1917 that were never delivered or terminated because of the Russian Revolution, emphasizing the Egg of the constellation of Tsarevich. The remaining 8 Imperial eggs are considered lost or missing.

Description and materials
Among the materials used by Fabergé are metals such as gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, steel, which were combined in different proportions to achieve different colors for the "shell" of the egg.

Another technique used by Fabergé was known as guilloche, a surface treatment on metal etching that is making waves, stretch marks or any other picture, in a repetitive and symmetrical, typed or handwritten. Fabergé was proud that all raw materials used in the workshop came from different parts of Russia. Many eggs include minerals such as jasper, malachite, rhodonite, rock crystal, agate, aventurine, lapis lazuli, and jade. The egg of 1917, for the Empress Maria Fyodorevna was done in Karelian birch wood.

Gemstones, including sapphires, rubies and emeralds were used to decorate eggs and surprise it contained, when used in the class was known as a cabochon (round cut). As for the type size used for diamonds was the typical size rose.

The primary source of inspiration of Faberge came from the work of previous centuries. Translucent enamel was a very valuable technique in the nineteenth century that required several layers of enamel that was dried in an oven after applying each coat. However, during the nineteenth century was available only a limited range of colors, so experiment and soon Fabergé increased its color palette to achieve more than 140 different shades. The most appreciated was oyster enamel which varied depending on the light color.

La Casa Fabergé produced, among many other decorative items, desk accessories and jewelry.