The History Behind Fabergé Eggs

Peter Carl Fabergé

• There are many famous and respected jewelers around the world, but few can match the timeless talent and vision of Peter Carl Fabergé and his world-famous series of jeweled eggs.

What is a Fabergé Egg?• Fabergé eggs are like a cross between Easter eggs

and nesting dolls.

Each egg incorporates gold, gems, and precious metals into intricate designs.

Fabergé eggs often open up to reveal a surprise trinket or piece of jewelry. Usually, these open up again to reveal even more jewelry.

The First Fabergé Egg

• Russian Tsar Alexander III commissioned the first Fabergé egg – “The Hen” in 1885.

• Fabergé designed The Hen with gold and white enamel, which made it look like a real, shimmering egg.• The Hen opened to reveal a matte gold “yolk.” The yolk

opened to reveal a golden hen with ruby eyes.

Fabergé’s Royal Appointment• The Tsar gave The Hen to his

wife, Maria. She loved it so much that Fabergé was appointed to serve as Goldsmith by Special Appointment to the Imperial Crown.

The Demand for Eggs Rises• Following his elevation in title, Fabergé’s jewelry

business exploded in popularity.

• Russian royalty and aristocrats commissioned Fabergé for eggs of their own. Fabergé and his craftsmen produced 64 eggs total.

The Fate of the Fabergé Eggs• During the Russian Revolution of 1917, most of

the aristocracy’s possessions were seized – and the Fabergé eggs were caught up in the conflict.

• Today, eight of the eggs are still missing:• Hen with Sapphire Pendant• Cherub with Chariot Egg• Nécessaire Egg• Alexander III Portraits egg• Mauve egg• Empire Nephrite egg• Royal Danish egg• Alexander III Commemorative egg Alexander III Commemorative egg

Royal Danish egg

Notice to Pawnbrokers and Antique Dealers• Because of their immense value and collectability, Fabergé

eggs have been the object of theft many times over the years.• The majority of Fabergé eggs today are in the hands of collectors.

• Occasionally, less savvy thieves will try to sell Fabergé eggs to antique dealers or pawnbrokers when they can’t find a collector.

• Therefore, it’s very important that members of these professions stay alert and well-read on these types of collectables to avoid buying stolen goods.

About MGS

Manhattan Gold & Silver (MGS) is a precious metals refiner that has been based in Manhattan’s historic Diamond District since 1985. We are a B2B company that buys and recycles precious metal scraps that accumulate in other businesses. We serve:

• Jewelers• Pawnbrokers• Dentists• The industrial sector• Antique dealers• Machinists • Domestic mining• And more!

• MGS also creates charts, calculators, and other online tools for our customers to use.• Try our Precious Metals Prices app, which lets you monitor the real-time precious metals

market situation from anywhere, right from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Recycle your Precious Metals for Profit• MGS accepts gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

• Payouts are based on the London Fixing.

• Up to 99% payout (among the highest in the US)• Up to 98.5% for gold brought in for hand testing.

• Not in NYC? Ship us your precious metals using our Ship & Sell service which offers:• Same day wired payment (once lot is received)• Discounted, insured shipping• Payout calculator

Connect with MGS

• For amazing facts, history and news, read our gold and precious metals blog.

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