Happy Easter to all our readers out there! Lo has put her mind to work and has decided to surprise you with a special post, Easter-related of course, in which the main symbol of this holiday -the egg- is presented not as a primordial means of reproduction, but as a wonderful jewel. The egg in itself has always been a symbol of immortality and ressurection. It represents a microcosmic world in which all the elements of regeneration and perpetual development happily reside. Life brings improvement with every generation to come and the egg, in spite of its outer fragility, but due to its inner power, eventually became a sacred symbol, endowed with great financial and historical value with the help of Carl Fabergé's masterful creations.
I believe you have already guessed what stars we have today in the spotlight: they are the famous Easter eggs created by the House of Fabergé for the last Imperial family of Russia in particular and for other wealthy aristocrats as well. But before making you familiar with a bit of their history, let us discover who was the gifted creator of these unique pieces of fine art.
Peter Carl Fabergé was born in a family accustomed to the jewellery industry, his father having been a jeweler himself, and was educated in the spirit of this fine and luxurious art. He eventually received the title of Master Jeweler, and this way the path to success and recognition was opened in front of him, being continually paved with luxury since the late 1800s. How did Carl Fabergé begin creating his priceless Easter eggs?
It all started in 1885, when the Russian Czar Alexander III came up with the idea of having an Easter egg made as a gift for his wife. Fabergé was chosen to complete this delicate task due to his well-known ability as a goldsmith and jeweler, and so the Imperial present was brought to life from the imagination of the master jeweler. The egg looked like a genuine hen egg, but made of gold and covered in white enamel. Furthermore, the egg was not only a jewel in itself, but hid inside other valuable gold-and-gem pieces of art. The impact that this imperial present had was unexpected. From that moment onwards, Carl Fabergé became the jeweler of the Imperial family and every year the House of Fabergé created at least another Easter egg for the Czar.
Czar Nicholas II, a rigid person oriented towards carrying on traditions, agreed with the custom of offering to his family gifts created by the House of Fabergé, so during the years when he was a crowned head, the tradition set up by Alexandrer III was kept unaltered. As time went by, the jewels became more and more elaborate, on condition that the Easter eggs presented to the Imperial family should contain surprises chosen by Fabergé himself. The crowned heads seemed to be delighted to discover the treasures hidden inside.
They became a synonym for extravagance, perfection, luxury and aristocracy. Eventually, other rich people from the nobility started ordering Fabergé eggs for their own collections, and the fame of these items was eternally established. The Imperial Easter eggs, which mixed the tragic history of the Romanov family and of Fabergé's creative spirit, are now fabulous pieces of collection worth dazzling amounts of money. Unfortunately, not all the Imperial eggs have survived the rough times that passed over them. Less than 45 of them can be found today in museums or private collections. Still, the fascination cast by these original pieces of art will always survive and their value will increase even more.
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