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Fabulous Faberge Eggs Continue To Delight

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

In 1883, When the Czar of Russia requested a special springtime gift for his wife, it's unlikely that anyone involved knew what an impact that gift, and those that followed, would have on the artistic future.

The Czar was Alexander, the Czarina was Empress Marie, and the goldsmith whose name would live on for centuries was Peter Carl Faberge.

The first Faberge egg was a "nesting" egg -- the intentionally plain outside shell of platinum and enameled white opened to reveal shining treasures within. The egg did come before the chicken in this case, two eggs, in fact -- inside of the platinum egg was a smaller gold egg, which when opened, displayed a golden chicken and a tiny jeweled copy of the imperial crown.

The special egg so enchanted Empress Marie that Alexander charged the Faberge firm to create more of the beautiful eggs for delivery every Easter. Years later, Alexander's son Nicholas II continued the custom for both his wife and his mother, bringing the total number of Faberge eggs to 57.

From the special attention to detail to the flair for opulence to the popularity of the egg shape, the influence of Faberge's designs can still be seen today. Faberge's close friend and associate, H.C. Bainbridge, described him as a "genius on the rampage" and as the first in Russia to make "objects of elegance, taste, and feeling." These traits brought the man's work fame the world over and led to a one-word summation of exceptional beauty and style -- "Faberge."

One popular jewelry line inspired by the Faberge designs comes from celebrity clothing critic Joan Rivers.

Included in the jewelry collection are some of her interpretations of the Faberge eggs, such as this rendition of the Lilies of the Valley Egg in colored enamels, Austrian crystals and simulated pearls.

The collection is available either through qvc or on ebay.

Other egg jewelry pieces simply channel the spirit of the Faberge originals through their egg-shaped designs and tiny details. From a beading standpoint, it is easy to find Faberge-inspired designs in the amazingly detailed lampwork beads available.

Wedding cake beads, with their golden bands, centered glass medallions, and tiny frit dots pay homage to the Faberge Cuckoo Egg, which is partly described as, "encircled by pearls set in red polished gold, enameled with translucent emerald green trefoils, and the rose diamond numerals are set on pale greenish white opalescent enamel within opaque white enamel rings."

Oval lampworked bumpy beads resemble, in some small part, the pearl-dotted lilies egg pictured earlier in this article. The egg has been described as, "surmounted by a rose diamond and cabochon ruby Imperial Crown set with two bows and quartered by four lines of rose diamonds and decorated with lilies-of-the-valley in pearls and rose diamonds."

As spring draws near, take some time to view Faberge's splendid creations, whether they be his work with enameling on gold and silver, his stone-cutting prowess, or his skill in creating tiny mechanical devices. His works are found in photos in many books or online articles.

References:
Faberge Eggs Collection, An online article with pictures
Oval lampwork bead photos courtesy of The Bead Peddler
Joan Rivers Lilies of the Valley Egg photo courtesy of ebay seller Gillette

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