Faberge Jewelry
House is known all over the world thanks to Easter products that were produced in the Russian Empire in the middle of the XIX century. However , the history of the brand is much more fascinating and interesting than you can imagine.
Family Faberge began its existence in the XVII century, it happened in France. However, then its members bore the surname Favry and related to the Protestant faith. It was this fact that influenced the modification of the surname to Fabriere and the escape of the family from France.
Of all the representatives of the surname, only one person was seriously interested in jewelry art. His name was Gustav Faberge. He was not a hereditary jeweler and at first knew absolutely nothing in this area. At the age of 16 , he came to Russia to learn the basics of jewelry, and by 1841, when he was already 27, he became a full-fledged specialist.
The year of the brand's foundation is considered to be 1842. He became the key to the further development of the Faberge name. During this period Gustav Faberge opens a jewelry store in one of the most prestigious districts of St. Petersburg
On May 30 , 1846, Gustav Faberge had a son, Karl, who later and he glorified the jewelry house with his masterpieces. And he managed it thanks to an incredible round-the-world trip. At the age of 18, young Faberge went on a cruise to learn jewelry secrets and techniques that were used around the world at that time. He absorbed information like a sponge absorbs water, and thanks to this, by the age of 26 , he had already become a venerable jeweler.
Interior of the first Faberge store in St. Petersburg
Gustav Faberge migrated from Russia when Karl was 14 years old, but thoughts about the motherland still did not leave the young man. And so, when Karl gained enough experience, he decided to return to his native country. It happened in 1872, and 10 years later the young man became the head of the family business.
One of Carl Faberge's sons, Agafon, also chose the jewelry path, deciding follow in my father's footsteps. In 1882, he was awarded the title of master of jewelry. However, he did not devote his whole life to jewelry.
Emigrating to Finland because of the revolutionary persecution , he spent the rest of his life very modestly and lived by selling his stamp collection.
The official collaboration of Carl Faberge with the imperial family began in 1885, when Alexander III, delighted with the jeweler's skill, made him his first order. The emperor wanted to make a pleasant surprise for his wife, and ordered to make a precious Easter egg that would resemble Maria Fedorovna about the motherland.
The result exceeded all expectations, and then it was decided to make such souvenirs annually, and even several pieces a year. Thus , 54 eggs were made for the royal family, each of which had its own unique design.
In total , Faberge Jewelry House has released 71 eggs
And in 2015, he pleased his fans with another unique specimen. It is known that today eggs Faberge is stored in 9 countries around the world. The largest number of them is in Russia (25 pieces), a little less in America (22 pieces), in other countries, 1-3 copies are stored.
The fate of 11 Easter Faberge works still remains unknown.
In 2014, an amazing find was announced — one of the long-lost imperial Faberge eggs was accidentally discovered at a flea market in the USA. The cost of the egg was $ 33 million.
After After the Soviet revolution, the Faberge House ceased to be one of the most influential in the jewelry market. At one time, two companies worked under the Faberge brand at once. She was in America and engaged in production perfumes, and the second was registered by the sons of Carl Faberge. But both firms roamed from one owner to another.
Only in 2007 a businessman from South Africa, Brian Gilbertson (Brian Gilbertson) bought all the rights to the name Faberge. He set a goal for himself — to revive the former glory of the jewelry house. Today, the brand has received a new life and is actively involved in the world jewelry life.
The director from Great Britain Patrick was inspired by Faberge's extraordinary works Mark (Patrick Mark). Together with the company Arts Alliance , he shot a full-length documentary about Faberge eggs. The film is unique in that in the process of making the film, the film crew was admitted to the rarest collections of preserved masterpieces. They managed to shoot them in detail and show them in all their splendor.
The film was titled "Fabergé: Living your Life"(Fabergé: A Life of Its Own) and has already won several prestigious film awards.
House Faberge managed to survive the enchanting ups and downs. And despite this, today the Faberge brand is alive again, with renewed vigor continues to create and delight fans with beautiful works of jewelry art.
