Yes, Fabergé eggs are fragile. They may break if dropped or handled too roughly. Because they are so delicate, several of the original Imperial eggs are no longer in existence. Fabergé produced 69, but only 57 remain.
There were thousands of Fabergé pieces in the palaces of the Romanovs, most now scattered across far away lands in the many collections around the world now. Of the fifty Imperial eggs made, only ten remain in the Kremlin. Eight Imperial eggs are still missing.
There are now seven missing Imperial Easter Eggs. They are the Eggs for the years 1886, 1888, 1889, 1897, 1902, 1903 and 1909. And yes, they are all seven Maria Feodorovna's Eggs!
The edible Eggs Fabergé is served on a bed of Oscietra caviar, and finished with a langoustine à la nage sauce.
As of December 2021, Elizabeth II the Queen of England owned four Fabergé eggs. Three of the pieces in her collection are original Imperial eggs. Her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, purchased them.
Ten of the Imperial Eggs are on display at Moscow's Kremlin Armory Museum. Many of the eggs belong to museums and private collectors. One private collector, Viktor Vekselberg, owns a total of fifteen Fabergé This makes him the single largest owner of Fabergé eggs in the world.
There are only 50 Imperial Easter Eggs in the world, including the nine sold to Vekselberg by the Forbes family. Ten are in the Moscow Kremlin Collection, five are at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Va., and Britain's Queen Elizabeth owns three. The whereabouts of eight are unknown.
The most expensive egg in the world costs a whopping Rs 78 crores. The name of this egg is Rothschild Faberge Easter Egg and it is worth Rs 78 crores.
To tell if a Fabergé egg necklace is real, first look for one of the brand's hallmarks. The jewelry house's markings varied widely over the years but often featured the name in Cyrillic or a head shown in profile beside a number. A licensed appraiser can help you accurately assess the authenticity of your necklace.
Octopussy (1983)
A fake Fabergé egg, and a fellow Agent's death, lead James Bond to uncover an international jewel-smuggling operation, headed by the mysterious Octopussy, being used to disguise a nuclear attack on N.A.T.O. forces.
Collecting Fabergé became a royal pastime, and since then, over six generations, the family has amassed 800 pieces in the Royal Collection, with acquisitions made up to this reign.
Third Imperial Easter Egg
Made out of a solid 18k gold case that is decorated with diamonds and sapphires, this is the most expensive Faberge egg ever. Worth more than $33 million today, this egg was discovered in 2011 by a scrap dealer by accident.
On 6 July 2011, two Fabergé experts in America, Vincent and Anna Palmade discovered an image of an egg identical to the one in the 1902 Von Dervais exhibition photograph in an old catalog for a March 1964 auction at Parke-Bernet (now Sotheby's).
And like the Easter eggs you may find hidden in your shrubs or gutters, these eggs were also intended to contain a surprise inside. Initially the first Fabergé egg was to contain a diamond ring, but after specific instructions given by the Emperor, the egg could be opened to find a ruby pendant instead.
The princess grew up in Darmstadt, Germany, and the egg's first surprise—an opaque yellow enamel rose—was meant to remind her of her hometown's famed flower gardens. Inside the rose were two more surprises (since lost): a golden crown with diamonds and rubies, and a cabochon ruby pendant.
Guinea Fowl
Guinea fowl eggs are rare because these birds only lay about 60 eggs each year. Because of its rarity, a guinea fowl egg is a tasty treat in certain parts of the world. A guinea hen egg has a thick shell that's the color of oatmeal with speckles of brown.
Multiplying the mass (2898 g) by the price ($39.43/g) means the net worth of a golden egg is somewhere around $165,398. That's over $30M/year in income if your goose is laying one every day.
Emu. Emu eggs are not only gorgeous in color, but also in texture. These flightless birds from Australia lay eggs that come in at a whopping five inches long and two pounds in weight.
There are several reasons why Fabergé eggs are so costly. First, they are made of precious metals and gemstones. Second, they are rare and highly collectible items. And third, they have a rich history and are associated with luxury and wealth.
Although Fabergé continues to operate as a jeweller for many other fine pieces of art, the finite number of original, imperial eggs means that today, the real Fabergé eggs are sought after; renowned for their artistry, lavishness and value.
In 1885 the House of Fabergé received the title of 'Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty' and received its first commission for an imperial Easter egg. Just over 50 Fabergé eggs were made and the design and creation of each took the firm more than a year to complete.
Faberge eggs ranged in size, from three to five inches tall, and took one to two years to complete.
According to author Géza von Habsburg, "They were by no means the most expensive things that the imperial family bought from Fabergé. The first eggs cost something like two to four thousand dollars, approximately, at the time.
Next to branded Fabergé items, the world market has been continuously supplied with imitation "Fauxbergé" objects and "Fabergé-style" products. Today, the brand is owned by a company called Fabergé Limited and is used solely for jewellery items and gem stones.