It's Easter this week so what better subject for this weeks Thursday throwback then Faberge.
The company found fame by their involvement with making the imperial Easter eggs for the tsar to give his wife, over the years 54 eggs where made with 42 surviving to this day. The egg had to have a mystery centre and could be as elaborate as they wanted. Carl Faberge, who owned the company at the time was given free range with his designs for the tsar.
My own fascination started with the eggs long before I knew there was jewellery made as well. I remember it was a Sunday and I had sat down to watch antiques roadshow with my parents as we did every Sunday. At the time it wasn't a program I liked because my brother and I had to sit in silence while it was on. This time however I remember a lady bringing a sage green egg to the table to show the expert, he explained it was a Faberge egg and asked the woman if she knew the egg had a secret. She said no to which he smiled and pressed 1 of the small diamonds which circled the middle. The egg popped open, unfolding like a flower opening. Inside was a small bird which immediately started to move side to side and chirp with its beak moving. The woman gasped she had no idea the bird was in the egg.
It was from then on that my love started for Faberge, and I found that it was not only the ornamental eggs I loved it was their jewellery also.
Before I tell you about their jewellery I should first explain a little about the history of the Faberge family and their brand.
The company was founded in 1842 by Gustav Faberge, who had had to flee his native France sometime around 1685. His surname then had been Favri but over the years had evolved as they travelled, until they eventually made it to Russia.
In Russia, Gustav trained in St Petersburg as a goldsmith and later became a master goldsmith and opened his first shop. The shop did well and Gustav passed it on to his son Peter Carl Faberge, who I mentioned earlier.
Carl Faberge trained extensively and travelled the world before also becoming a master goldsmith. During the Russian revolution, Carl and his family has to flee Russia. His sons where captured and Carl became seriously ill and took refuge in Switzerland. He died there in 1920 followed by his wife in 1925.
In 1924 two of Carl's sons, Alexander and Eugene, set up a shop in Paris called Cie in Paris where they marked their pieces Faberge, Paris, to distinguish their work from that of pre revolution pieces
Here however is where the story starts to get a bit more complicated so bare with me. In 1937 the owner of the Spanish Trading Corporation, Samuel Rubin, set up a company called Faberge Inc for the sale of perfumes in the United States. He didn't have consent to use the Faberge name and a very long legal battle began.
This new Faberge business went from strength to strength and sold the popular mens after shave, Brut. It also more recently has owned Lynx, dove, impulse, comfort, sure, and timotei to name a few.
In 2007 the business with all of its rights, licensing and trademarks was sold and became Faberge limited. The same year it also merged with the Faberge families business, owned by Tatiana and Sarah Faberge.
This new super company is what we now call Faberge and for the first time has started to make the eggs that first made it famous all thoughs years ago, as well as jewellery.
In 2011 it opened a store in Harrods in Londons Knightsbridge and then another in Mayfair.
Last month (March) the Harrods store hosted an Easter egg hunt. Six eggs, all from private collections where hidden around the department store, when you found an egg you registered it on your mobile and when you had all six you where entered in to a prize draw to win 1 of three Faberge pendants worth a whooping £16,000!
As marketing ploys go, I'd have loved to have taken advantage of this one. Unfortunately London is a very long way away from me (I'm nearer Scotland then London!)
Fashion Magpie Jewellery Blog is a celebration of antique and handcrafted jewellery, with regular featured items from my shop, antique jewellery showcase, interviews, reviews and tutorials.
