These Gems have life in them… ~George Eliot

When speaking about the House of Fabergé how can one not include jewelry? His creations along this line for the royal family were extensive and magnificent. Unfortunately, much of what was produced fell into the hands of people desperate for a means by which to live, and plundering what they could, took jewels from larger pieces to sell on the black market. Much of what we know of the larger pieces come from photographs and also from the stock records held in August Holmstrom’s workshops. These books contain detailed watercolor drawings along with a description of materials used, a list of the stones as well as the cost of the item. Holmstrom’s granddaughter Alma Teresia Pihl meticulously maintained these records. There is also a drawing she made of a small brooch, which imitated a petit point floral design. This drawing, which was dated 24 July 1913, was believed to be the inspiration for the Imperial Easter Egg created the following year – the Imperial Mosaic Egg. Some items that have survived are the many miniature Easter eggs that Fabergé sold in his store just prior to the Easter holidays. The designs of these very popular items were varied indeed. Some were shaped or decorated as brightly colored Easter baskets, others as baskets containing mushrooms (a beloved Russian food), ladybugs, flowers, animals, etc. They were simple, small charms, which could be given as gifts during the Easter holidays. The son of the Duke of Mechlenburg-Strelitz recorded his remembrance of the Easter celebration of 1916 at the palace of the grand Duchess Vladimir:

“Mama and my sisters were wearing very elegant light-colored dresses and had one or more necklaces with small eggs made of precious stones. These eggs were made by the jewelers of St. Petersburg from widely differing types of stone. They were the size of a cherry or grape and were suspended by small gold links from a chain. It was a custom at Easter to give them as presents not only to members of the family but also to distant cousins and old friends. My sisters each had two or three long chains studded with these eggs, which hung down to their waists”.

These words, along with the drawings and a few small pieces of jewelry are all that remains of the genius of Fabergé as a jeweler.