Peter Karl Fabergé was born on May 30, 1846, in Saint Petersburg. His father was a modest jeweler who owned his own business. The boy exhibited artistic talents at an early age and demonstrated a keen interest in the art of jewelry making.2 photos

Older Faberge went to great lengths to ensure that Karl received a superior education. He enrolled him in the oldest and most prestigious German gymnasium in Saint Petersburg, and later sent him to a commercial college in Paris. For several years, Karl pursued his studies in jewelry art by gaining practical experience in various European cities. In 1872, he took over his father’s jewelry workshop.

Success first came to Faberge in 1882 at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Russia’s capital. There, his contemporary jewelry designs, presented in the form of elegant ladies’ accessories, won him a gold medal.

Around the same time, Karl began supplying his products to the Imperial Court. Initially, his orders accounted for only a small portion of the total business; he competed with other renowned jewelers for these prestigious contracts, but over time his share increased. His name began appearing more frequently in the court records.Faberge quickly won over the favor of high-ranking court officials by providing free assessments, repairs, and restorations for jewelry items in the Hermitage Museum. His access to the museum’s collections allowed him to study in detail the technical skills of ancient masters and the stylistic features of works from different eras.

He continuously met the public’s demands by creating a ever-growing range of useful items—portfolios, lamps, clocks, etc.—each more innovative, exquisite, and sophisticated than the previous. These instantly recognizable objects became powerful symbols of their owners’ status.The famous Faberge Easter Egg collection was created at the imperial order. It consisted of 54 eggs in total. Today, 45 of these eggs have been preserved; a photo of another exists, and five more are known through descriptions. One of the two unfinished eggs, which were worked on in 1917, has also survived.

After the October Revolution, Faberge’s company and family assets were confiscated and looted. In late 1917, Karl closed his business in Moscow and handed over its contents to the director of the Hermitage Museum. He himself moved abroad.

Peter Karl Faberge passed away on September 24, 1920, in Lausanne and was cremated according to his wishes.

In 2004, the Forbes collection of Faberge Easter Eggs, purchased by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg for 100 million dollars, was returned to Russia.