Fabergé << `fab` uhr ZHAY >>, Peter Carl (1846-1920), was a Russian goldsmith and jeweler who won international fame for his design of decorative objects. His imaginative creations included cigarette cases, picture frames, parasol handles, and miniature flowers and animals, as well as clocks and other traditional items.
Fabergé’s objects were made from gold, silver, and various gemstones native to Russia. He decorated many items with a brilliantly colored enamel that was characteristic of his work. Fabergé’s most famous pieces are the beautifully crafted Easter eggs he made for Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II.
Fabergé was born on May 18, 1846, in St. Petersburg. He received his first training from his father, a successful jeweler, and inherited the small family business at the age of 24. He expanded the business into a company with workshops in the cities of Kyiv, Moscow, Odessa, and St. Petersburg, and eventually in London. Czar Alexander III appointed him imperial jeweler in 1884. The Soviet government took over Faberge’s firm after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Fabergé fled to Switzerland, where he died on Sept. 24, 1920.
