Faberge’s Third Imperial Egg: A Unique History
What is Faberge's third Imperial egg?
aberge's third imperial egg was created in 1887 for Tzar Alexander III of Russia. The Tzar commissioned a yearly Faberge egg as an Easter gift to his wife, theTsarina Maria Feodorovna.
This edition of Faberge’s master piece creations was crafted in solid 18 karat gold, and is draped with garlands in a rose motif. Additionally, it is set with a breathtaking old mine cut diamond, and a deep blue sapphire cabochon.
Each Faberge Egg created for the Tzar would contain a “surprise” inside. For the third egg, it would contain a watch movement crafted by Vacheron Constatin. To view the timepiece, the egg is set upside down in its seat, the old cut diamond acts as the button to lift the top of the egg, and reveal the watch.
The third egg has a unique history!
After being confiscated in 1917 but the Russian Bolshevics, it was passed onto the Kremlin archives to be documented and finally ended up with the Russian Council of Peoples Commissars. The egg disappeared in 1922, and wouldn’t resurface again until 1964 at an auction house in New York, it would pass into a private collection after the auction.
The egg would reappear again in 2004 at an unknown dealer in the American Mid-West. However, this precious artefact was purchased for its scrap gold and gem value by the dealer!
Where is Faberge's third imperial egg today?
Ten years would pass until one day the dealer, with the help of Wartski London identified the egg as Faberge. It would finally be sold to a private collection through Wartski to a private collector.
The egg remains in a private collection somewhere in the world. It has not been put on public display since its rediscovery and sale in 2014.
