Carl Faberge
(1846 - 1920)
Carl Faberge was born Peter Carl Fabergé in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 30, 1846. His parents were Gustav Fabergé a jeweler and his Danish wife Charlotte Jungstedt. Carl studied at St. Anne’s Gymnasium, the German
school in St. Petersburg. In 1860, the family moved to Dresden and sent young Carl Fabergé on a studying trip to Paris, Florence and Frankfurt. He learned the jeweler’s craft at the House of Friedman in Frankfurt am Main.
In 1870 Carl took over the jewelry store due to his father’s illness. Two years later, he married Augusta Julia Jacobs, with whom he had four sons: Eugene, Agathon, Alexander, and Nicholas. All of them eventually joined the family business.
Carl began to design and manufacture jewelry way ahead of what was being produced around him at the time. He was an innovator and embraced new movements with enthusiasm including the “Art Nouveau” movement when it was launched in Europe. Many of the designs made by Fabergé around the 1900s have served as models for several of the leading European Houses even at the present time.
Fabergé encouraged his lapidaries to carve stones for jewels in new and exciting shapes, his enamellers also adopted a wide range of different manners; his metal-workers, the chasers and engravers were also encouraged to employ different colors of gold in beautiful new designs.
Fabergé took pleasure in exploiting the shining dark green beauty of jade, (Siberian nephrite), in many of his favorite designs and was known for selecting the best materials for his jewelry. Besides diamonds, which Fabergé used in both rose-cut and exceptional form, his workshops popularized the use of colored stones both precious and semi-precious. Fabergé was attracted to what was called the “Mecca” stone, which was a translucent pale blue-green chalcedony cut cabochon artificially stained to put out a rose-colored glow. The “Mecca” stone is sometimes confused with moonstone. Some stones mined in Russia such as the Aquamarine, Siberian Emeralds and Amethyst were continuously used by the House of Fabergé.
In 1882, Agathon, Faberge’s younger brother joined the firm. Agathon helped his brother reorganize and expand the business. Agathon was a skilled jeweler in his own right. He was creative, ingenious and driven. It was his influence that redirected the firm away from the heavy, fussy pieces being made until that point and toward the fine, intricate items that would ultimately be recognized as being of Fabergé style. Agathon convinced his brother Carl to participate at the Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882; they were a sensation. The House of Faberge was awarded a gold medal. More importantly however, Carl’s works caught the eye of Alexander III, the Tsar of Russia, who was a great patron of the arts. Faberge's creations were singled out from hundreds of other jewelers by the Tsar. Alexander declared him “the re-inventor of Russian jewelry art," and became his biggest supporter and best customer. Alexander III encouraged Faberge to turn his genius to the production of exquisite items for his family and friends; brooches, cigarette cases, necklaces, miniatures of all kinds and, of also to the creation of the famous Faberge Easter eggs. Faberge also worked with gold, silver, gems, and other materials, and created flower arrangements, figure groups, and animals.
In 1885, the first "Faberge Easter Egg" was presented to the Tsarina Marie Romanova and later that year, Faberge was rewarded with the appointment of jeweler to the Imperial Court, and given the right to have the Imperial Eagle incorporated in the firm's trademark. From 1895 to 1916, Tsar Nicholas II ordered two eggs each year, one for his wife and one for his mother. Eggs were designed to celebrate the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II, the completion of the Trans Siberian Railway, the birth of the Tsarevitch (male heir to the throne), the 15th Anniversary of the Imperial Couple's coronation, and the "Romanov Tercentenary Egg" which commemorated 300 years of Romanov rule. During times of war, eggs were created to honor the Red Cross and the military. In all, 56 eggs were ordered. The Faberge eggs became a beautiful symbol of Russian history and culture.
During the Edwardian Era 1901 to 1910, Fabergé produced a large quantity of jabot brooches which were described as “small brooches” by Fabergé. Another item that was very popular and also produced in large quantities and in a variety of patterns was the belt buckle. It was produced in every possible color and technique in silver and enamel and sometimes in gold or plain. They were often bordered by chased mounts, sometimes set with rose diamonds or pearls.
Haircombs of tortoiseshell usually set with diamonds, a less formal substitute for the tiara were also very popular and produced in large quantities. Faberge’s vast production of products was focused on women’s adornments but he also made a small quantity meant for men’s wear, such as stick-pins, waistcoat buttons, shirt-studs and sleeve-links in a variety of designs and materials.
In 1897, the Swedish and Norwegian court appointed Fabergé Court Goldsmith, and in 1900 his work represented Russia at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris. The House was awarded a gold medal and the city’s jewelers recognized Carl Fabergé as maître. Additionally, Carl Fabergé was decorated with the most prestigious of French awards; he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour. Two of Carl’s sons and his Head Workmaster were also honored. Commercially the exposition was a great success and the firm acquired many orders and clients. Carl Faberge became the Tsar’s Court Goldsmith in 1910. The House of Fabergé had over five-hundred employees, designers, craftsmen and salesmen dedicated to the production of luxury accessories for the wealthy. The House of Fabergé had branches in Moscow, Odessa, Kiev, and London.
In 1913, Fabergé was commissionesd to make a variety of pieces to commemorate the Tercentenary of the Romanoff’s rule in Russia. He created brooches and pendants incorporating carefully enameled models of Peter the Great’s sable-trimmed Shapka or Cap of Monomach to be presented to each of the Grand Duchesses and ladies of the Court.
In 1917, Carl Fabergé fled to Wiesbaden, after his workshops were shut down due to the revolution. On September 24, 1920, at the age of 74, Faberge died in Lausanne, Switzerland and was buried in Cannes France next to his wife Augusta. It was the end of a golden era.
Carl’s sons Eugene and Alexander Fabergé founded a successor company in Paris in 1924; but were not successful. Interest in Faberge's creations was renewed after a 1977 exhibit in London. Additional successful exhibitions have since been held in Helsinki, New York, London, and Munich. Faberge's family continued in vain to try and revive the company. In 1989, they selected workmaster, Victor Mayer to continue Faberge's lifework after a 70 year lapse. A new collection was presented in Munich in 1990. In honor of Faberge's 150th birthday, new creations were presented to the public in New York in 1996.
