Q: I purchased an egg from the St. Petersburg Collection by Theo Fabergé. Is this considered to be a genuine Fabergé egg?
A: The short answer is “probably not”. Although from a literal perspective, you did purchase a decorated egg designed by a man named Fabergé, when collectors and art historians refer to creations by “Fabergé”, they are referring to the original Russian firm that ceased operations in 1918. A more accurate term for these contemporary pieces would be “in the style of Fabergé”.
Q: My grandmother passed away last year and left me a Fabergé egg. It is still in its original box and is numbered 238 out of 500. Could you tell me what this egg is worth?
A: As mentioned above, the Soviets closed Carl Fabergé’s shops more than a century ago. Since that time, the brand name has been licensed to a variety of different companies, all of whom produced contemporary items marked "Faberge". My best suggestion would be to try Ebay to see what similar items have been selling for.
Q: I have a beautiful Fabergé egg. It is made of silver with floral designs painted around the perimeter. The top opens and inside is a bird sitting on a nest. Can you tell me more about my egg?
A: Unfortunately, I am not able to help you with this. Over the course of the past century the term “Fabergé Egg” has entered into our lexicon and has come to be associated with any type of decorated egg, whether it was produced by the Fabergé firm or not. A good analogy would be to think how “Kleenex” has become synonymous with any brand of facial tissue.