The History Behind Russia s Royal Faberge Eggs.

You've probably heard of Fabergé eggs. Gorgeous, delicate, bedecked with gemstones, enamel, and precious metals. But do you know about their history with the Russian Revolution? Little more hardcore than you were expecting, huh? The most famous ones were technically Easter eggs. I want an Easter egg! I want an Easter egg! I want an Easter egg! They were Easter gifts made by the House of Fabergé for the imperial Russian royal family, including the last members of the Romanov dynasty, Or were they? Peter Carl Fabergé was a Russian jeweler descended from the French Huguenots, who kept fleeing eastward to escape religious persecution. He was born in St. Petersburg in 1846, and after his father's death, he took over the family jewelry firm in 1882. In 1885, the company was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III to create an Easter egg for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. The first Fabergé egg is probably a little bit more subdued than you were expecting, but even though it's white enamel on the outside, it's gold on the inside, and there is actually a little gold hen inside of the yolk. The hen also opened to a replica of the imperial crown and a small ruby pendant, but those have unfortunately been lost. But this is still further proof that the Russians love their nesting toys. I'd like another Fabergé egg, please. Sir, don't you think you've had enough? I tell you when I've had enough. The Empress was so impressed by the present, and honestly, who wouldn't be, that the Tsar commissioned another Easter egg the following year, and the gifts eventually became a tradition. As the years went on, the eggs became more and more elaborate. The only stipulation given by the Tsar was that each egg be different, and that each egg contained some sort of surprise inside. The Danish palace's egg was seamed with diamonds and emeralds with a star sapphire on top. And the delicate diamond trellis egg contained an automaton of an ivory elephant. The Renaissance Fabergé egg was the last that Alexander gifted to Maria, but the tradition continued. The 1885 rosebud egg was the first one that the new Tsar Nicholas II gave to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, one of Queen Victoria's many grandchildren. But Maria, now Dowager Empress, was still getting the gifts too, like this egg with diamond-encrusted monograms of the imperial family's initials. As time passed, the look of the eggs evolved along with changes in art and design aesthetic, and the surprises became more elaborate. For example, this 1898 Lilies of the Valley egg is clearly influenced by Art Nouveau movement, and a bouquet of lilies egg from the following year was actually a clock. Some of my favorite Fabergé eggs are those with botanical or nature themes, like this cloverleaf egg from 1902, or this rose trellis egg from 1907, and even this orange tree egg made out of enamel nephrite, created in 1911. But there's pretty much nothing more unnatural than a Fabergé egg, like these two see-through eggs that let you take a look at the prize. The standard yacht egg features a boat inside flanked by two lapis lazuli eagles, and the Alexander III equestrian egg is carved out of rock quartz crystal. Several eggs featured family portraits, like the 15th anniversary and Romanov tercentenary eggs. And the Red Cross egg, a gift for the Dowager Empress, featured portraits and honored the International Red Cross for its work during World War I. Unfortunately, not all the eggs and surprises survived the war. But the Fabergé brand is strong, and in fact the brand name Fabergé has been sold back and forth several times over the past century. The company continues to put out decorative items and even consumer products like cologne, one you've probably heard of. Did you guys know that the Brut Cologne was launched by Fabergé? So from imperial chickens, to a bloody revolution, to your great-uncle's favorite scent, the house of Fabergé has a more egg-citing history than you thought, huh? Have you ever needed to smuggle jewels out of a country? Let us know in the comments. And don't forget to like and subscribe. If you want to learn more about the topics we discussed today, check out the links below. Thank you for watching.