A magnificent diamond-encrusted Fabergé egg, originally crafted for Russia’s imperial Romanov dynasty, has achieved a historic auction milestone, fetching an unprecedented £22.9 million ($30.2 million) at Christie’s in London. The anonymous purchaser secured the legendary Winter Egg, widely regarded as one of master jeweler Carl Fabergé’s most exquisite creations, during Tuesday’s bidding session.
Commissioned in 1913 by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the masterpiece showcases extraordinary craftsmanship with approximately 4,500 meticulously placed diamonds adorning its rock crystal shell. The 8.2-centimeter (3.2-inch) treasure features elaborate platinum snowflake motifs crafted from rose-cut diamonds, embodying its wintry theme. Upon opening, the egg reveals an intricate surprise—a delicate basket containing white quartz blossoms.
This transaction substantially surpasses the previous auction record for Fabergé eggs, which stood at £8.9 million established in 2007. Margo Oganesian of Christie’s remarked to AFP that the result ‘reaffirms the enduring significance of this masterpiece’ within the art market.
The Winter Egg represents exceptional historical and artistic significance, designed by Alma Theresia Pihl—one of only two female master artisans at Fabergé’s St. Petersburg workshop. Of the fifty imperial eggs created between 1885 and 1917, when Nicholas II abdicated, the Winter Egg is among merely seven remaining in private ownership, with others residing in museum collections or considered lost.