Fabergé's 180th Anniversary: The Capsule Collection
In celebration of its 180th anniversary, the iconic house of Fabergé has unveiled its new capsule collection. Enthusiasts and modern-day collectors are ready to embrace the collection. The collection has two stunning pieces: the Colours of Love Rose Gold & Diamond & Ruby Fluted ‘180’ Egg Pendant and 180 Limited Edition Rose Gold & Ruby Mini Fluted ‘180’ Egg Objets. Both creations are made from 18kt rose gold and feature responsibly sourced Gemfields Mozambican rubies.
The History of Fabergé
In 1942, Gustav Fabergé opened the first Fabergé jewellery boutique, which was a basement shop along the city’s most fashionable street in St. Petersburg. Peter Carl Fabergé, alongside his brother Agathon, took over his father’s jewellery business in 1882. The pair quickly transformed it into an international phenomenon that set the jewellery world alight. The brothers successfully changed the nature of the business and evolved it into the most prominent jewellers across Europe.
Fabergé impressed people around the world by combining creativity with engineering. They officially became known as the “artist jeweller” after he gained the admiration of aristocrats, royals, and fashionable clientele across the globe. Peter Carl Fabergé added deluxe items to his repertoire, mastering the delicate art of guilloche enamelling and using an innovative array of gemstones. Today, these are treasured in the world’s leading museums and private collections. The craftsmanship of Fabergé creations has always been of the highest standard. This craftsmanship, fused today with the design, is what makes Fabergé pieces so desirable. The ultimate object to own and the gifts of choice.
Reviving History
After 180 years, the iconic house of Fabergé still prevails. As with many of their other collections, Fabergé drew inspiration from their historical masterpieces to create the 180-year capsule collection. The “fluted” gold creations in the Fabergé archives, used a technique which Peter Carl Fabergé was renowned for. It features heavily in his early works of art and is considered his trademark style. The gold fluting detail is seen in many of Fabergé’s exquisite pre-1917 pieces, which ranged from jewellery to picture frames, cigarette cases and other objets d’art. It can also be seen in many modern-day creations, including the extremely popular Colours of Love fluted rings.
The Capsule Collection
Fabergé is known for surprising its followers with the unexpected. The Limited-Edition Rose Gold & Ruby Mini Fluted ‘180’ Egg Objet is a miniature masterpiece. With a height of 62mm and a diameter of just 35mm, it fits in the palm of your hand. By creating curved surfaces and mixed levels that contrast light and dark, the fluted design brings out the natural beauty of the 18kt rose gold.
The fluting is arranged in a radial pattern to resemble rays of the sun. At the centre on both sides of the egg, there is a glowing cabochon ruby, which was responsibly sourced from the Gemfields’ Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique. Fabergé chose rubies for this design for their exceptional hue and for their symbolism. Rubies are associated with passion, protection, and prosperity. A smaller row of Gemfields rubies separates the two radial patterns around the circumference of the egg, adding subtle texture and sparkle to the piece. In a playful twist, the egg can be removed from its base.
As gold is a highly reflective material, the objet reflects the colours of the environment around it. Liisa Tallgren, Fabergé’s Head Designer carefully took this reflectivity into consideration when creating the objet, as this would significantly impact the overall appearance of the finished piece. A highly polished, smoothly curved or flat surface would have reflected like a mirror, resulting in a discontinuous and restless look. However, the designers have created a look of harmony and continuity by using engraving and texture to evenly distribute light and shadows. There is a beautiful golden glow from the objet as the low points reflect the gold material itself.
Fabergé has also launched a pendant to celebrate the special occasion. The Colours of Love Rose Gold Diamond & Ruby ‘180’ Fluted Egg Pendant. With uniform vertical fluting around the egg’s circumference, to create a tactile surface, this piece perfectly complements the egg objet. A Gemfields Mozambican ruby sits on the base of the egg, radiating a pop of colour when worn. A row of white diamonds is set on the bail for added sparkle.
We are delighted to welcome this stunning pendant in store at Weir & Sons. Follow the link below, or call into our Grafton Street store to discover our beautiful collection of Fabergé jewellery.