AuctionsDec 01, 2025
Christie’s Presents ‘Splendor & Style’ CollectionAuctionsDec 03, 2025
Fabergé’s 'The Winter Egg' Achieves Record $30M
The historic egg, crafted for Russia's ruling family prior to the revolution, was the star of Christie’s recent auction of works by Fabergé.
Earlier this week, “The Winter Egg” set a world auction record for a work by Fabergé when it sold at Christie’s “The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection” sale.
London—“The Winter Egg,” a rare rock crystal and diamond Fabergé creation with a storied history, has set a world auction record for a work by Fabergé for the third time in its history.
It sold above its estimate for $30.2 million at a Christie’s sale in London on Dec. 2, shattering the previous record set in 2007 when “The Rothschild Egg” sold for £8.9 million ($11.9 million) in London.
The Winter Egg was commissioned by the last Russian tsar, Emperor Nicholas II, to give to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, on Easter Day in 1913.
It is made of rock crystal and adorned with more than 4,000 diamonds. The interior is engraved with a frost design, while the exterior features platinum snowflake motifs set with rose-cut diamonds.
It opens to reveal a platinum woven basket set with rose-cut diamonds and filled with carved white quartz wood anemones, each with a gold wire stem and stamens.
Fabergé designer Alma Theresia Pihl produced the design.
She began as a watercolor copyist at Fabergé and later ventured into jewelry design, working with her uncle, a workmaster named Albert Holmström. When he crafted The Winter Egg, he was working from Pihl’s design, according to Christie’s.
Related stories will be right here …
It sold above its estimate for $30.2 million at a Christie’s sale in London on Dec. 2, shattering the previous record set in 2007 when “The Rothschild Egg” sold for £8.9 million ($11.9 million) in London.
The Winter Egg was commissioned by the last Russian tsar, Emperor Nicholas II, to give to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, on Easter Day in 1913.
It is made of rock crystal and adorned with more than 4,000 diamonds. The interior is engraved with a frost design, while the exterior features platinum snowflake motifs set with rose-cut diamonds.
It opens to reveal a platinum woven basket set with rose-cut diamonds and filled with carved white quartz wood anemones, each with a gold wire stem and stamens.
Fabergé designer Alma Theresia Pihl produced the design.
She began as a watercolor copyist at Fabergé and later ventured into jewelry design, working with her uncle, a workmaster named Albert Holmström. When he crafted The Winter Egg, he was working from Pihl’s design, according to Christie’s.
When Nicholas abdicated the throne in February 1917, The Winter Egg, along with several other Imperial eggs, was moved to the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow for safekeeping, though it later ended up in the possession of the new Soviet government.
The egg was sold and changed hands several times in subsequent years before selling at a Christie’s auction in Geneva in 1994 ($9.1 million) and again in New York in 2002 ($9.6 million), achieving a world-record price for an object by Fabergé on both occasions.
It is, according to Christie’s, among the most lavish and best documented of all the Imperial Easter Eggs, which Fabergé produced between 1885 and 1916.
Of the 50 completed eggs, 43 still exist, said the auction house, but only a handful—including The Winter Egg—remain in private collections.
The Winter Egg was the top lot of Christie’s “The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection” sale, which is part of its ongoing “Classic Week” in London.
“Today's result sets a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece and celebrating the rarity and brilliance of what is widely regarded as one of Fabergé's finest creations, both technically and artistically,” said Margo Oganesian, head of Christie's Fabergé and Russian works of art department.
The Fabergé auction, which also featured hardstone figures, animals, objets de vertu, and furniture by the Russian jeweler, garnered £27.8 million ($36.7 million) in total.
Fabergé was recently sold by Gemfields, which had owned the brand since 2013, to U.S.-based tech investment company SMG Capital LLC for $50 million.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Auctions
The Latest
CollectionsJul 17, 2026
HOWL Taps Shailene Woodley for ‘Home Sweet Home’ CampaignWoodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
U.K. Woman Pays £5 for £15K Diamond Ring at Car Boot SaleA WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
Diamond Dealer Jeff Pancis Pens MemoirThe founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
Events & AwardsJul 17, 2026
Gem Awards Opens 2027 Nomination PeriodSubmissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.
Weekly QuizJul 17, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsJul 16, 2026
Q&A: Guzema’s Co-Owners On Its US Expansion, 10-Year AnniversaryValeriya Guzema and Mariana Lenha look back on the last decade and discuss the Ukrainian brand’s first U.S. store.
SourcingJul 16, 2026
Ekati to Close, Leaving Canada With One Diamond Mine The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
FinancialsJul 16, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Sales Soar for the Seventh Quarter in a RowJewelry sales for the company, which owns Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vhernier, and Buccellati, rose 21 percent in the first quarter.
Events & AwardsJul 16, 2026
MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program Certifies First Advanced Apprentice GraduateThe graduate, Grace Barden, credited the program with helping her secure a job as a bench jeweler.
Events & AwardsJul 16, 2026
Jewelers of Louisiana to Host 80th ConventionThe event, scheduled for next month in New Orleans, will include dinner, a custom jewelry design contest, and education sessions.
SourcingJul 15, 2026
1,305-Carat Diamond Recovered from Mine in BotswanaThe yet-to-be named stone is the 10th diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats to come out of Lucara’s Karowe mine.
IndependentsJul 15, 2026
New Jersey Jeweler Barry Berman Dies at 81The founder of Fords Jewelers, Berman is remembered for his love of connecting with his community.
FinancialsJul 15, 2026
Watches of Switzerland’s US Sales Jump 18%, Declines to Comment on Sale Report The watch and jewelry retailer had a strong fiscal year despite what its CEO described as a “complex operating backdrop.”
Events & AwardsJul 15, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
CollectionsJul 15, 2026
Pomellato’s New High Jewelry Is LiberatingBold color, expressive gem-setting, and sculptural form define the three chapters that make up “Stile Libero.”
IndependentsJul 14, 2026
Foundrae Opens First Standalone Store Outside USThe New York-based jewelry brand has expanded overseas, opening a store in London’s Mayfair district.
ColumnistsJul 14, 2026
Sherry Smith: What Today’s Jewelry Consumer Is Telling Us Rising revenue does not automatically mean a healthy business, particularly in the current economic landscape, Smith writes.
TrendsJul 14, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Shoulder Dusters These long, fluid drop earrings are sure to catch the eye.
CrimeJul 14, 2026
Man Charged in $1M Jewelry Store Heist Lands on FBI Most Wanted ListAlberto Perez-Elias is one of four men charged with robbing a Cape Coral, Florida, jewelry store and is the only one still at large.
Events & AwardsJul 14, 2026
Conference on Mining, Sustainability Kicks Off in NYCInitiatives in Art and Culture is hosting its 16th annual Gold and Diamond Conference, with the theme of “Resilience.”
Lab-GrownJul 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Changes Her Mind on Lab-Grown DiamondsThe designer, who once said she’d never sell lab-grown diamonds, debuted two capsule collections designed to be fun and easy to wear.
SourcingJul 13, 2026
De Beers Announces Potential Layoffs, 2-Year Production Pause at VenetiaThe diamond miner and marketer is undergoing another round of cost-cutting measures ahead of its sale by Anglo American.
Events & AwardsJul 13, 2026
Registration Opens for JIS Fall 2026 ShowThe annual trade-only buying event is slated for Oct. 16-19 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Events & AwardsJul 13, 2026
AGTA Accepting Entries for Spectrum 2026AGTA also has announced the lineup of judges for the colored gemstone cutting and jewelry design contest’s various categories.
TechnologyJul 10, 2026
There’s a New Blind Box for Luxury Watches Collectibles platform Arena Club’s new Time Boxes could contain a Rolex or Patek Philippe watch.
TrendsJul 10, 2026
Jade Trau Creates a Constellation of DiamondsThe “Constellation Plié” collar, our Piece of the Week, features diamonds arranged in a constellation of shining stars.
