For the first time in over two decades, one of the three “truly private” Imperial Fabergé eggs will go under the hammer at Christie’s London — the famed 1913 Winter Egg. Experts estimate its value at over $26 million, potentially setting a new auction record for any Fabergé egg, reports CNN.
The House of Fabergé crafted just 50 Imperial eggs for Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II between 1885 and 1916. Seven of them remain missing, while the rest are housed in museums, leaving only a handful in private hands. The Winter Egg, made of clear quartz, adorned with 4,500 diamonds, and featuring an intricate interior display of carved wood anemones, is widely regarded as the “greatest” of all Imperial eggs.
Specialists note that the egg’s value lies not in its materials, but in its craftsmanship and artistic vision. Quartz is extremely fragile, and the meticulous diamond work creates the effect of frost and dew. The design was conceived by Alma Pihl, one of the few female Fabergé workmasters of the era, inspired by frost patterns on glass.
The Winter Egg’s history is storied: after the Russian Revolution, it disappeared for decades before resurfacing in 1994. Since then, it has repeatedly sold at auctions, each time breaking records.
Now, the Winter Egg returns to the market at a time when key markets, the U.S. and Russia, are “compromised” due to high tariffs and sanctions. Christie’s emphasizes that it is fully compliant with international anti-money laundering and sanctions regulations, making the auction a true test for the global luxury market.
“This is an incredibly rare object, and it’s becoming even rarer,” says Kieran McCarthy, Fabergé expert and co-managing director at Wartski. “For collectors, this may be the last chance to own a true Imperial treasure.”
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