#winter egg

The Winter Egg,

Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg with Original Surprise Given by Tsar Nicholas II to his Mother, The Dowager Empress Maria Feodorova at Easter 1913.

On a rock-crystal base formed as a block of melting ice, applied with platinum-mounted rose-diamond rivulets, the hinged rock-crystal detachable egg held vertically above by a pin and with rose-diamond set platinum borders, graduated around the hinge and enclosing at the top a cabochon moonstone painted on the reverse with the date 1913.

The thinly carved transparent body of the egg finely engraved on the interior to simulate ice crystals, the outside further engraved and applied with similar rose-diamond set platinum motif, opening vertically to reveal the surprise - a platinum double-handled trelliswork basket.

Set with rose-diamonds and full of wood anemones, suspended from a platinum hook, each flower realistically carved from a single piece of white quartz with gold wire stem and stamens, the centre set with a demantoid garnet, some carved half open or in bud, the leaves delicately carved in nephrite, emerging from a bed of gold moss.

Workmaster Albert Holmström, St. Petersburg, designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, the surprise engraved FABERGÉ 1913,

Overall height 14.2 cm; height of the egg 10.2 cm; height of surprise 8.2 cm

The Winter Egg, Rock Crystal, Platinum, Gold, and Gemstone (1913) "The most beautiful Fabergé egg ever made" was created by Alma Pihl for Fabergé. This illusion of ice and flowers was a gift from Tsar Nicholas II to his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Cut from thin rock crystal with an engraved frost design, it sparkles with 3,246 tiny diamonds in platinum snowflakes. The interior "surprise" is a platinum basket holding white quartz, gold, and green garnet flowers. It is one of only seven Imperial Eggs remaining in private hands.

Location. Christie's, London for auction on December 2, 2025. Dim. 14.2 cm H.

Fabergé Winter Egg

Designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, one of many Finns who worked for Fabergé - but very rare for a woman to create and work in the Fabergé workshops, and one without any formal training.

The Winter Egg was a gift from Tsar Nicholas II to his mother, the dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna:for Easter 1913. 1308 diamonds are set on the eggshell. Inside the egg, made of white quartz delicately engraved to look like ice crystals, are another 1378 diamonds in the basket of tiny white anemones with leaves of nephrite. The egg stands on a pedestal of Siberian mountain crystal made to look like melting ice.

In 2002, the Winter Egg sold for over 9 million US dollars ($9,579,500) at auction in New York.