Peter Carl Faberge was commissioned to create the first egg for the twentieth wedding anniversary of Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna in 1885. Every subsequent Easter, another egg was made for Maria as a gift from her husband the tsar of Russia. After the passing of Alexander III, his son took up the tradition presenting his wife and his mother with their own custom Faberge egg every Easter. In all, 50 eggs were commissioned - to this day eight are still missing.

Faberge was a master goldsmith whose intricate work and eye for detail won him the eye of his royal clientele in the first place. And today, he is still known for his famous egg creations.

The outbreak of the war in 1912 and the subsequent massacre of the royal family ended the production of the Imperial Easter Eggs. Faberge's shop was destroyed, his employees were pulled into the war and Faberge himself went into hiding - fearing for his life.

But 42 of the eggs survive today and when they come up at auction they fetch many eyes and high bids.

Malcom Forbes was the winning bidder of the first Faberge Egg to be put up for auction in North America. Forbes continued to collect the treasures until he owned nine of the known 42 still in existence. This made him the owner of one of the largest private collections of the eggs.

Building a gallery and loaning the eggs for a showing in Russia, Forbes was proud of his collection and shared their beauty with the public willingly.

In 2004, the Forbes Faberge Egg collection was to be put up for auction with an expected sale price between $80 - $120 million. It was sold to a Russian businessman by the name of Vicktor Vekselberg for $90 million. The sons of the late Malcom Forbes were pleased to see the collection return to its native land.

• 1885 Hen (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1886 Hen with Sapphire Pendant (missing)
• 1887 Blue Serpent Clock (Prince Rainier III of Monaco Collection, Monaco)
• 1888 Cherub with Chariot (missing)
• 1889 Necessaire (missing)
• 1890 Danish Palaces (New Orleans Museum of Art, USA)
• 1891 Memory of Azov (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1892 Diamond Trellis (private collection)
• 1893 Caucasus (New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
• 1894 Renaissance (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1895 Rosebud (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1895 Twelve Monograms (Hillwood Museum, Washington, DC, USA)
• 1896 Revolving Miniatures (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
• 1896 Alexander III (missing)
• 1897 Coronation (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1897 Mauve Enamel (missing)
• 1898 Lilies of the Valley (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1898 Pelican (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
• 1899 Bouquet of Lilies Clock (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1899 Pansy (private collection)
• 1899 Spring Flowers (owned by Malcolm Forbes)[1]
• 1900 Trans-Siberian Railway (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1901 Basket of Wild Flowers (Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)
• 1901 Gatchina Palace (Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA)
• 1902 Clover (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1902 Empire Nephrite (missing)
• 1903 Peter the Great (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
• 1903 Danish Jubilee (missing)
• 1903 Chanticleer (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1906 Moscow Kremlin (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1906 Swan (Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Switzerland)
• 1907 Rose Trellis (Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA)
• 1907 Cradle with Garlands (private collection)
• 1908 Alexander Palace (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1908 Peacock (Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Switzerland)
• 1909 Standart Yacht (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1909 Alexander II Commemorative (missing)
• 1910 Alexander III Equestrian (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1910 Colonnade (Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)
• 1911 Bay Tree (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1911 Fifteenth Anniversary (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1912 Czarevich (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
• 1912 Napoleonic (New Orleans Museum of Art, USA)
• 1913 Romanov Tercentenary (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1913 Winter (private collection)
• 1914 Mosaic (Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)
• 1914 Grisaille (Hillwood Museum, Washington, DC)
• 1915 Red Cross with Imperial Portraits (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
• 1915 Red Cross with Triptych (Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, USA)
• 1916 Order of St. George (Vekselberg Collection, Russia)
• 1916 Steel Military (Kremlin Armoury Museum, Moscow)
• 1917 Constellation (Fersman Mineralogical Institute, Moscow)
• 1917 Birch (Russian National Museum, Moscow)

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