In 1882 Faberge won a gold medal at the Moscow Pan-Russian Exhibition. But more importantly he attracted the attention of Tsar Alexander III who challenged Faberge to copy an 18th-century French snuffbox from the Imperial Court's valuable collection of antiques. The copy was so authentic, it was impossible to tell the original from the copy. The Tsar was so impressed, he awarded him the royal seal and appointed him the official jeweler of the Imperial Court. Soon Faberge was filling orders from all of Russia's aristocracy.
In the Russian Orthodox religion, Easter is the most important holiday. Faberge's eggs became a favorite gift for the Tsar to give at Easter. He commissioned the first Faberge egg for his wife Maria Fedorovna. It is coated with white enamel with a lining of gold. Inside a golden yolk is a golden hen. The Tsarina was thrilled with her egg, which began a long tradition of giving Faberge eggs in the Russian royal family. Even after Tsar Alexander's death, the tradition continued with his son, Tsar Nicholas II.
Faberge created many eggs during his career, many drawing on 18th-century themes, materials and designs. While historians believe Faberge planned the lavish designs for each of his eggs, they do not believe he crafted any eggs himself. He sketched designs for his master craftsmen to bring to fruition. He demanded perfection in each creation, and pored over each detail.
In addition to the annual Easter eggs he created for the Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II, Faberge designed many commemorative eggs during his royal career. In 1896 he presented Tsar Nicholas II with The Coronation Egg, commemorating his ascension to the throne. In 1911 he created the Fifteenth Anniversary Egg for the Tsar and his wife, which contained miniature portraits of the royal family. In honor of the 300th anniversary of Romanov rule in 1913, Faberge designed the Tercentenary Egg, featuring 18 miniature portraits of Russia's rulers.
During World War I, Faberge retooled his shop to produce ammunition. Although he was overwhelmed with orders to fill for the military, he still created his annual Easter egg for the Tsar. By 1917 growing unrest in Russia caused Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate his throne. After the royal family was brutally killed by the revolutionaries, Faberge closed his shop and fled Russia. He died in Switzerland in 1920.
Many of the royal treasures were melted down to be turned into coins, but Faberge's eggs were spared. Instead, the Soviet regime sold them. Art dealers in Europe and the United States scrambled to purchase these one-of-a-kind artistic treasures. Today each Faberge egg is worth millions of dollars, and even reproductions are quite costly.