Fabergé 'Winter Egg' Smashes Auction Record, Selling for £22.9 Million at Christie's London

Historic Fabergé 'Winter Egg' Fetches Record Price

A rare and historically significant Fabergé egg, known as the 'Winter Egg,' has been sold for an astounding £22.9 million (approximately $30.2 million USD) at an auction held by Christie's in London on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. This sale establishes a new world record for a Fabergé piece sold at auction, underscoring its immense value and artistic importance.

Imperial Origins and Exquisite Design

The 'Winter Egg' was commissioned in 1913 by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. It is widely regarded as one of Fabergé's most lavish and technically brilliant imperial creations. Designed by Alma Pihl, one of Fabergé's most celebrated female designers, the egg's exterior is crafted from finely carved rock crystal, engraved with a delicate frost design. It is adorned with approximately 4,500 tiny diamonds set in platinum snowflake motifs, giving it a shimmering, icy appearance. The egg opens to reveal a delightful surprise: a removable miniature basket of quartz flowers, symbolizing spring.

A Journey Through History and Multiple Sales

The 'Winter Egg' has a storied past, having changed hands multiple times throughout its history. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the egg, along with other royal treasures, was transferred from St. Petersburg to the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow. In the 1920s, the Soviet government sold off many art treasures, and the 'Winter Egg' was acquired by a London dealer for a mere £450. It was believed to be lost for two decades between 1975 and 1994 before resurfacing and being sold at Christie's in Geneva for $5.6 million (7.26 million Swiss francs), setting a world record at the time. Eight years later, in 2002, it was sold again by Christie's for $9.6 million.

New World Record for Fabergé

The recent sale at Christie's London has once again propelled the 'Winter Egg' into the record books. The final price of £22,895,000 significantly surpassed the previous record for a Fabergé item, which was held by the Rothschild Egg, sold for £8.9 million in 2007. Margo Oganesian, Christie's head of department for Fabergé and Russian works of art, stated that the result 'sets a new world auction record for a work by Fabergé, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece.' The 'Winter Egg' is one of only a handful of Imperial Fabergé eggs that remain in private collections, making each appearance at auction a momentous event for collectors worldwide.