The Pursuit of Perfection
Founded in 1842, Fabergé has been the most revered name in jewellery ever since Peter Carl Fabergé created the fifty ingenious Imperial Easter Eggs for the Romanov family between 1885 and 1916. Here, RLI catches up with company CEO Antony Lindsay to discuss the craftsmanship of their creations, how this has made them the ultimate objects to own and what plans are in place to continue to grow the business.
This year the company will celebrate 140 years since one of its most important moments took place, when Peter Carl Fabergé was commissioned to create the first Fabergé Imperial egg – The Hen Egg (1885). This egg-shaped object was for Tsar Alexander III as an Easter gift for his wife, Maria Feodorovna and marked a coveted relationship between the brand and royalty around Europe.
From this point forth, Fabergé eggs became a gift of choice for monarchs, royals, dignitaries and aristocrats as the giving and receiving of one of these creations was seen as the ultimate sign of respect. This art of gift giving is something they continue to honour today.
“Our mission is to continue pushing the boundaries of artistry and craftsmanship, optimising the art of colour with enamel and coloured gemstones, using both time-honoured and innovative techniques,” explains Antony Lindsay, CEO of Fabergé. “Being custodians of one of the most celebrated and treasured names in luxury; is a tremendous privilege and responsibility and we approach each day with an enormous sense of pride and honour.”
With a brand that is so rich in story and heritage, Lindsay comments that they are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to ongoing inspiration. Ranging from jewellery, watch and clock movements to the famous objets d’art, they utilise many references to the past, as well as pulling on contemporary inspiration and employing time-honoured techniques, such as the art of guilloché enamelling but in a modern way.
“Whilst our history and legacy can be found in many details, our job is to make the company continuously relevant to our clients today. Just like Peter Carl Fabergé all those years ago, we continue to believe in the art of collaboration and friendship with like-minded individuals and partners. This can be seen most recently in our partnerships with Game of Thrones and 007 (James Bond).”
Their Fabergé x 007 Octopussy Egg Objet features delicate, hand-engraved octopus tentacles which sit atop the guilloché engraving and under many layers of enamel. They had never before experimented with this kind of technique and it resulted in the most mesmerising effect.
A small and dynamic team, Fabergé utilises a collaborative approach when it comes to the creation process of any new designs. Their Head of Design, Liisa Tallgren works closely with Creative Director Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell to ensure that there is a reason to introduce something new. Not a brand that creates new pieces each year for the sake of it – they have a very considered approach to all the pieces they create, ensuring there is a real purpose to every new launch.
They also remain committed to following responsible business practices throughout their operations, including responsible sourcing of materials. This is demonstrated by their work as a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council, the leading standards setting organisation advancing social, environmental and human rights best practices throughout the gem and jewellery supply chain.
Acutely aware of the need to reinvent and re-pivot at times to stay at the top of the pyramid, the brand is unafraid of change and is always open to evolving with the times. They do this by creating wearable art; pieces that can be easily integrated into everyday life and their products are becoming more and more diverse as they try to approach luxury in a more democratic and accessible way.
The business has also invested in its e-commerce platform by launching a new website just last year. Their e-commerce sales changed dramatically during Covid where they saw their clients buying their pieces online more than ever before and they knew that their platform needed an overhaul. Lindsay was pleased to say to us that their online sales have continued on an upward trajectory year-on-year as more and more clients have the confidence to shop online with them.
As talk moves onto customer experience and personalisation, Lindsay tells us that what the company offers is a dedicated bespoke service which means it is possible to create anything their heart desires – in true Fabergé spirit, there really is no limit to what they can do.
“The fact that we still operate, in essence, like a small family business with a huge legacy, gives us the extraordinary ability to create bespoke pieces for our clients like no other. We go above and beyond for our clients and they are at the centre of everything we do. Our jewellery creations have a lifetime guarantee, so we maintain a relationship with our clients at many different stages of their life. From graduation to engagements, we are fortunate enough to share their journey.”
As the brand continues to evolve and even with a history as long and varied as theirs, Lindsay is still excited about what the future holds.
“Creative audacity and extraordinary craftsmanship, both innovative and traditional, is what motivates us. We will continue our quest for reinventing luxury jewellery, watches and objets d’art with a sense of wonder, anticipation and discovery. All our work is based on the pursuit of perfection. For such a small business, we take on mighty projects and we have a busy year ahead of us,” Lindsay concludes.
