About Faberge's family


Peter Karl Faberge Peter Karl Faberge was born on May, 30, 1846 in St.Petersburg, Russia. Four years before Karl's birth his father Gustave Faberge founded his own jewelry firm in St.Petersburg, 12, Morskaya Street, 12. In 1841, after finishing his studies under the guidance of the famous jewelers Andreas Ferdinandas Shpigel and Yorgan William Kibel, Gustave Faberge got the title of "The Master of Jewelry". Gustave Faberge, the founder of the firm, was born in the town of Pyarnu on the Baltic Sea in 1814. His father Peter Faberge moved there at the beginning of the 19th century. The Faberges were Protestants and their parents were Puritans from Picardi. In 1685 Lydovik the 14th abolished the religious freedom in the country and the Faberges had to leave France.

Karl Faberge's parents In 1842 Gustave founded his own jewelry firm and in the same year he married Charlotta Youngshtadt, the daughter of the Danish painter. His oldest son Peter Karl Faberge studied at the German St.Anna private school and continued his education at the private school in Dresden. After his studies, he traveled in Europe and soon began to learn the art of jewelry under the guidance of Joseph Fridman, the Frankfurt jeweler. In 1870 at the age of 24 Peter Karl Faberge returned to St.Petersburg. As he was very talented and had great skill and knowledge, he inherited the families firm.

Augusta Julia Yakobs In two years Peter Karl Faberge married Augusta Julia Yakobs, the daughter of the manager of the Emperor's furniture workshop. After ten years, Fabeger's firm became independent. The Emperor took it under his protection and Faberge got the title "The Jeweler of his Emperor's Majesty and the Jeweler of the Emperor's Hermitage". In these ten years Faberge created his first Easter Egg, a present to Emperor Nicholas II.

Faberge had four sons: Evgeny (1874-1960), Agaton (1876-1951), Alexandre (1877-1952) and Nikolai (1884-1939). All his sons continued his work. The dramatic events of 1917 changed the political structure of Russia and Karl Faberge closed his firm in 1918. Peter Karl Faberge died in Switzerland on September 24, 1920.


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