A precious google doodle: Faberge egg

The maker of the famous Faberge eggs commemorated in Monday's google doodle

Google has done it again with todays Google doodle commemorating Peter Carl Fabergé. Born on May 30 1846 in Saint Petersburg,Fabergé8217;s eggs appeared as Easter eggs but were studded with precious stones and valuable metals.

Being the son of German jeweller Gustav Fabergé,Fabergé took over his fathers business in 1882. He was quick to rise in the ranks and was soon awarded as Master Goldsmith allowing him to use his own hallmark. The finesse and repute was such that the normal three-day examination was waived for his creations. Carl Fabergé and his designer brother Agathon had their first taste of major success at the Pan-Russian Exhibition held in Moscow in 1882. Such was the magnificence of his work that Tsar Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia ordered that his creations under the House of Fabergé should be displayed in the Hermitage as examples of superb contemporary Russian craftsmanship.

The Fabergés8217; relations with royalty strengthened when the then Tsar Alexander Alexandrovich initiated a continuing order to make an Easter egg as a gift for his wife,the Empress Maria. The orders continued over the subsequent years and from 1887,Carl Fabergé was given complete freedom with regard to design.

The designs became more and more elaborate and as a Fabergé Family tradition,not even the Czar knew what form they would take: the only stipulation was that each one should contain a surprise. The orders from the royal family continued even as the Czars changed with Tsar Nicholas II ordering two eggs each year one for his wife and one for his mother,and continued until the October Revolution.

Today,the House of Fabergé with its range of jewels is within the focus of Russias Imperial Court. Only 57 known Fabergé eggs have survived out of the total 65 to the present day and of the 50 known Imperial eggs,42 have survived.

In February 2004,9 eggs and approx 180 other Faberge objects was assembled by Malcolm Forbes,and displayed in New York City. The collection was put up for auction at Sotheby8217;s by Forbes8217; heirs. The collection was purchased in its entirety by the oligarch Victor Vekselberg for a sum estimated between 90 and 120 million.

Note: Twesh Mishra is interning with the IndianExpress.com. The views expressed are his own.