Latest news with #Faberge
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Gemfields sells Fabergé eggs maker for $50 million
Gemfields Group said on Monday it had sold Faberge Ltd, the maker of the jewelled Faberge eggs, to SMG Capital for $50 million, as the coloured gemstones miner ramps up efforts to streamline its business. The sale concludes a review of the business started by Gemfields late last year. The group had bought the jeweller in 2012 to boost its gems business and use the brand name to promote its jewellery. Faberge, which also makes luxury jewellery , watches and commissioned pieces, was founded by Gustav Faberge in 1842, and is best known for the success of the 50 jewelled eggs commissioned by the Imperial Russian family from 1885 through to 1916. The Russian Revolution brought a violent end to the House of Faberge, when the Bolsheviks seized workshops and closed down all production and the family fled. It was relaunched in 2009 with its first collection since 1917. Gemfields on Monday said it would use proceeds from the deal for capital at its mining operations in Mozambique and Zambia.
Irish Independent
12-08-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Jewellery brand Faberge sold to tech investor for $50m
Press Association Luxury jewellery brand Faberge, well known for its jewelled Russian eggs, has been bought by a US tech investor for $50m (€43m). London-listed gemstone specialist Gemfields revealed yesterday it sold the Faberge business to SMG Capital, the firm run by investor Sergei Mosunov.
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Antiques Roadshow expert 'nervous' as he gives staggering price to guest's family items
An Antiques Roadshow expert was on hand to appraise a number of beautiful items that were once royal "gifts". WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. An expert on Antiques Roadshow confessed that a guest's collection of family heirlooms was making him feel "nervous" as he estimated their high value. The BBC daytime show featured Geoffrey Munn, an expert in antiques, who was tasked with evaluating several exquisite items, including a pair of cufflinks, which had been passed down through the guest's family. The guest shared: "Well they were given to my great-grandfather who was chef to Edward VII and Queen Victoria at the end of her reign by the crown heads of Europe. And some of these are Russian pieces." She believed that these items were presented to her great-grandfather as a "gift", bestowed upon him by aristocrats such as Manuel of Portugal, Wilhelm II, and various other visitors at Sandringham Estate and Buckingham Palace. Munn noted: "These are Russian ones and a pair of gold cufflinks with alternating rubies and diamonds in a nugget effect. "And there's the most marvellous word in Russia used to describe this which is called samorodok which means a nugget and it's a very very Russian technique favoured by Faberge. "In fact, these are not by Faberge and the lid satin rather conveniently tells us that they're made by somebody called Ivanov working in St Petersburg. It's certain they are a gift from the Imperial family because the Imperial family cipher appears above." Discussing her great-grandfather's culinary past, she revealed: "Well he was a Frenchman to start with and I understand he had been chef to people like the Rothschilds and had been to Saltram in Devon. Edward VII heard of him and wanted him to be his chef and I think he may have poached him." She proudly displayed a photograph of her esteemed ancestor alongside her grandmother and aunt. Munn responded with admiration: "Oh that's very touching, isn't it? My a brilliant chap, I must say." As they delved into examining other heirlooms, the guest explained: "I have been told they were cufflinks but they have little rings on which you can see just there. "I really don't know. I imagine because they were given to my great-grandfather, they must have been cufflinks I feel and because he only had daughters, possibly the daughters had them made into brooches or pendants." However, Munn was disheartened to learn that any alterations might have erased the maker's mark, despite the items' strong resemblance to Faberge's style. He remarked with a hint of regret: "In every way they positively reek of Faberge but in stamp collecting terms I can't be absolutely certain." Yet, there was no ambiguity regarding a brooch gifted by Tsar Nicholas, identified as genuine Faberge by the initials of workmaster August Holming, leaving Munn with "absolutely no doubt of". The guest couldn't hide her delight, exclaiming: "Wonderful. Because I wondered and half hoped it would be and that's marvellous." Munn enthused about the cufflinks' value, noting: "Now as for value, the cufflinks are impressive. They're very Russian, Russian technique. "In the manner of Faberge but a rose by any other name smells as sweet but it certainly isn't as valuable. "I think with an Imperial provenance, nonetheless, they are very desirable, very wearable, and a very precise provenance." The expert's valuation of approximately £8,000 for the cufflinks was met with excitement from both the audience and the guest. The guest couldn't hide her surprise, exclaiming: "Really? My goodness gracious me." Munn then suggested that the converted cufflinks, now brooches, could fetch even more, estimating them at around £9,000. As he reassured the astonished guest, Munn asked: "You feeling calm? This is very, very good isn't it? Making me nervous." The guest expressed her reluctance to sell, stating: "I don't really want to sell these. I want to keep them because they're family pieces", prompting Munn to agree: "I think in a way they should be kept together as a collection." After discussing keeping the collection intact, Munn invited the guest to estimate the value of the Imperial brooch. She ventured a guess: "Well if these are that price, that must be £10,000?" Munn playfully revealed the true value: "Well it is £10,000 and it's more than £10,000. It's £15,000." The revelation was met with coos and applause from the audience as the guest reacted joyously: "My dear chap. Gosh." She continued, expressing her astonishment: "That's amazing. I never realised it would be as much as that, I must confess."
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Antiques Roadshow guest baffled by £12k Faberge necklace's survival
Antiques Roadshow expert Geoffrey Munn was left taken stunned by a rare and extraordinary Faberge necklace with a heartbreaking back story. An Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless as they declared "oh my goodness" after discovering the staggering value of her friend's necklace, one that had luckily survived a house fire. Filming at Chatham Historic Dockyard for the BBC show, expert Geoffrey Munn was clearly astounded by the exceptional and unusual piece. Munn couldn't hide his intrigue, noting: "A beautifully made wooden presentation box, probably of Hollywood, and for me, there are no prizes for guessing what is within," before having a more detailed discussion. "There are three pretty little enamel blue eggs. Tell me about them with you." The visitor revealed that her friend inherited the necklace, believing it to have Russian roots as reported by the Mirror. Responding, Munn explained: "Well I think she probably guessed that they were Russian from the lid satin and it is written in cyrillic but it's clearly eligible to enthusiasts of this subject, that it actually says the name of an important Russian jeweller. "But I'd just like to discuss this in a back to front way and tell you about the eggs which are sky blue enamelled Easter eggs on a necklace. "And they are mounted by tiny, tiny diamond laurels and that's quite important in a way, because in the tradition of jewellery, the colour blue is for love and it's something borrowed, something blue." The expert delved into the necklace's symbolism, explaining that the petite diamond laurels represented the Latin phrase "the triumph of love over all". He continued: "So here are the triumphal laurels surmounting the colour blue but there's another message coming across here, because they are Easter eggs. "This is a gift from someone at Easter in holy Russia, presenting to someone they love and it's the triumph of love over everything. "I think it is a triumph, because it's survived in absolutely pristine condition which is wonderful for all kinds of good reasons but let's return to the lid satin once again." The expert then unveiled that the jewellery was actually a Faberge piece, leading the guest to exclaim: "Oh gracious. Oh wonderful." He observed: "And we don't need any explanation beyond that to know that this is by far the most famous goldsmiths workshop that's ever existed, so it's very, very exciting stuff." Munn further clarified that the blue "eggs" were crafted from a silver core, engraved and filled with blue enamel. He continued: "And there's a great tradition in Russia to give Easter eggs. In the countryside, you'd have painted white chicken's eggs to give and in the towns they'd be wooden eggs, perhaps ceramic eggs. "But in this curious, claustrophobic world of the Romanov court and its orbit, only Faberge would do. It's a whiff of pre-Revolutionary Russia. "And in 1917, catastrophe struck when the Russian Revolution decimated Faberge's empire, leaving it completely destroyed forever," the antiques expert recounted, emphasising the significant historical impact on these prized artefacts. "And so when we see these items come through, the excitement really builds and thankfully your friend has taken great care of it because it's in almost perfect condition and it's kept in this box which frames it like a picture." The specialist then left the owner astounded with the valuation: "Your friend has an object which is undoubtedly worth £12,000." Overwhelmed by the necklace's substantial valuation, the guest shared its emotional significance after enduring a tragic incident. "Oh my goodness! Oh she'd be thrilled to pieces," she explained. "Because quite recently she had a big fire at her house and there was quite a lot of things lost and this is one thing that survived." Munn offered a sympathetic response, suggesting a silver lining: "Well that's wonderful and maybe it's some small compensation. But how exciting it is to see it here today." Wrapping up the conversation, the expert shared his own delight: "I'm thrilled to pieces! I'm exhausted now, I don't know about you! Wonderful."
Edinburgh Live
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Antiques Roadshow guest gobsmacked by Faberge necklace that survived house fire
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned with an "oh my goodness" moment upon discovering the true value of a friend's necklac. The beloved BBC programme set its scene at Chatham Historic Dockyard, where expert Geoffrey Munn was taken aback by an exquisite and rare necklace. Munn began: "A beautifully made wooden presentation box, probably of Hollywood, and for me, there are no prizes for guessing what is within. "There are three pretty little enamel blue eggs. Tell me about them with you." The visitor recounted how the necklace came into her friend's possession, having been passed down from her aunt who believed it to be Russian. Munn clarified: "Well I think she probably guessed that they were Russian from the lid satin and it is written in cyrillic but it's clearly eligible to enthusiasts of this subject, that it actually says the name of an important Russian jeweller. "But I'd just like to discuss this in a back to front way and tell you about the eggs which are sky blue enamelled Easter eggs on a necklace. "And they are mounted by tiny, tiny diamond laurels and that's quite important in a way, because in the tradition of jewellery, the colour blue is for love and it's something borrowed, something blue." (Image: BBC) The expert elaborated on the symbolism behind various aspects of the necklace, noting that the petite diamond laurels symbolise the Latin adage "the triumph of love over all". He expounded: "So here are the triumphal laurels surmounting the colour blue but there's another message coming across here, because they are Easter eggs. "This is a gift from somebody at Easter in holy Russia, presenting to someone that they love and it's the triumph of love over everything. "I think it is a triumph, because it's survived in absolutely pristine condition which is wonderful for all kinds of good reasons but let's return to the lid satin once again." Munn then revealed that the piece in question was actually crafted by Faberge, leading the guest to exclaim: "Oh gracious. Oh wonderful." He noted: "And we don't need any explanation beyond that to know that this is by far the most famous goldsmiths workshop that's ever existed, so it's very, very exciting stuff." Munn continued, explaining that the blue "eggs" consisted of a silver core intricately engraved and enamelled in blue. He disclosed: "And there's a great tradition in Russia to give Easter eggs. In the countryside, you'd have painted white chicken's eggs to give and in the cities they might be wooden or perhaps ceramic eggs. "But within the insular world of the Romanov court and those in its circle, nothing but Faberge would suffice. It's an echo of pre-Revolutionary Russia. (Image: BBC) "And in 1917, catastrophe happened, because the Russian Revolution came about and Faberge's empire was destroyed utterly and completely and forever. "And so when we see these things coming through, the excitement mounts enormously and mercifully your friend has taken enormous care of it because it's in almost perfect condition and it's kept in this box which signs it like a picture frame." He went on to disclose the necklace's staggering valuation, sharing: "Your friend has an object which is undoubtedly worth £12,000." The guest's reaction was one of utter astonishment upon hearing the valuation, prompting her to divulge the necklace's deeper sentimental value. "Oh my goodness! Oh she'd be thrilled to pieces," she expressed. "Because quite recently she had a big fire at her house and there was quite a lot of things lost and this is one thing that survived. "Well that's wonderful and maybe it's some small compensation. But how exciting it is to see it here today," Munn responded empathetically. The guest remarked: "It is absolutely wonderful, she'd be thrilled to pieces." The expert then jovially added: "I'm thrilled to pieces! I'm exhausted now, I don't know about you! Wonderful." Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
