Firebird has more than 100 different coloured diamonds
A world-famous name in jewellery for the super-rich has been resurrected after more than 90 years – despite the global recession.
Faberge was made famous by Peter Carl Faberge, who fashioned beautiful and intricate Easter eggs from precious metals for the Tsars of Russia and other rulers around the world in the 19th century.
When the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917 he and his family were forced to flee the country, and all his works were taken into possession of the state.
Since that date, no more Faberge jewellery has ever been made – until now.
An investment firm called Pallinghurst Resources, backed by the likes of asset management specialists Investec, has bought the rights and title to the famous name and set up a new version of Faberge.
The company has now released its first collection, a series of 100 pieces that range in price between £24,000 and £4.2m.
Each piece is a one-off, ranging from rings featuring gigantic gems to creatures such as seahorses and birds of paradise cast in precious metals.
The firm will not have any high street stores beyond a boutique in Switzerland, relying instead on a website in which it has invested heavily to try to anticipate the needs of the very wealthy.
A Storied Name in Jewelry Makes a Comeback NYT
Faberge seeks ultra rich online Reuters
In order to gain access to the part of the site where the jewels are actually visible, users have to request a call from one of the Faberge sales representatives, who will then guide them personally around what the company describes as its “global flagship”.
Should the user wish to see the designs first-hand, the company will arrange for them to be flown anywhere in the world by the very same sales rep to whom they spoke.
The firm says checks will be carried out to make sure their staff do not fly into situations that may be dangerous, or where the “client” may be intending to rob them.
It is gambling that the money saved on setting up shops will allow it to bear the cost of making several visits to potential customers who may decide not to buy anything.
Chief executive Mark Dunhill believes that people who want to splash obscene amounts of cash prefer to do it without anyone looking on, which the bespoke service will allow them to do.
“The more inconspicuous an opportunity to consume is, the more comfortable the consumer is,” he said at the launch of the new range.
He added he was confident the brand had not been “polluted” by its associations with make-up and other products since 1917.
“The name of Faberge today is known to the world as the ultimate expression of the art of the jeweller,” he said.
“What’s extraordinary is that the reputation is intact despite over 90 years having passed.”
The firm’s backers are so confident it has hit on a winning formula that they have provided every penny of the start-up costs, meaning it starts with zero debt.
They have involved the Faberge family, making Tatiana, the great-grand-daughter of Peter Carl Faberge who has studied and written books about his work, a shareholder in the company.
“I’ve dreamt of this moment for decades,” she said.
“It has been my life’s ambition to restore the unsurpassed standards of design and workmanship that characterised my great-grandfather’s treasures.”
Leave a comment