CULTURE

Glittering legacy

The last surviving grandson of Russian court jeweler Carl Faberge died last month aged 85.

The St. Petersburg Times

For The St. Petersburg Times Theo Faberge.

Theo Fabergй, the last surviving grandson of Russian Imperial jeweler Carl Fabergй, died last month in the U.K. aged 85, the jewelry company with which he was associated said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Romanov court jeweler Carl Fabergй had five sons, the last of whom Nikolai was sent from St. Petersburg to England to represent the family business in 1903.

When the Russian revolution took place in 1917 Nicolas, as he was known in the U.K., remained in London, and following the closure of Faberge’s Bond Street shop established himself as one of England’s first fashion photographers.

After an affair with a model, Nicolas’s only child Theo was born out of wedlock in 1922. It was not until he was an adult that Theo learned that his grandfather had been Carl Faberge.

Theo Fabergй was brought up in Twickenham and served in the RAF in North Africa in World War II. He established a successful engineering business in the 1960s. When he found out his true ancestry, Theo established a decorative arts business.

Theo Fabergй furthered his turning skills particularly with an 1861 Holtzappfel ornamental lathe which he restored. He made an ivory casket for the Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and developed techniques employing precious metals, enamel and gemstones. He established a workshop but initially refused to make eggs in deference to his grandfather. It was only the chance comment: “Why, Mr Fabergй, you’re making eggs!” by a visitor who saw him turning a piece of yew-wood as a gift for an 8-year old boy, that persuaded him.

Given complexities surrounding the use of the name “Fabergй”, “St Petersburg Collection” was the name chosen in 1986 for the business established to represent Theo Fabergй’s designs and creations.

With a Gallery at 42 Burlington Arcade, a stone’s throw away from Nicolas Fabergй’s premises, an enthusiastic group of collectors was formed and the production of small-series limited editions flourished.

A proud moment in Theo’s career was when, accompanied by his daughter and grandson, he attended the White House for the launch of the White House Egg commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the building of the Presidential residence.

In 2003 Theo experienced the first of a series of small strokes and came to live in a home near his daughter and grandson. He maintained a keen interest in the art of turning. His only daughter Sarah bears forward the Fabergй name, and continues the family tradition.

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