Fabergé is a name synonymous with luxury, artistry, and exquisite craftsmanship. With hundreds of artisans and workmasters, many from neighboring Finland, the firm is synonymous with Russian art.
Worth Far More Than Mere Silver Value
It is a brand that has come to represent the very essence of opulence and elegance. But how did a small Russian jeweler become one of the most iconic and sought-after luxury brands in the world? The story of Fabergé is a
fascinating one, filled with intrigue, politics, and of course, incredible artistry. From humble beginnings
to the imperial court of Russia, the journey of Fabergé is one that spans continents and generations.
SILVER PICTURE FRAME SIGNED BY WORKMASTER VICTOR AARNE
In this column we will feature a delicate silver picture frame, signed Fabergé and created and further signed by workmaster Victor Aarne, a Finn who specialized in making frames and other obets d’art.
A jeweler in Colorado emailed us about several antiques she had been tasked to sell. We successfully negotiated prices for several, but comparators for her frame were all over the board. Her customer also had an old appraisal which had misidentified the artist’s signature (Cyrillic is a nightmare for beginners) and my customer wanted to make sure HER customer received a fair offer.
As you might already have guessed, we suggested the most transparent way: auction. Katrina has a list of over a
quarter million bidders on file for a myriad of objects, tens of thousands of silver buyers, and several hundred avid
collectors of Russian antiques on file waiting for her to notify them when a little treasure comes to market.
Many people offered her silver value, i.e. 7 ounces of silver at $20 per ounce. Some offered a few hundred, which
she scoffed at. After a few days of research, I offered to sell it at auction with a modest $8,000 to $12,000 estimate, with us taking a small percentage.
At the end of spirited bidding with 9 online bidders and 3 phone bidders, it sold for a whopping $18,750! Everyone was pleased, and we were honored to have been able to hold this piece of history in our hands for a short period of time.
As Katrina has often said, “I wish these pieces could talk.”
Go ahead. Google us. Three former sothebyscom associates and two art historians on staff. You read about us in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Fortune magazine. Call or email us if you want to deal with Florida’s leading auctioneer. We have sold the contents of museums and collections for USF. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Always buying rare and valuable items. Cash or auction. We make house calls statewide.
This is an archival article formerly written and is for informational purposes only. The valuations in this article have likely changed since it was first written.
