FABERGÉ
The house of Fabergé was founded in 1842 in St Petersburg by Gustav Fabergé(1814-1893). Of Huguenot heritage, the family fled the Picardy region of France in the late seventeenth century due to religious persecution, eventually settling in Russia. Though earning commissions to the court of Tsar Alexander II in 1866, the firm did not reach its status as the preeminent Russian goldsmith until after Gustav’s son Carl (born Peter Carl Fabergé, 1846-1920) undertook management of the firm. Carl joined the firm in 1864, but due to a lengthy apprenticeship it was not until 1872 that he assumed management of the business. In 1885 Fabergé was named Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty Tsar Alexander III. Fabergé won numerous other royal and distinguished clientele, including various members of the British royal family, Emanuel Nobel and Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, to name a few.
FACETING
Polishing a rough gemstone into a series of flat planes in order to bring out its maximum beauty and brilliance.
FLUORESCENCE
The varying colour effects produced when materials are subjected to ultra-violet light. Some diamonds fluoresce strongly, the dark blue ‘Hope’ diamond fluoresces deep red for example.