Fabergé or Fauxbergé? Flower from Tsarist Russia with royal links which was kept hidden in a shoebox in Liverpool could be worth £250,000
A woman in Liverpool has discovered that a decorative flower ornament, kept hidden in a shoebox for years and linked to the Russian imperial family, could be an authentic Fabergé piece worth up to £250,000. The item, examined as part of the BBC's Fake Fortune, is being investigated to establish whether it is a genuine artefact from the House of Fabergé, jeweller to the Romanov tsars, or a skilled imitation dubbed "Fauxbergé". If authenticated, the object would represent a remarkable find given its unassuming storage and the family's apparent lack of awareness of its potential value.
Fabergé pieces, particularly those with ties to the Russian royal family, are highly prized by collectors and can fetch enormous sums at auction due to their rarity, craftsmanship and historical provenance. Experts assessing the flower are weighing its materials, construction and documented history against known hallmarks of genuine Fabergé workshops to reach a verdict, with the potential valuation of £250,000 underscoring the stakes of their determination.
In short
- Liverpool shoebox flower may be genuine Fabergé with royal links
- Featured on BBC's Fake Fortune programme for authentication
- Could be worth up to £250,000 if verified genuine
Explained simply
Fabergé was a celebrated jewellery house founded in Russia in the nineteenth century, known for creating exquisite decorative objects and jewels for the Romanov imperial family and other wealthy patrons. The House of Fabergé became synonymous with exceptional craftsmanship, using precious metals and gemstones to produce items ranging from elaborate eggs to ornamental flowers and trinkets.
Genuine Fabergé pieces are extraordinarily rare and highly sought after by collectors and museums worldwide. Each authentic work is valued for its artistic merit, materials, historical provenance and the prestige of the Romanov connection, meaning original pieces can command enormous sums at auction.
Determining whether a seemingly valuable item is a genuine Fabergé or a skilled imitation, sometimes called "Fauxbergé", requires careful expert examination of its construction, materials and documented history. Such authentication can mean the difference between an object being worthless and being worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, making the investigative process crucial for owners who discover items they believe may be from the renowned house.