‘Greatest of them all’: Fabergé Winter Egg poised to smash auction records

Friday, November 28, 2025 -The legendary Winter Egg — crafted in 1913 for Russia’s last czar, Nicholas II, as an Easter gift for his mother — is headed to auction at Christie’s in London on December 2, 2025. 

Experts estimate it could fetch over £20 million (about US $26 million) — a sum that would shatter previous records held by Fabergé eggs.

Unlike most decorative objects, the Winter Egg’s value rests not only on its age or materials but on its breathtaking artistry. It’s carved from rock-crystal so clear and thin it seems like carved ice; a delicate snowflake motif is engraved and overlaid with rose-cut diamonds and platinum, while the base evokes melting ice. 

Inside, a removable basket reveals a bouquet of quartz flowers — a symbolic “surprise” that was a hallmark of imperial Fabergé eggs.

What makes this auction especially extraordinary is the egg’s rarity. Among the 50 imperial eggs made for the Russian royals, only 43 are known to survive; of those, just seven remain privately held. 

One of the three that could realistically come to market is now up for sale — the first time in over two decades. If the anticipated price holds, it will not only reclaim its own sales record (set in 2002) — it may redefine the high-end record for collectible decorative art.