Fragrance history is nearly as rich as the scents themselves. And no history, perhaps, is richer than Fabergé.

The House was Czar Nicholas’ jeweler of choice. But Nick Nicholson, director of Russian works of art, Heritage Auctions in New York, said that Peter Carl Gustavovich Fabergé business empire included more than a fantastical bejeweled egg collection.

The House of Fabergé was founded in 1842 by Peter Carl’s father, Gustav Fabergé. The company made perfume-related articles for royalty and aristocracy alike. In fact, 19^th Century Russian aristocrats were major buyers of French perfumes.

“Faberge was much more than eggs,” said Nicholson. “It was a company that spanned three generations, had 1,700 employees in five cities and never made the same thing twice.”

Nicholson knows Russian art. He has more than 25 years of experience, starting at Christie’s, the well-known British auction house. Prior to joining Heritage Auctions, he worked at the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Nicholson shared his knowledge with members of the American Society of Perfumers at a recent event at Van Vleck House & Gardens, Montclair, NJ.

Faberge was one of the earliest luxury brands and was a contemporary and a competitor to Tiffany.

Russia Before Fabergé

But before there was Fabergé, there was Catherine the Great. Prior to her coronation, Russia remained closed to the West. Russians had access to The Silk Road and the East, where the Chinese burned incense for religious and spiritual purposes. According to Nicholson, however, 18^th Century Russians, often burned manure and pine pitch to scent their homes. That practice changed when Russian Empress Catherine the Great (1729-1796) imported Western fragrance. She encouraged Russians to purchase French perfume. Her own court included heavily sheets and tablecloths.

“They even scented their floor wax. The formula included beeswax, bergamot and pine,” noted Nicholson. “After the French Revolution, the aristocrats fled the Terror and were welcomed to the Russian court. Perfumers from Grasse and Paris were welcome, too.”

Russia Secures Its Place in the World

Following the victory over France in the Patriotic War of 1812, the Russian economy grew. Russia sent rose oil and ambergris to France and received finished perfumes in return. By the 19^th Century, France was shipping liter size perfume bottles to Russia. Wealthy Russians, including the Stroganovs and Romanovs, were regular fragrance users. The Stroganovs were a wealthy, influential throughout Russian history. The family’s art collection was rivaled only by the Czar’s collection. Meanwhile the Romanovs was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. The family’s reign started in 1613 and lasted until the Communist Revolution in 1917.

Throughout his slide presentation, Nicholson showed photos of Fabergé artistry. Works ranged from silver-mounted cut glass perfume flacons to gold-mounted perfume flacons. Fabergé created a glass perfume bottle through a joint venture with Tiffany and a perfume flask in the shape of a toothpaste tube. One creation, a gnome-shaped flacon with diamonds for eyes, sold for 1.6 million British pounds (nearly $2.2 million at current exchange rates).

All About the Egg

But, of course, eggs were the focal point of Nicholson’s presentation. Fabergé created 50 Imperial Easter eggs for the Russian Imperial Family from 1885 to 1916. Fabergé made miniature eggs less than an inch tall to hold solid perfume. Other, larger eggs featured diamonds, emeralds and nephrite.

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Fabergé closed its Russian operations, fled to France and tried to restart the company during the 1920s.

“But tastes change,” noted Nicholson. “Art deco was popular, and Cartier became the most important firm.”

As a result, Fabergé went out of business. Russian perfumer, Ernest Beaux, who had created some of the best known fragrances in Russia prior to the Revolution, went to France and with Coco Chanel, created No. 5 and other iconic scents.

New Owners, New Era

The Fabergé name and trademark was acquired in 1937 by Philanthropist Samuel Rubin at the suggestion of Armand Hammer, the American businessman, with close ties to the Soviet Union. The “new” Fabergé was devoted to perfumes and toiletries, with no connection to jewelry or the famous Fabergé eggs. The Fabergé family did not learn about the new company until after World War II and settled out of court with Rubin in 1951 for the right to use the name for perfume. Fabergé Cosmetics paid just $26,000 for the naming rights.

In the mid-1960s, Rubin sold Fabergé to George Barrie, who resurrected the brand on the strength of Brut cologne and celebrity-laced advertisements. In 1989 Unilever acquired Fabergé (including Elizabeth Arden) for $1.55 billion. In 2007, Unilever sold Fabergé trademarks, licenses and rights to Fabergé Limited. This “new” Fabergé launched a jewelry collection in 2009.

As for the Fabergé collection, Nicholson’s company, Heritage Auctions, recently presented its third Imperial Fabergé & Russian Works of Art Signature Auction. The May event featured nearly 100 works of art by Fabergé, Khlebnikov, Ovchinnikov and Bolin.

Ahead of the auction, “Heritage is thrilled to bring this remarkable selection of Russian masterworks to auction,” said Nicholson in a statement. “The Fabergé Heritage Collection alone, with its breadth and quality, is an exceptional opportunity for collectors in the field, both seasoned and new.”

The resilience of the Fabergé name underscores the brilliance of its craftsmanship, which ceased nearly 100 years ago.