Fabergé egg auctions in history: the Third Imperial Egg. Image from Hodinkee. At first, Fabergé eggs were only intended for Russian royalty. Tsar Alexander III became so enamored with them that he insisted on giving one to his wife every Easter until he died in 1894. His son, Tsar Nicholas II, kept the House of Fabergé busy crafting eggs for both his mother and wife. That all came to an abrupt end with the Russian Revolution of 1917, the royal family's execution, and many of the Fabergé eggs moving to the Moscow Kremlin Armoury. A century later, Fabergé egg auctions now inspire spirited bidding given the pieces’ scarcity and the stories behind them. Auction Daily takes a look back at three of the most notable examples. Fabergé egg auctions in history: the Winter Egg, brought to auction by Christie’s. Image from The Jewelry Editor. The Fabergé Winter Egg at Christie’s, 2002 Empress Maria Feodorovna received the first Fabergé egg shortly after Easter in 1885. The tsarina was so impressed by this egg, now known to aficionados as the First Hen Egg, that it became an Easter Sunday staple. Her son, Tsar Nicholas II, continued the tradition, giving Feodorovna several of these pieces, including the Winter Egg in 1913. Almost 90 years later, Christie's brought this Fabergé egg to auction. Three thousand diamonds cross the exterior of the Winter Egg in a snowflake-like pattern. The tsarina would have opened the piece to discover a surprise bouquet of flowers crafted with white quartz and gold wire. The gift served as an elaborate reminder of the changing seasons, from the chills of winter to spring flowers. Christie's offered the Winter Egg with an estimate of USD 4 million to $6 million. However, when the bidding war ended, it sold for over $9.5 million to an anonymous phone bidder. "I was expecting a good price but not such a good price," admitted Alexis de Tiesenhausen of Christie's Russian Department. The lot set a new record for Fabergé eggs at auction. Facts about Fabergé eggs: Tsar Alexander III and Tsar Nicholas II commissioned 50 of…