After two years of planning, Fabergé, the brand famous for its ornately jeweled eggs, has presented its first jewelry collection in 90 years. In 2007, Pallinghurst Rresources teamed up with the South African financial services firm Investec and other investors to buy the name with the plan to revive its Russian heritage. They invited Tatiana and Sarah Fabergé, Peter Carl Fabergé's two surviving great granddaughters, to form a Faberge heritage council to advise the management on preserving the family's legacy. The NY Times reports that the firm also put together a management and design team including Mark Dunhill, former president of Alfred Dunhill and Frédéric Zaavy, a Parisian jeweler.

In a move that is completely modern, Fabergé has said they will not sell the jewelry through retail outlets. Instead they are using a different model, selling through an ornate website, a Geneva flagship store and 15 sales representatives willing to meet big spenders anywhere in the world. Fabergé may be a new line but it has the benefit of a name that is known everywhere and is synonymous with the upper echelons of luxury. The brand began in St. Petersburg back in 1842 and became one of Russia's largest producers of jewelry and art works. The first Fabergé egg was commissioned by Czar Alexander III as an Easter present for his wife and the eggs came to define the line which was famous for the intricate craftsmanship of its skilled jewelers who created tiny marvels fashioned in precious metals and jewels.

The new line is aimed at the ultra-wealthy and does not include eggs but uses a variety of colorful gemstones sourced from around the world to create elaborate effects. On the Fabergé website there are three main collections: Les Fleurs, Les Fables and Les Fauves and each features fantastical designs in the shapes of flowers, animals and flowing shapes. Prices for the first luxury jewelry collection range from $40,000 to $7 million, but future items may sell for $15,000. The new designs have a mythical quality that mimics the sense of wonder felt when looking at Faberge eggs.

The line launches at a time in which jewelers, particularly those that do not specialize in bridal jewelry, are losing customers and facing diminished sales. But the fact that it is a known name may help it in growing economic markets in the Middle East and Asia. The company has said that it expected to turn a profit within five years.

Although there are no Fabergé eggs in the collection, the company may eventually embrace the opportunity to return to the classic form. For a look at Fabergé's past check out our egg gallery below.

Russian tycoon and Faberge collector, Alexander Ivanov tells Bloomberg that the high cost of building and Russian bureaucracy doomed his plans to have the world's only museum dedicated to the Russian Imperial jeweler Faberge in Russia. Instead Ivanov is taking his incredible 3,000-piece collection to Baden-Baden, Germany. The collection is said to be worth around $1.5 billion and includes a famous Rothschild egg, created in 1902 as an engagement gift to Baron Edouard de Rothschild. The egg has a clock and a diamond-set bird that pops up every hour. Ivanov bought the egg in 2007 at a Christie's auction for £8.9 million. The egg will be part of the inaugural exhibit which showcases the finest of Ivanov's treasures.

Ivanov's museum cost around $22 million to build. He says he chose Baden-Baden because it has been always been a popular resort for Russians and because the town was supportive to the idea. The Hermitage had also been planning a Faberge museum but those plans have stalled out due to lack of funding. It will cost 20 euros to visit the Faberge Museum and Ivanov is hoping to get up to half a million visitors each year.

Last year the Theo and Sarah Faberge family entered the watch making business - mindful of the highly collectible decorated-egg making past. The newest line of watches from the luxury house is the St. Petersburg collection with the Model 117/118 (one in 18k yellow gold and the other in white gold). Its a manually wound flying tourbillon movement based watch with a skillful amount of guilloche decoration on the dial. Cleverly, the tourbillon aperture window, as well as date dial, are egg-shaped. No explanation is required to explain that design element choice.

The overall design is highly reminiscent of Breguet watches with an emphasis on gold, proud looking Roman numerals, and a richly decorated dial that enhances rather than hinders telling the time. The rear of the watch is one large sapphire crystal caseback with a view into a skeletonized and decorated movement. The brown or black alligator strap is hand stitched (I would expect nothing less from Faberge), while the watch itself is hand made (and polished) in Switzerland. Price is just north of 63,000 Euros for these limited edition timepieces.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

We've already highlighted Swarovski's Annual Edition Ornament for 2008 but the luxury-minded shopper may have more sparkling needs in the ornament department. This iconic crystal company is offering sixteen other options for glamorous gifts or tree bling at your own home. Snowflakes are the most common design but angels, trees, stars and stockings with a touch of tasteful color will also ring in the holiday season beautifully. Even babies aren't forgotten with the pacifier- or duckie-shaped ornaments to commemorate a first holiday. Faberge's ornaments, available at Neiman Marcus, showcase a familiar egg-shape of mouth-blown glass with delicately handpainted designs. Jay Strongwater's Musical Ornaments at Saks add a sense of frivolity to your tree with a touch of Swarovski bling too. And Bergdorf Goodman is selling L'Objet's Pagoda Ornament which is14K gold-plated and adorned in freshwater pearls and, again, Swarovski Crystals.

A bejeweled tree is bound to make quite a statement during your holiday gathering and an even bigger impression as a gift.

Earlier this year, practically every art auction story had a rich Russian attached to it. But this week London's Russian art auctions followed the same gloomy track that the New York art auctions took earlier this month. Many of the sales struggled to hit their lowest pre-sale estimates. BBC News reports on the sales noting that last year a Faberge egg sold to a Russian collector for £8.9 million but there were not similar big sales this year. The top end of the market has suffered greatly as sellers try to adjust to the new pricing reality while the middle of the market continues to sell things at a steady but lower rate. The low sales results also undo some of the work that Sotheby's and Christie's have done in trying to get Russian collectors to put pieces up for sale as those who have pieces to sell might be inclined to wait out a down market.

Of course some beautiful pieces did find a home. The piece above, a Faberge gold snuff box depicting the Sacrifice of Iphigenia and tied at the top with a diamond-set bow did very well at the Sotheby's auction on Wednesday. It was estimated to sell for £60,000-80,000 but went for £373,250.

On Nov. 24, Sotheby's in London is offering an amazing array of objects by famed Russian jeweler Carl Fabergé in its impressive Imperial & Royal Presents sale. Fabergé is best known for his incredible jeweled eggs, though he produced many other iitems as presents for the Russian Tsars and their family.

It is these latter items, including picture frames, sniff boxes, vesta cases, paper knives, compacts and pill boxes, that are featured in the auction. The top-priced lot is a Fabergé silver-gilt pearl and enamel heart shaped photograph frame enclosing a miniature of Empress Maria Fedorovna, circa 1890, est. $90,000 - $120,000.

One of our favorite items is this Fabergé enamel and silver frame (above) with a photograph of George, Duke of York, later George V, a present from Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of Russia, est. $30,000 - $45,000.

This beautiful Faberge creation from Princess Grace of Monaco's collection, which has not left Monaco in over 30 years, was unveiled today at the Consulate General of Monaco in New York City.

Thanks to Prince Albert II, who inherited the piece in 2005, the Imperial Blue Serpent Clock Egg will be traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, where it will be on display with six other Faberge wonders in the Artistic Luxury exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art through January 2009.

The Imperial Blue Serpent Clock Egg was crafted in St. Petersburg in 1887, and presented by Alexander III to Maria Fyodorovna.

This fall is a great time to do some museum hopping if you have an interest in precious objects from all eras. There's the Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan exhibit which is headed to San Francisco, the Art Nouveau Jewelry exhibit at the MFA in Boston and now Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique at the Cleveland Museum of Art from October 19 – January 18.

This exhibit showcases jewelry pieces and luxury objects from the 1900 Exhibition Universelle at Paris's Grand Palais where Art Nouveau jewelry design reached its apex. The show is a comparative study of the work of three of the greatest designers of the 20th century Peter Carl Fabergé, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and René Lalique. It includes rare loans from public and private collections worldwide from lenders such as Queen Elizabeth, Prince Albert of Monaco, Joan Rivers, and Neil Lane and public collections from the Met to the Hermitage. The pieces in the gallery below are just a sample of some of the beautiful objects on loan. Shown above is Edward VII's Faberge enamel cigarette case which was loaned to the exhibit by Queen Elizabeth II.

The Berners Hotel, an Edwardian edifice in London's West End, is set to re-open in 2009 following extensive renovations restoring the famed spot to its former glory. The four-star hotel, named for Josias Berners who purchased the land on which it stands in 1654, was originally constructed in 1835 as five conjoined houses in the classical style. At the turn of the 20th century it was converted into a luxury hotel; King Edward VII was said to have frequently entertained his mistress, Lillie Langtry, in a private suite of rooms there, and it also served as the London premises of famed Russian jeweler Carl Fabergé. All 176 rooms as well as the landmarked public spaces are being restored to their Edwardian splendor under the auspices of JJW Hotels' Luxury Collection.

A princess's loss can be your gain at Christie's jewelry auction in London on June 13. Italy's Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy is auctioning off 41 lots of rare jewels in order to help pay her taxes. The most astounding piece is the Faberge tiara shown above. The piece is referred to as the Empress Josephine Tiara because the briolette-cut diamonds (the ones shaped like teardrops )were given to the French empress by Tsar Alexandra I following her divorce from Napoleon I. The piece was created around 1890 and is mounted in silver and gold. It is estimated to be worth $774,384 and $1.2 million but could bring more at the auction.

The name Faberge is synonymous with a craftsmanship so it is no surprise that their watches are beautiful masterpieces. Faberge relaunched their wristwatch line in 2005 and continue to make distinctive timepieces. Time Zone draws our attention to the Agathon, a watch which has a rotor in the shape of a the Faberge eagle. The round watch has a guilloché dial and is available in several different styles including the Agathon M1107 shown here which is limited to 25 timepieces, in white and pink gold.

If you are a pet lover and Faberge-junkie, the Faberge-inspired Fab Imperial Bed from Pawsitively Posh is probably the ultimate in luxury for your dog. Limited to only 350 units worldwide, the bed is covered in a pink velvet and has a silver velour lining, as well as gorgeous silver accents. The bed is recommended for pets under 15 pounds and, because it also has faux-jeweled accents on the outside, is not recommended for pets who chew their beds. It also includes a little silver tiara toy, just in case you didn't realize that the bed is meant for spoiling a little princess. Price: $275.

Don't forget about the royal blue version($350) with a Crown toy for the most princely pet, too.

The McDonald's jewels may be impressive but nothing get the jewel hunter excited like royal jewelry. Christie's has announced a sale of the late Princess Margaret's jewels and other objects to be sold in London on June 13 and 14. Princess Margaret, the sister of the queen, died in 2002 and her children are putting selected pieces up for sale. Items for bid include a Faberge clock, a diamond necklace and the Poltimore tiara which the princess wore at her wedding. The tiara is estimated at £200,000. The auction isn't all pricey items, at the low-end you can pick up a hedgehog brooch for a mere £50. The sale is expected to bring in approximate £2 million pounds.

Designers love eggs. Eggs have beautiful, clean lines and a great shape. The egg shape is perfectly symmetrical when cut vertically, but has a soft slope that draws the eye along its curves when viewed as a whole. Egg shapes can and do appear just about anywhere anwhere, in both small and large sizes. We've noticed this, as egg-shapes have come up repeatedly on Luxist, but we still have our favorites. Let's face it: some egg designs work better than others.  These are some of the good ones:

Vivian Alexander Egg Purses - These novel purses are made out of real Rhea egg shells. They are enameled and decorated to perfection by hand with a variety of precious and semi-precious stones. The interior of the purses are lined with silk and they retail from $1000-7000. The Chanticleer Purse, pictured, costs $2,875.

This striking pen from Michel Perchin like others in their line, take its inspiration from a Faberge egg.Faberge’s Blue Serpent Clock Egg served as the model for this pen which is created from .925 sterling silver and then guilloched and enameled. The serpent, crown and end piece are layered in 22-karat yellow gold or rhodium. The pens are a limited edition of 500 each as either a fountain pen or rollerball. The fountain pen sells for $3,700 and the roller ball costs $3,500.