The famed 1913 ‘Winter Egg’ is returning to the auction block in December, offering what experts believe may be one of the final chances for private collectors to secure a genuine Imperial Faberge masterpiece as global availability continues to shrink sharply.

Created for Russia’s imperial family and long regarded as one of the most exceptional works produced by Peter Carl Faberge’s St Petersburg workshop, the egg is expected by Christie’s to fetch more than £20 million, with specialists citing its rarity and extraordinary craftsmanship.

The jewelled object was one of only 50 Imperial Eggs commissioned between 1885 and 1916 by Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II. With seven now missing and the vast majority held by museums, only a handful remain in private ownership, intensifying competition whenever one reaches the market.

Faberge expert Kieran McCarthy said only three eggs could realistically be acquired today, making this sale particularly significant. He described them as treasures whose scarcity continues to increase, with private owners often reluctant to part with their collections.

Christie’s believes the estimate reflects both the work’s fame and its distinctive artistry. Carved from clear quartz and studded with thousands of small diamonds, the egg resembles a frozen object encased in frost and delicately melting under imagined spring light, creating an impression prized by collectors.

As with all Imperial Eggs, the creation conceals a surprise within its shell. This example contains a hanging basket of wood anemones, carved from quartz and arranged on nephrite stems with garnet accents, symbolising the first flowers of Russia’s early spring.

Its design is attributed to Alma Pihl, one of Faberge’s few female designers, whose inspiration reportedly came from frost patterns on a workshop window. Although quartz is not a precious material, its brittleness made its transformation into the egg a demanding artistic feat.

The egg’s history has been equally dramatic, moving from the imperial court to Soviet sales after the revolution, before entering British collections and disappearing for almost two decades. It resurfaced in 1994, twice breaking auction records and remaining unseen on the market for more than twenty years.

Today’s geopolitical climate, with tariffs affecting US imports and sanctions restricting sales linked to Russia, complicates predictions about its next destination. Yet experts agree its significance ensures strong interest from global institutions and private collectors seeking a rare surviving emblem of Imperial craftsmanship.