boîtes et étuis
Adrien Vachette was a French jeweler of the 18th and 19th centuries, best known as the creator of the so-called Wonderful Medallion.
Vachette was one of the most famous and prolific craftsmen of his generation. He was appointed court jeweler and supplier to the court of King Louis XVIII. Gold, tortoise shell, enamel, precious stones and ornamental stones were used extensively in the creations of Vachette, particularly in the many precious snuffboxes that were in fashion at the time.
However, he became famous at a very advanced age, when he was almost 80 years old. Paris at the time was experiencing a cholera epidemic and a period of political instability. The Archbishop of Paris, Iasent-Louis de Quelan, had the idea of solving these problems by a miracle. At his behest, Vachette designed a "miraculous medallion" depicting Our Lady. Between 1832 and 1836, more than two million copies were distributed. At the same time, Archbishop Kaelan and his clergy were active in the fight against cholera. All in all, this contributed to the growth of religiosity and respect for the church in France, and the marvelous medallions of Vachette's design continue to be minted and distributed in many Western countries to this day.
Carl Fabergé (Russian: Карл Гу́ставович Фаберже́) was a 19th- and 20th-century Russian jeweler, entrepreneur, and artist of German descent. He ran a family jewelry company for almost 50 years, which became world-famous for its products - Easter eggs made of precious metals, stones, and enamel.
Carl Fabergé met the Russian Emperor Alexander III at the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882, which was a landmark event in the jeweler's career. The emperor ordered an Easter egg from the master for his wife, which the empress loved. From this moment on Fabergé, who became the jeweller to the Court, became responsible for the annual production of Easter eggs for the imperial court. Members of the imperial family also ordered jewelry from Fabergé for their many European relatives. This turned the Fabergé family company into one of the leaders of the world jewelry market.
Fabergé produced not only high-end jewelry products, but also items for the average buyer. In 2005, at Sotheby's in New York, several stone figurines were sold for $850,000 to $1,800,000.
