In 1885 the Russian emperor Alexander III commissioned a jeweller to make an Easter gift to give to his wife, establishing a partnership that would endure more than 30 years and produce dozens of priceless works of art.
The present, an egg designed by the House of Fabergé, opened up to reveal yolk with a golden hen, miniature crown and a ruby egg.
It was the first gift in what would become an annual family giving tradition that only ended three decades later when the Russian revolution brought about the destruction of both houses.
The Bolsheviks, who seized control of the government and forced the tsar to abdicate, also closed all Fabergé workshops, forcing the family to flee Russia.
They later lost the right to produce designs in 1951, but the brand endured and announced the reunification with the Fabergé family in 2007.
And now as a result of a tie-up with Damas, the legendary designs are available to buy in the UAE at the Burj Al Arab and at the Dubai Mall.
"We are delighted to bring the splendour of Fabergé to the Middle East for the first time," says Katharina Flohr,the creative and managing director of Fabergé.
"Clients in Dubai have a very sophisticated taste and have a real appreciation for our exceptional handcrafted pieces."
Contemporary Fabergé creations, including the Les Favourites and the Les Saisons Russes collections, are being sold at the Dubai boutiques.
A piece from the Saisons Russes collection, a necklace called the Romanov, was on show earlier this year at the Doha Jewellery and Watches exhibition.
The glittering collar contains 2,225 gems totalling 363.48 carats, with 79 polished ethically sourced emeralds from a Zambian mine: 1,991 round white diamonds, 151 rose-cut diamonds, one rose diamond and a 3.48-carat pear-shaped rose-cut diamond.
It is a modern take on a Fabergé design dating back to 1885, the year the brand became jeweller to the Russian royal family.
But needless to say a brand with such history does not come cheap, with jewellery starting for "a few thousand dollars".