Fabergé Has a New Owner

By William George Shuster -- JCK Online, 8/1/2007 2:00:00 AM

A consortium led by London-based Pallinghurst Resources has acquired the worldwide Fabergé brand—one of the world's best-known luxury names—from Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer products companies. The brand and all associated trade-marks, licenses, and intellectual property are now held by a new company formed by Pallinghurst, called Fabergé Limited.

The purchase took place in January but wasn't announced till June. The price was not released.

Although Fabergé Limited has reduced its product licenses to seven, Victor Mayer GmbH & Co., licensee for Fabergé eggs and jewelry, and its associated company, Mohr Time GmbH, licensee for Fabergé watches, will continue to produce and distribute those products worldwide under their license agreements. Both have had extensive talks with Fabergé Limited about the long-term strategic development of the brand.

International demand for Fabergé products has risen greatly in recent years. Victor Mayer and Mohr Time each doubled their orders at this year's inter-national BaselWorld trade fair in Switzerland.