Gustav Fabergé, the father of Karl, was the first of the Huguenot Fabergé line to travel to Russia. Born in Parnau, Estonia, he left for Russia at an early age, where he studied goldsmithing in St. Petersburg, and opened his own jewellery shop on Bolshaia Morskaia Street in 1842. The shop was immensely successful, as the conventional jewellery shop of the period, and Gustav was able to retire in 1860, leaving the business in the very capable hands of his sons.

Workmaster Wilhelm Reimer worked for the Fabergé firm making jewels and gold objects, and died circa 1898.