Among all the eggs created by the Fabergé firm for the Imperial House, the most original was the 'Winter Egg.' Nicholas II spared no expense and paid Carl Fabergé a record sum, exceeding all previous expenditures on such items. The author of this world-famous masterpiece was a young woman, Alma Pihl, whose name became almost forgotten after the revolution. The year 1913 was special for Russia: in spring, the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty was celebrated, and Nicholas II wanted to make a special Easter gift for his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna. This gift was the 'Winter Egg,' one of the most impressive and valuable creations of Fabergé.

Alma was born in 1888 in Moscow to a family of hereditary jewelers who had moved to Russia from Finland. Her father headed the Moscow branch of the Fabergé workshops, and her grandfather, jeweler August-Wilhelm Holmström, owned a workshop in St. Petersburg. Fate predetermined that Alma would become a jeweler. After working as a draftsman in her uncle Albert Holmström's workshop, she was hired by the Fabergé firm in 1909. This was a unique case: Alma Pihl, a self-taught artist, became the first and only female designer to work at Fabergé.

The 'Winter Egg' is distinguished by its uniqueness. Its shell is made of transparent rock crystal, a very fragile material, and is inlaid with small diamonds (about 1300 pieces), creating a pattern reminiscent of frost. The base of the egg is also made of rock crystal and resembles a piece of melting ice, with 'streams' of platinum and diamonds flowing down.

In 2002, the 'Winter Egg' was put up for sale again, and it was purchased by the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, for $9.6 million. The egg remains in his collection.