Born Franz Birbaum in Fribourg, the young Birbaum left for St Petersburg at the age of 14, alongside a number of Swiss nationals heading to Russia. There, Birbaum would go on to study drawing and miniature painting at the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts. Not long afterwards, at age 23, Birbaum became the main designer, and eventually the chief workmaster of the Fabergé firm.

Birbaum’s clear artistic vision, demand for high-quality workmanship and inventive design revolutionised the firm’s approach and output, making Fabergé an international name. Birbaum wrote that he had been involved in designing and realising around half of the Imperial eggs, among the most exquisite, renowned and innovative objets d'art ever executed, and had even discussed in French the details of these orders directly with Emperor Nicholas II.

However, shortly after the Russian revolution and the death of his wife, Birbaum was imprisoned and interrogated by the Soviet secret police. Upon his return to Switzerland, Birbaum was destitute and took on the name of François Birbaum. Around this time, Birbaum began executing pastel landscapes, drawing inspiration from the mountain ranges of the Rhône valley. Birbaum exhibited a number of times in the late 1920s in Aigle, Fribourg and the surrounding regions, but his fame never recovered. Birbaum died in obscurity in 1947