Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver: Scandinavian (6)

One of the most elusive pieces designed by Danish modernist Hans Hansen, this sterling silver neck ring has been in my collection for a long time. The idea was to get a pendant by the same designer so as to complete the necklace but it never happened and I decided to give that same opportunity to someone else out there. So if you have been looking for a Hansen neck ring and have not been able to find one, here is your golden chance...

Designed by Karin Pedersen for JemAx of Denmark, this sterling silver vermeil and white enamel brooch is such a great example of Scandinavian minimalist / modernist design from the 1960s and 1970s. I love the pearlescence of the white here and the way its translucence brings out the guilloche motifs in the silver underneath. White is a gorgeous color in Scandinavian enamelwork and it pairs perfectly with darker, more subdued hue time and loving use has bestowed to the vermeil finish...

Welcome Spring with this set of vibrantly colored sterling silver vermeil and enamel butterfly brooches by renowned Norwegian enamelist Hroar Prydz. Made around the middle of the 20th c., the pair celebrates the warmth of yellows and the coolness of sparkling blue with delicate details in brown. Just take a closer look at the richness of pattern in the silver underneath the enamels that makes the butterfly wings look almost real...

A multi-talented award-winning artist, Arno Malinowski worked for Georg Jensen for several years and created some iconic designs for the company. His most popular pieces are brooches wrought in sterling and inspired by the natural world - deer, birds, dolphins, alone or in delicately depicted foliage, their bodies rendered with such sensitivity, one feels compelled to constantly run one's fingers over them. The bird portrayed in the brooch at hand is illustrative of what I am trying to say...

The epitome of minimalism and the best proof that when it's done correctly, it is the most elegant style, this vintage Danish sterling silver and banded agate ring is signed by Bruno Jorgensen who was active in Virum until his death in 1973. There is nothing about this piece I would change - I love the way the flat cut of the stone reveals its two colors; I love the laconic design of the silver setting; and that touch of black enamel which accentuates the stepped construction of its bezel...

Fantastic late 1960s – 1970s, I believe based on style, modernist sterling silver and ribbon long cascading circles collar necklace signed by Niels Erik From of Denmark. Scandinavian jewelry is one of my favorite genres – I love the slick, innovative design, the bold minimalism and the “honesty” of materials used so I am always on the look out for good examples...