The Jewellery Room Founders Sisters Charlotte Møbjerg Knudsen (right) and Pernille Møbjerg Ansel-Henry (left). Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
The Jewellery Room is a recurring highlight of Copenhagen Fashion Week. Behind the captivating event are sisters Pernille Møbjerg Knudsen and Charlotte Møbjerg Ansel-Henry – two women passionate about giving Danish jewelry and its designers the space and attention they deserve, during a week that mostly revolves around clothes. The Danish jewelry scene is as diverse as ever – from the established houses of Ole Lynggaard and Shamballa, to exciting newcomers with fresh blood and a new take on the classics. For this season’s showcase, the sisters chose the historic location of the modern art section of the illustrious auction house Bruun Rasmussen. There, they invited the curated brands to choose one piece of art to present the jewelry. See below for Vogue Arabia’s highlights.
Shamballa Jewels. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Shamballa Jewels. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
SHAMBALLA JEWELS – The Spiritual
From Karl Lagerfeld and Jay-Z to Arab and European royalty, from actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio to the biggest sports stars – Shamballa Jewels is a favorite among some of the world’s most influential people. And yet Mads Kornerup, designer and co-founder, really prefers to talk about yoga and Buddhist philosophy, which is infused into the brand – all the way from an idea to its presentation in prominent stores around the globe
The Star of Shamballa is a graphic version of a double Dorje, an ancient Buddhist symbol representing the stroke of lightning leaving humans enlightened. The symbol has been incorporated into the logo since the early days, and it adorns every single piece ever to come out of Shamballa – as a guiding star, a spiritual compass.
Mads Kornerup and fellow co-founder, his brother Mikkel, share a love for the raw, unpolished diamonds. It is a superior and subtle way to carry a diamond; too raw for just anyone to recognize its beauty. Each diamond is handpicked by Kornerup, who invites its significance to speak to him before placing it in one of the iconic Shamballa bracelets or necklaces.The Kornerup brothers originally only created jewelry for men, but seeing as women have always snuck in to buy for themselves, Shamballa recently began making designs with ladies in mind.
The brand might be rooted in ancient philosophy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t up to date with modern technology – far from it! Shamballa has recently created a feature with which you can customize your jewelry bead by bead, select string color and more – from home. All you need is internet.
Founder Julie Nielsdotter. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Julie Nielsdotter Jewels. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
JULIE NIELSDOTTER – Pearl Love
As you enter the universe of young talent Julie Nielsdotter, you feel your sweet tooth being put to the test. Big, dreamy baroque freshwater pearls dominate the fragile gold pieces, combining the raw shapes and materials in a fresh, confronting way, while delicious cocktail rings with appetizing stone combinations evoke your childhood fantasies of being a princess.
With long, strawberry blonde hair and pale pink outfits, the designer is the embodiment of her brand. Her approach is playful and free of limitations and rules. Nielsdotter explores the accentuation of beauty, and makes a point of not adding too much, nor too little, while always challenging herself. She is determined and never compromises, which besides her pure talent, is the reason she has established her brand in such a short time and at such a young age.
At 24, Nielsdotter has designed showpieces for Stine Goya, has been nominated for an Elle Award (DK), and in December 2018, opened the doors to her own beautiful boutique in Copenhagen, which is as delicate as her jewelry.
Among her latest design is Planet Neckpiece – a stunning gold choker with a mix of 17 fresh and saltwater pearls, a beryl and a pink tourmaline. The piece is tied in the back with a soft pink ribbon. Another beauty is the single stick earring with pearls almost rolling down twisted gold, and her Planet Ring in 18K gold is set with sapphires, a beryl and a pink freshwater pearl.
Vibe Harsløf Jewel. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Vibe Harsløf Jewel. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
VIBE HARSLØF – Rock’n’roll
The wild child of the Copenhagen jewelry scene has surely marked herself as an artist to keep an eye on, beyond her native borders of Denmark, too. The urban designer and goldsmith has a very strong approach – in even her most delicate designs, you sense substance. In the collection inspired by girl power and womanhood, she uses a hand holding a round object as a symbol of something to pass on, to protect, and to carry.
The übercool collaborations between Vibe Harsløf and Japanese brand Facetasm burst with so much attitude, it’s almost impossible to understand. Inspired by the chaotic youth culture from Copenhagen to Tokyo, Harsløf puts aliens, cats, roses, and everyday objects such as a toothbrush and a can top together in her big showpieces. She decorates necklaces, key chains, and bracelets with bottle caps and medicine capsules, while inviting the objects to stand alone in more simple pieces.
Founder Ole Lynggaard. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Ole Lynggaard jewel. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
OLE LYNGGAARD COPENHAGEN – The gentleman and the crane
At 83, Ole Lynggaard – the grand man of Danish jewelry design – still creates pieces that appeal to women of all ages. For a long time now, the designer’s desk had been buried in poetic paper cuts and delicate sketches of cranes. The majestic bird representing joy, beauty, fidelity, and good fortune in mythologies and lores from around the globe, had long intrigued the traveled goldsmith, when he allowed his fascination to mature. Among the cuts and drawings, he sculpted it into a collection of fine jewelry, named after the enchanting flyer.
The collection includes an earring, a brooch, and decorative rings, all handcrafted from 18K gold, white diamonds, and rubies. The collection captures the beautiful motions of the crane, and particularly its sole earring, with long diamond legs dancing along to the wearer’s movements.
The enthusiasm of designing exceptionally crafted fine jewelry, remains the same as when Ole Lynggaard established the business 56 years ago, in the town of Hellerup, just north of Copenhagen. The family-run business has since expanded manyfold, but has only moved a stone’s throw and today it is the single largest goldsmith workshop in Northern Europe with 40 goldsmiths handcrafting the fine jewelry. The founder is still very much involved creatively, but has handed the reins to his children, and even the generation after them is engaged in the family business. It really isn’t any wonder, as they all seem to see the workshop as a second home – a place that connects their family.
Founder Orit Elhanati. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Orit Elhanati Jewel. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
ORIT ELHANATI – The Storyteller
Exploring her warm, beautiful designs first-hand, it’s easy to see why the world wants more of Orit Elhanati. She understands how to shape the gold into organic and enchanting pieces – letting Middle Eastern culture and Nordic lightness meet in mesmerizing design.
Elhanati is inspired by women and their unfiltered truth, telling their stories in her shapes of recycled gold and sustainable precious stones. The first woman to inspire the goldsmith was her grandmother, who she remembers drinking tea on the porch, dripping in gold jewelry – a memory which has manifested itself into the core of her design.
In her latest pieces the super-esthete has gone J’Lo, combining gold chains with the often overlooked malachite, and as always texture-rich gold – the Elhanati signature. The earring adorned with a large, framed malachite, topped with a diamond studded palm, resembles something from the past brought back to life, and given a new chance to unfold its unique story. From her fine jewelry, to her fashion collections and even her pieces of art,
Elhanati’s ideas transform into memories for those who wear her work.
Danger Sculpture. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
Danger Jewel. Courtesy of the Jewellery Room.
DANGER JEWELS – Killer Bees
Watch out for Max Danger. He creates fiction scenarios in his mind, then uses his jewelry to translate narratives into three-dimensional, wearable objects. His research on bees and urban beekeeping resulted in a collection of fine jewelry featuring bees mutated after being exposed to pesticides and other threats.
Danger trained as a fine jeweler in Copenhagen, and since at the Royal Collection of art. Mixing exquisite gemstones and gold with miniature robot, pelican, and rabbit figurines, he creates small worlds in his artistic and yet very wearable designs. It’s not all about bees and figurines – Danger also creates timeless and contemporary art deco-like rings, and in his collaborations with renowned ceramists he challenges the limits of jewelry.
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