Scandinavian Silver Enamel Jewellery: Meet The Designers

A mint green guilloché enamel Capricorn zodiac pendant by David Andersen - Goldcrest Antique & Vintage

Whenever I come across a vintage Scandinavian silver piece with enamel, I always enjoy handling it and admiring the design; the colour combinations, the strange, flowing shapes or the beautiful representations of flowers and critters. These items are almost always finely crafted and well made, so I wanted to delve a little further into the designers involved in this industry to share some background and examples of their work. Enjoy!

Georg Jensen, Denmark

Undoubtedly one of the most prolific and pioneering jewellery names of all time, Georg Jensen (1866-1935) was born in Denmark and created his first piece of jewellery in 1899, after enrolling in and graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and after an unsuccessful attempt at making a living from his ceramic work.

Jensen's business boomed once he started bringing on other artists who all helped to create jewellery under the Georg Jensen brand. You will find many pieces that carry his name alongside that of the artist who designed the item.

Georg Jensen's own work is heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts periods in which he was creating; big cabochon gemstones adorn his works, with nature-inspired motifs and free-flowing shapes. Antique Jensen pieces are rare and highly valued - rightly so, due to their astounding quality, craftsmanship and scarcity.

The Georg Jensen name and brand still lives today, with modern jewellery designers producing pieces in gold, silver and enamel.

Born in Copenhagen in 1918, Henning Koppel is perhaps most known for his jewellery work for Georg Jensen in the 1940's that lasted until his death in 1981. His creative skills were incredibly diverse however, with glass, lamps and porcelain also created using his designs, winning him a few medals and awards along the way. His collaboration with Jensen happened after WWII, when he returned from Sweden in 1945 having fled the threat of Nazi invasion.

Koppel's jewellery can be characterised by abstract, free-form and modernist shapes, either in plain sterling silver or yellow gold and sometimes with dark enamel accents.

In today's market, Henning Koppel pieces command quite the premium; they are highly sought after by collectors of his work and of Scandinavian jewellery in general.

Born in Copenhagen in 1923, Nanna Ditzel not only designed jewellery but also furniture, textiles and tableware. Despite operating in a heavily male-dominated industry her innovation and creativity spoke for itself, making her a successful designer right up until the 1990's. She passed away in 2005.

Ditzel made jewellery in her own right during the early 1950's and then later in 1954 for Georg Jensen, the first woman to do so. Her bold silver and gold designs crafted in the forms of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and rings won various awards and prizes.

Volmer Bahner was born in 1912 in the Danish town of Frederica. He studied under the Danish sculptor and professor Aksel Einar Utzon-Frank, whose sculptures still stand as public monuments to this day. Once graduated in 1930, Bahner continued his work in jewellery and opened his business in 1939.

Drawing from nature, many of Bahner's designs feature animals, insects, fish and plants, with butterflies being a popular choice. He utilised guilloché enamel in many of his pieces, often in varying shades of blue. Leaves and flowers also appear frequently in Bahner's art, sometimes as beautiful matching suites.

His pieces are stamped with "VB" for Volmer Bahner on the reverse, alongside the "STERLING" and "DENMARK" stamps often found on similar Scandinavian jewellery.

David Andersen was a Victorian era goldsmith and silversmith born 1843 and died 1901, with ties to Germany, Sweden, France and London. By 1876, David had established his own workshop in Oslo after studying under Jacob Tostrup - a famous Norwegian jeweller, goldsmith and silversmith well known for his enamel work. Arthur Andersen, David's son, took over the business after his father's death in 1901 and continued the legacy - which is still going strong today in its fourth generation!

Vintage David Andersen pieces found on the market today often feature colourful enamelled leaves and flowers made in silver and sometimes gilded on the reverse to create a gold contrast, sold in the forms of bracelets, necklaces, brooches and earrings. Butterfly brooches with intricate wing patterns can also be sourced, displaying fine skill in enamelling. Other vintage items include small charms and pendants featuring flowers and Zodiac signs, and animal themed brooches with brightly coloured enamel.

A renowned goldsmith and silversmith born in Norway in 1847, died 1927, Marius Hammer established his own workshop in Bergen after studying metalsmithing from his family and then later in Germany. At its height his business had around 130 people working for it, and with stores in three locations.

Unfortunately the workshop of Marius Hammer closed in 1930 after an unsuccessful revival by his son Max following his father's death.

Hammer's work is defined by intricate filigree designs and realistic plique-a-jour enamel pieces. He also largely catered to tourists by producing Viking ship sculptures and sterling silver spoons with vermeil or brightly coloured enamel details that were popular as gifts, and exported to different countries. Liberty of London featured these exquisite spoons in their Christmas catalogues towards the end of the 19th century.

Studying under the renowned (and previously mentioned) designer David Andersen in Oslo, Aksel Holmsen went on to open his own workshop in Norway in 1904. He learnt the art of filigree and various enamel techniques during his studies and later incorporated these into his work.

Holmsen retired in 1950 and later passed away in 1962, with the business sadly folding ten years later in 1972.

Holmsen's work mainly consists of sterling silver or "continental" silver (another term for 830 standard), and guilloché enamel. Many of his pieces survive today. You can expect to come across brightly enamelled bird, butterfly and flower brooches, Viking ships, impressive landscapes, floral themed pendants and charms and, for the pieces dating to the 1950's onwards, bold Modernist designs.