Wiwen Nilsson was an important and celebrated artist in Swedish jewellery and  holloware design and his impact on Swedish jewellery design was significant. His work was a triumph of simplicity and was the catalyst for modern silver design in Sweden.Above: Wiwen Nilsson silver onyx and crystal  pendant 1937Wiwen Nilsson Early DaysBorn in 1897 in Helsingborg, Sweden, he was a pioneer in..

Different types of Brooches and  Pins A wide variety of different types of brooches can be found when looking for vintage brooches to collect or wear. Here are some of the key designer names and styles to look out for. VIntage  rhinestone brooches from Modern Vintage Style Modern Vintage Style has a variety of rhinestone, flower, pearl and old gold and silver brooches..

ROSE QUARTZ GEMSTONE PROPERTIES Rose quartz can be a beautiful gemstone and is often used in jewellery.  The colours can range from pale pink to a deep peachy pink colour. Most rose quartz is quite included or cloudy and has a transulcent appearance. Clear "gemmy"material is limited and can be more expensive, especially the deeper colours. The lower grade material is more brittle..

SCANDINAVIAN MODERNISM Although the 1950's was the decade of design glitz , it had the opposite effect in Scandinavia where a new design esthetic emerged which had a great impact on all areas of design including jewellery. Silver was the preferred metal of choice as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark had centuries old tradition of silversmithing, and silver was malleable and easy to ..

A Scottish silver jewellery designer whose work is much prized today is Norman Grant. He was born in Forres, Scotland in 1943 and at the age of 18 started training at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen. Initially he studied graphic design before later moving into silversmithing . Having lived near the coast much of his jewellery designs reflected the natural shapes and details seen in the environment..

BERNARD INSTONE - EARLY LIFE Bernard Instone was born  in 1891 at "Neston Villa" in Kings Norton, Birmingham. In 1903 at the age of 12 he received a scholarship to attend the Central School of Art. His talent shone through and he received two further scholarships to continue his training. He studied  jewellery and practical silversmithing at the Birmingham School of Jewellery in Vitto..

ARTS AND CRAFTS JEWELLERS A lot of the ideals of the Art Nouveau design movement were also shared by Arts and Crafts movement jewellers in Northern Europe,  Britain, and the United States. Both movements had deep roots in mid-19th century Britain. Two leading British cultural figures, the philosopher and designer William Morris and the art critic John Ruskin wrote about the dissatisfa..

DANISH DESIGNER NIELS ERIK FROM  - EARLY YEARS Danish jeweller and silversmith Niels Erik From ( N.E. From) was born in 1908 and opened his first workshop in 1931 when he was still only twenty-three .  Over the next forty years  Niels Erik went on to become one one of the greats of Danish design, and  created many works including floral-inspired designs oft..

Daniel Swarovski and Creation of Swarovski Crystals Towards the end of 19th century, Austrian jeweller Daniel Swarovski created a foil backing that made his high-quality faceted crystals almost indistinguishable from real diamonds. Demand was so great for the crystals  that in 1892 he patented a mechanical cutter so his “faceted stones” could be mass-produced.       &..

Scandinavian Jewellery, Pendants, Rings, and Bracelets influenced by Early Nordic Traditions Although Scandinavia has produced distinctive jewellery since Viking times, the area’s jewellery industry didn’t come into its own until the late part of the 19th century. Before this time, jewellery from the three Scandinavian countries—Sweden Norway, and Denmark was mainly influ..