Tag: jewelery

Designer Desire: Margaret de Patta

Montage of jewellery designs by Margaret de Patta | H is for Home

I have to credit Justin with sourcing today’s designer – perhaps he was doing a bit of online research to find me an early birthday present! Anyway, Margaret de Patta (1903–1964) was an American jewellery designer and is this week’s featured creator.

She initially trained as a painter and sculptor however, when she couldn’t find a wedding ring that she liked, she designed her own! Her aesthetic became heavily influenced by the Bauhaus Movement; in 1941 she studied under László Moholy-Nagy at the School of Design in Chicago, Illinois.

Margaret de Patta worked a lot in sterling silver; creating rings, earrings, brooches and pendants using semi-precious materials such as moss agate, rutilated quartz, onyx, amber and ebony. They’ve been described as wearable art – and I don’t disagree!

I could only source three examples of De Patta’s work currently for sale. A few copies of the accompanying catalogue to the 2012, Space Light Structure: The Jewelry of Margaret De Patta exhibition, is available on Amazon. Oakland Museum of California houses the largest collection of her work.

Her papers are held at the Archives of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution. They were donated in two instalments in 2003 and 2015 by Martha Bielawski, the second wife of Margaret De Patta’s second husband, Eugene Bielawski. Her archive includes correspondence, writings, teaching files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed material, artwork & sketchbooks and photographs.

Portrait of Margaret de Pattacredit

Additional image credits:

Art Jewelery Forum | Wallpaper

Designer Desire: Niels Erik From

Selection of jewellery designs by Niels Erik From | H is for Home

It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and, as has become customary, Justin bought me a piece of vintage Scandi jewellery. This time, something by Danish designer, Niels Erik From (1908-1980). The item he bought me can be seen in the top pair of images above; a beautiful silver pendant with a cabochon rhodochrosite stone.

Beginning in 1931, From sold his work via his own retail premises. It was only in 1944 in the southern Danish town of Nakskov that he founded his smithy. He began his career producing designs in the Skønvirke style – a Danish movement similar to Art Nouveau. It’s his later work in the clean, modernist, geometric style which I far prefer. Ironically, these examples were created by other designers under From’s name.

If you like his designs, there are always examples for sale on Etsy, eBay and specialist vintage Scandinavian jewellery dealers. I think Justin bought this latest gift from Scandinavian Silver.

Image credits:

1st Dibs | Auktionsverket | Cream and Chrome | Dorotheum | John Kelly | Modernity

Designer Desire: Eva Hidström

Collage of Eva Hidström metalware and jewellery designs | H is for Home

There’s not a great deal of information on the internet about Eva Hidström – at least, not that I could find. She’s a 3rd generation Finnish metalware and jewellery designer based in Salo. She specialises in beautiful, colourful enamelware items.

She has produced work for Tillander, Suomalainen Koru and Kultakeskus Oy.

You can occasionally find examples of her work up for sale on Etsy and at specialist sales and auction houses such as T W Gaze, Auktionsverket and Bukowskis.

If you’d like to find out a little more about Hidström, there’s a more detailed feature with additional images by Jonas Forth who’s the CEO of Moomin.

If you can expand on what we know about Eva Hidström, please leave a comment below.

Portrait of Eva Hidströmcredit

Designer Desire: Jorma Laine

Mosaic of Jorma Laine jewellery designs | H is for Home

I was doing a Google search recently for ‘Vintage Scandinavian jewellery’ (as you do!) and stumbled across the work of Jorma Laine – I’m now smitten!

Laine (1930-2002) was a Finnish jewellery designer who worked for Turun Hopea Oy, Kultateollisuus Ky, Kalevala Kory Oy and his own company, Silver-Laine.

He worked mainly in bronze and silver with the occasional use of semi-precious stones such as turquoise, tiger eye, unakite or nephrite. His style was abstract, Modernist – almost Brutalist – with Viking and tribal influences.

I’ve come across lots of stunning examples of his work but below is the only portrait of the man I could find. Perhaps it’s because he apparently spent the final years of his life living as a recluse in a log cabin in the forest of Finland.

As I said, his work is readily available and fairly affordable – from less than £50 for a bronze pendant. Try looking on Etsy and eBay if you’re interested.

Jorma Laine, jewellery designercredit

Additional image credits:

1st Dibs | Bukowskis