Bjørg’s designs are brimming with nature and the tactile beauty of the organic world. It’s probably only to be expected since the designer of this Norwegian range of hand-crafted jewellery grew up in the artic North of the country famed for its fjords and rugged beauty.
Bjørg’s amulet cufflinks
Producing a single complete range each year, the inspirations are diverse: Darwin, Victorian memento mori jewellery and the salty air of the sea. In the most recent collection –inspired by Darwin’s contribution of evolutionary theory- mineral elements, animals observed by natural scientists and the skeletal building blocks of species all find their way into the beautiful handmade pieces produced for the discerning customer by this Oslo-based company. Produced in silver, vermier and carefully selected natural stones, they are at once elegant and eye-catching. But, as Bjørg herself observes, there is definitely a humour and playful wit that connects each of her collections.
Producing beautiful pieces for both men and women, one of the things that makes Bjørg’s work stand out is its complexity, the intricate narratives trapped inside each piece, no matter how delicate and small. Rather than taking a simple approach in which imagery is selected for its trendy iconography, instead, many of Bjørg’s designs betray the work of a thinking designer. For example, in one design for a beautiful pair of cufflinks, the tiny amulets of the outer section hold tiny photograph-like icons that have been skilfully doctored, simultaneously evoking Victorian memorial jewellery, Magritte and a bit of ‘A Clockwork Orange’. It’s not often that one comes across a jewellery designer whose work takes its themes – such as the questions raised by evolution- and takes us on such a witty and poetic journey, all beautifully contained in a diminutive piece of wearable art.
From octopus tentacles clinging to crystals and anatomically-correct hear pendants, Bjørg’s designs always take the viewer –and of course the wearer- on a skilful journey referencing everything from Surrealism and Victorian metaphysics to Darwin and the natural world.
For those who are not lucky enough to find the perfect stocking filler in time for Christmas, have no fear: you’ll almost certainly end up back in someone important’s good books with a late gift from Bjørg.
Bjørg - pieces from the current collection