Huldreverket: Celebrating Norwegian design and cultural heritage

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Huldreverket

Whether it’s designing silver to wear with costumes for special events or filling daily orders for private customers and boutiques, Huldreverket is creating distinctive pieces that reflect the natural world and Norwegian folklore.

Starting your own business is always an adventure, especially when the world is just getting back on its feet after a global pandemic. But in the summer of 2023, this is exactly what the designers behind the jewellery company Huldreverket did. Lotte Lysa, Tonje Høgberg, and Marit Lintrup Svendsen, all trained goldsmiths, are heavily involved in the daily production of Huldreverket, their bustling workshop located in Skien, Norway.

Huldreverket Celebrating Norwegian design and cultural heritage

Pins designed by Huldreverket to be worn with thetraditional Norwegian dress, the bunad.

“Our customers are interested in Norwegian design and quality,” says Høgberg. “Cultural heritage is important to many of them and we often produce silver pieces for national costumes and bunads. These are worn for important public holidays and even when people get married. But we also make jewellery that reflects our customer’s identity and belonging, both to Norway and the environment they live in.”

An ash tree seed made of silver with drop pendantby Huldreverket is both feminine and timeless.

Huldreverket works with both silver and gold. “We are inspired by people who lived here hundreds of years ago, making handmade beautiful pieces that were used in everyday life,” says Høgberg. “Many of them were women, often left out of history books, but whose talents and ingenuity really helped to shape Norwegian design.”

The team works hard to ensure that the art of goldsmithing remains alive in Norway. “There are many small-scale jewellers in Norway who sell their work on social media,” Høgberg reflects. “Sadly, there are also companies who manufacture in lower-cost countries. We think this is unfortunate and fear that Norway will become poorer in terms of craftsmanship if jewellery-making and design disappear. Our customers appreciate that each piece we create is made in our own workshop in Norway.”

An intricate pattern made of silver and anamethyst-coloured crystal on a bunad pin.

In addition to an online store, Huldreverket sells its jewellery in shops all over Norway. It is also represented in the Norwegian box at Gardemoen airport, an exclusive vending machine in the international departures hall.

For the future, Huldreverket hopes to continue to grow. “We want to continue to make a living from this job we’re so happy doing,” says Høgberg. “We’d like to hire more jewellers eventually. For now, our main market is in Norway but we would love to expand to other countries in the future.”