Silver Wijk: Magical jewellery and interior design inspired by nature

W ith a love for craftmanship and Swedish nature, the acclaimed silversmith Silver Wijk creates beautiful jewellery and interior decoration. Silver Wijk has also designed a drop called Blood, Sweat and Tears, for a fantastic initiative in aid of charity

Silver Wijk was established in 2002 by Emelie Wijk Lundberg. Growing up in an artistic family with silversmiths and ceramists, she certainly has art and design in her blood. An old barn has been restored to fit the smithy and a boutique in the small village of Hjälteby on the island of Tjörn, and there is another boutique at Sundsby Säteri on nearby island Mjörn.

Wijk Lundberg’s expression can be described as creative and bold, and she explores a variety of materials, such as silver, copper and gold, but also plexi, wood, glass and stones. “Using different materials is fascinating,” says the designer. “I love moving from small to big, and from hard metal to soft ceramics. I’m constantly challenged in terms of shape, lines and surface.”

From communion silver to wedding rings

There are a lot of interesting, sometimes challenging, requests for custom-made jewellery and other designs. For instance, Silver Wijk recently created a set of communion silver in six pieces for Valla Church, a project that lasted over two years. “Unusual requests are like spices to a meal,” enthuses the designer. She has also created a silver shrimp necklace for the famous Swedish writer Viveca Lärn, which is now part of the collection, and plenty of wedding rings.

The base of the brand is still jewellery, and nature is almost always in focus. “I don’t look at what others are doing,” admits Wijk Lundberg. “In my expression, I always return to nature, and there are currently a lot of flowers in my collections. When I got married, I even created my own bridal bouquet made of silver flowers. It’s hard to stop; flowers appear everywhere now!”

The Dragonfly series has become somewhat of a hallmark, though, and is the all-time bestseller. It is available in several varieties and also as a garden sculpture in steel, copper and glass, and appears in almost all patterns by Silver Wijk. Among the line-up is also the Living collection, with trays, jugs, coffee measures and more products added little by little. New this season is a cake slicer – simple yet useful designs for the home or as a gift.

Blood, Sweat and Tears – the charity project

In aid of charity, Wijk Lundberg has designed a piece of jewellery in the shape of a drop, called Blood, Sweat and Tears. It supports the possibility for girls in Nairobi’s slums to continue attending school after having their period. Many girls leave school as they have little or no access to sanitary products. The drop is a symbol for the girls’ situation and their will to keep on studying. Every drop sold provides a year’s consumption for one girl.

“This really makes a big difference and is a good way to keep the girls in school,” says Wijk Lundberg. “We work with one school at a time and make sure that the money is invested in the products for the girls, and we follow them during their years in school until they finish. It’s a simple way to ensure that they get an education and a chance to escape poverty.”

Exhibitions, collaborations and awards

Always working on new projects, Silver Wijk has featured in a number of exhibitions in Sweden and abroad. In 2010, the collection travelled to an exhibition in Maryland, USA. And in Sweden, the exhibition Mormor, Mamma och Jag (Grandmother, Mother and I) showed three generations of female artists in the family, working with three different materials. As Wijk Lundberg’s nephew has also taken up a career in the field, the exhibition Släktdrag (Family Trait) shows art and design in the family.

Silver Wijk also participates in the annual Konstvandringen (Art Walk), where art and design studios open up their doors to the public during Easter. Another project is with Frontside, the international chamber music festival in Gothenburg. Silver Wijk lends jewellery to the musicians and organisers, to showcase during the event, as well as decorations for the venue.

No doubt, the founder is an entrepreneurial spirit. In 2017, Wijk Lundberg was awarded the prominent Margareta Award. It is granted annually to a female entrepreneur from Tjörn in the memory of Margareta Hvitfeldt. Silver Wijk was also nominated for Company of the Year in Tjörn 2018. Recently, Silver Wijk had a visit from Spanish TV, and has been mentioned by the American online platform BuzzFeed as one of five Swedish designers to follow, with praise for “magical jewellery and interior designs inspired by the breathtaking nature of Scandinavia.”

Web: silverwijk.se
Facebook: silverwijk
Instagram: @silverwijk