Valona Design

For artist and designer Elina Mäntylä, the value is in the beauty. Finding inspiration in the forests of her native Finland, she uses birch wood to create hanging crystals and intricate jewellery reminiscent of traditional folk decorations known as ‘himmeli’. In all Mäntylä’s designs, light is key. It reflects off the birch wood and shines through the space between the geometric shapes. Her birch crystals appear to glow like chandeliers, while her earrings and necklaces glisten like morning dew. This vital element is duly honoured in the name of her company, Valona Design, with ‘valona’ coming from the Finnish word for ‘light’.