Georg Jensen - The Name Of Danish Elegance
The epitome of cool Scandinavian design, Georg Jensen has since the early 1900s been a name synonymous with understated style and elegance.
Here at Ogden of Harrogate, we have long been an admirer of the Danish company’s beautifully crafted fine jewellery and more functional pieces that we stock, all of which is both timeless and contemporary.
Georg Jensen Sterling silver Mobius ring - stock no. 17-01-165
Exquisite rings, bracelets and necklaces as well as sculptural home products, they make the perfect gift to yourself or a loved one and we are sure you’ll be inspired by our collection.
Cobra candle holders by Georg Jensen
Georg Jensen the company, headquartered in Frederiksberg, Denmark, is only a little younger than Ogden itself, being founded in Copenhagen by the man whose name it still bears in 1904.
Founder Georg Jensen
The philosophy of Jensen himself was to create unique designs possessing both functionality and beauty. His artisanal skill and artistic talent combined with his continuous ability to identify and support design talent was the foundation on which he built the firm.
Georg Jensen is based in Denmark
Jensen, considered one of Denmark’s most famous and influential designers, was born in 1866 in Radvaad, a small town north of Copenhagen. He began training as a goldsmith at 14, also studied sculpture and applied arts and then trained with a master silversmith. In 1904, he decided to open his own silversmith business.
But he employed silversmiths to do the smithing while he concentrated on drawing, designing and business..
Sophie Bille Brahe
Her great-great-great grandfather was was the celebrated astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and her design cues often come from the night sky.
Halo earrings by Sophie Bille Brahe
These elegant hoops in 18ct yellow gold set with brilliant cut diamonds exemplify her work.
American designer Jacqueline Rabun, a long-time Georg Jensen-collaborator known for her organic and emotionally charged jewellery, is the woman behind the Mercy collection.
The fluid shapes she incorporates seem result in powerful and expressive pieces of jewellery such as below and there is a distinct sculptural feeling to her work.
The Mercy hinged bangle by Jacqueline Rabu
Regitze Overgaard, meawhile,is one of Scandinavia’s most respected jewellery designers.
Regitze Overgaard
She has worked with Georg Jensen many times and her love of natural forms and perfect sense of proportion are beautifully showcased in her Curve collection of silver and gold pieces.
"Curve" Sterling silver bracelet by Regitze Overgaard
Another Georg Jensen collaborator is Allan Scharff. Inspired by the raw beauty of nature, the master silversmith elevates organic forms to works of art.
Allan Scharff
His sterling silver bowls are striking examples of craftsmanship and Scandinavian design.
Sterling silver bowl by Allan Scharff
From further afield designers such as Kengo Kuma, the globally acclaimed Japanese architect, have produced works for Georg Jensen.
Kengo Kuma
In 2015, Kuma was chosen to design Tokyo's olympic stadium for the 2020 games and a year later he designed an exquisite silver tea service for Georg Jensen – named Kusa after the Japanese word for grass. This set was limited to 11 editions and each consists of a tea-leaf pot, stirrer, spoon, tray and cup.
"Kusa" by Kengo Kuma
In the same year, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola unveiled her first collaboration with Georg Jensen, which included upside-down jugs and featured pitchers, bowls, vases, trays and candle holders, all made from mirror-polished stainless steel.
Patricia Urquiola
"My imagination was generously allowed to run wild, but stainless steel is a new material for me," the designer said at the time.
Stainless steel candle holders among work by Patricia Urquiola
Another modern-day architect has also featured for Georg Jensen. Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi–British architect.
Zaha Hadid
She received the UK's most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011 and she was the designer behind the London Aquatics Centre. For Georg Jensen, Hadid produced a collection of silver jewellery, including a twisted cuff and a ring that fits over two fingers, like the one below.
Two-fingered ring by Zaha Hadid
Designed to reference the sculptural forms and curves of Hadid's most famous buildings, it was an eight-piece collection. "Working with Georg Jensen presented an opportunity to express our ideas in different scales and through different media," she said at the time.
All in all, for well over a century, Georg Jensen works have encapsulated all that is admirable about Scandinavian elegant sophistication and it remains a torchbearer for superb design. To view Ogden of Harrogate's range, click here: https://www.ogdenharrogate.co.uk/collections/georg-jensen