Collections

Designers

Georg Jensen – was the first in a tradition of Danish silversmiths who trained as sculptors. A financial backer helped him establish his own firm in Copenhagen in 1904. On his death in 1935, the New York Herald Tribune described him as, "The greatest silversmith of the last 300 years. " He raised the design quality of Danish jewellery. The company produces easy to wear classics, to dress up or down.

Nils Erik From – Danish, born 1908, trained as a silversmith and opened his own showroom in 1931. He built a factory and exported his designs across Europe in 1960. Whilst his earlier pieces were floral, the sixties range was more abstract in design. Hilmer Jensen, who joined the firm in 1966, ran the factory after N.E. From died in the 1980's. N.E From’s jewellery is now out of production. The designs remain timeless and currently affordable.

David Andersen – The Norwegian company founded in 1876 by its namesake, who was a gold and silversmith. Arthur Andersen took over the firm in 1901 following the death of his father David. He continued to maintain the standards of high quality craftsmanship whilst introducing the use of that signature enamelling seen on many David Andersen items. The company is still going strong and is now run by its fourth generation.

Charles Horner (1837-1896) – was the founder of the company. His sons opened a factory in Halifax in 1905, producing hatpins, thimbles and art nouveau jewellery. The firm closed in 1984. Pieces remain highly collectable, particularly those which are enamelled.

Jewellery Care

Most silver jewellery (including enameled pieces) can be cleaned using a soft silver polishing cloth. If the silver is really tarnished, then silver wadding is a good option, once applied, gently buff with a clean soft cloth.

For open-back gem set jewellery, firstly ensure that there are no loose stones in the settings. You can then proceed to clean by using a small soft brush dipped in mild non-corrosive detergent. We would recommend cleaning to be done over a small bowl, rather than over a kitchen sink for obvious reasons! Liquid cleaning of closed back jewellery is not recommended, as the cleaning solution could reach the back of the setting and damage the item. It is advisable to take your jewellery off when applying perfume.

A note about storage…

Try to keep items separate from each other, as they can rub against each other causing scratch marks. Also keep them in a place where temperatures tend not to fluctuate, as this ensures that the metal doesn’t expand or contract.

If boxes are used to store your jewellery, then avoid cotton wool as this can catch. If damp, cotton wool can also cause corrosion.

Jewellery made from natural white materials, for example pearls, are best stored using white tissue paper, not coloured tissue paper, as the latter can stain.