Estate Lapponia Sterling Silver "Galactic Tops" Bracelet by Bjorn Wekstrom

Designer: Bjorn Wekstrom

Maker: Lapponia

Circa: 1975

Dimensions: 7.5” L x 1” W

Country of Origin: Finland

INV NO: BRAC-10

**Björn Ragnar Weckström (born February 8, 1935) is a Finnish sculptor and jewelry designer. He graduated from Helsinki Goldsmith’s school in 1956. Since the very beginning of his career, Weckström has been a highly ambitious designer and artist At first, his works represented clean Scandinavian style, but in the 1960’s, Weckström found his own, totally new style which is closer to sculpture than traditional goldsmithing.

Rough matt surfaces, uncut semi-precious stones and asymmetrical forms are typical to his massive golden jewelry. Inspiration comes often from nature. When working in silver, Weckström can, for example, portray the snowy Finnish winter landscape with its frozen lakes. Weckström considers jewelry as an art form and his designs as miniature sculptures.

In 1963, Björn Weckström started co-operation with jewelry manufacturer Kruunu-Koru Oy (later Lapponia Jewelry) and its owner Pekka Anttila. Weckström became company’s designer and art director. In 1965 Weckström took part in the International Jewelry Contest in Rio de Janeiro, where his yellowgold and tourmaline necklace “Flowering wall” won the Grand Prix. Through this distinguished award, the company received worldwide recognition, launching Lapponia’s international success. His designs have been in continuous production with Lapponia ever since.

Probably the best-known piece of Weckström’s jewelry is necklace Planetoid Valleys which Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) wore in George Lucas’ film Star Wars in 1977. Necklace was designed for Lapponia in 1969.

Björn Weckström was the first designer who radically combined silver and acrylic in jewelry.^[4] Especially silver-acrylic ring Petrified lake achieved international attention when Yoko Ono was filmed wearing it on the Dick Cavett Show in 1975. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)