Björn Weckström

The Finnish sculptor and jewelry designer Björn Ragnar Weckström was born on February 8th, 1935 in Helsinki, Finland. Weckström trained as a goldsmith in the 1950s and has found great success with the famous company, Lapponia, for most of his career.

 Weckström views jewelry as a small-scale form of high art; a view that is reflected in his designs that tend to resemble miniature sculptures.

The ‘Space’ designs he created for Lapponia in 1969 caught the attention of Star Wars director, George Lucas. Carrie Fisher’s character, Princess Leia, is seen wearing the ‘Space’ necklace in the final scene of the 1977 film.

Beginning in the 1970s, Weckström began experimenting with acrylic plastic in his jewelry designs. John Lennon and Yoko Ono purchased some of these pieces, which quickly garnered media attention during a televised interview of the couple.

Among several awards, Weckström has received the Pro Finlandia medal in 1971 and most recently the Kaj Franck Design Prize in 2013.