Scan Magazine | Design Profile | Karianne Gundersen
Time machine in a jewellery box Karianne Gundersen is Norwegian but started out as a student at Stenebyskolan in Dals Långed, Sweden. There, she learnt the art of jewellery making, based on old traditional Viking techniques that originate from the period between 800 and 1100 CE. By Cathrine Løvaas and Line Elise Svanevik | Photos: Jeanette Carlsen
Gundersen’s jewellery is made in silver and bronze. The handmade rings that make up the pieces are thread together, one by one, until they form an even pattern. For the jewellery to be correlated, the relationship between the thread thickness, the ring size and the pattern must be perfectly correct. It takes time; everything is done by hand, and she finds great pleasure in the meditative craft. The jewellery maker works with six different link types and, using old techniques, she creates new types of earrings, bracelets and necklaces for both men and women. “The aim is to take the tradition into the future, to make new types of jewellery based on an old method,” she says.
The small pieces of art she creates certainly have a timeless feel. You can find the pieces on Gundersen’s website, and the jewellery has also been for sale at the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy, Oslo, since the summer of 2013 – with great success. The museum is
Box chain by Karianne Gundersen.
one of the most visited museums in Norway, welcoming tourists from around the world. Despite being a successful jeweller now, Gundersen worked as a medical secretary by day up until recently, making jewellery in her spare time and really demonstrating that jewellery is both her passion and a hobby. She now works as a full-time jeweller. Web: www.karianneg.com
Byzantine chain by Karianne Gundersen.
Double spiral chain by Karianne Gundersen.
www.klippanyllefabrik.com