Heading up heritage jeweller Engelbert for almost 40 years, we sit down with head designer Thomas Carlsson to learn why this Swedish brand makes celebrities and royals alike tick
Founded in 1920, family-owned Stockholm-based jeweller Engelbert continues to design exquisite finery to this day – finery which often can be found around the necks of celebrities or dangling from the earlobes of royalty. Bella Hadid, Anine Bing, Chiara Ferragni and Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, just to name a few. Lest we forget British singer Adele and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
Most recently, the Swedish royal was spotted wearing Engelbert's 'Swedish Grace' earrings without the crystal centrepiece to the coronation of King Charles III. Adele, on the other hand, favours the Swedish jeweller's 'infinity loop' ring rendered in gold and adorned by white diamonds.
Thomas Carlsson has been heading up Engelbert's design department for almost 40 years. "I don't know if my view on jewellery design has changed that much throughout those years," he says. "I pretty much still have the same basic idea: There must be a thought behind an idea, that’s what makes it good, and then it is important not to overwork it."
Engelbert's eternity wedding band. Photo: Engelbert
Photo: Engelbert
An image from the Engelbert archive. Photo: Engelbert
Based in Stockholm, where the brand houses both its flagship store and its design studio, the designer is keen to keep the brand's long standing traditions alive – all while shaping its key designs for the contemporary customer. “Keep it clean, simple and clear. That's how Engelbert worked for 60 years before I started and I had the same way of thinking with me.”
Scandinavian simplicity is core to the brand, with Carlsson originally honing his skills in Copenhagen. "There I learned the importance of lines and balance, how with a simple line you could change an expression completely," the designer shares. Most of the time, inspiration comes to Carlsson in lots of small fragments. Fragments that are saved and then used to put together a puzzle “hopefully forms into something beautiful.”
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wears Engelbert's 'Swedish Grace' earrings without the crystal centrepiece to the coronation of King Charles III. Photo: Getty
“Sometimes, however, you see something that gives an immediate image of a piece of jewellery,” Carlsson continues. This is what happened when Carlsson won one of the world's most prestigious jewellery prizes, the Diamonds-International Awards. “The day after a New Years Eve party, there were still streamers woven into the chandelier,” he reminisces. “That gave me the idea for a bracelet.”
Working almost exclusively with gold and diamonds, two materials that last forever, Carlsson is determined to create jewellery that will las for generations. “By designing with quality in mind, we create jewellery with a long life,” he says. “Then there must also be design sustainability. By following trends that last and skipping the short ones, we want to create jewellery that is often typical of the time but that never goes out of style.”
One thing is for certain having met Carlsson: we are keen to join the cult-like celebrity following of this homegrown, under-the-radar brand. Santa, are you taking notes?